Why is my senior dog with lymphoma also suddenly blind and deaf?

There is a condition called SARDS or sudden acute retinal degeneration syndrome. We don't know what causes this syndrome in dogs, but it does cause sudden blindness, weight gain, and increased water intake. Your veterinarian may be able to help identify if they agree with this possibility. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It may be due to icterus or jaundice which is more like a yellowish tinge. That can be seen in patients with advanced lymphoma in the liver. If he is rapidly declining it may be best to have him seen today by your local emergency clinic to try to prevent suffering. I am so sorry to hear the sad news. Have a good day!

This definitely does seem suspicious of hearing loss. Hearing loss can be due to infection, but this usually only affects one ear at a time and would not cause total deafness. There are also certain medications that can cause a dog to go deaf, so if you used any medications in the ear when you cleaned them, then this could have caused the deafness. Otherwise, dogs can suddenly go deaf for reasons that we often don't fully understand. Either way, it's best to get him evaluated by a vet. They will be able to tell if there are any issues within the ear that need treatment. I hope that helps and all is well with Lincoln.

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry to hear about Mugsy. If he has an skin infection or ulcers I recommend seeing your Vet for possible antibiotics. He is already immunosuppressed having cancer. And sadly lymphoma can affect the skin as well. I wish you and Mugsy the best!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry for your loss. Lymphoma is a terrible cancer for people & animals. This is a very complicated question with no easy answer. Lymphoma is a rapidly growing malignancy that can go & grow anywhere there is lymph tissue. This is virtually every tissue in the body. Eventually, the cancer will infiltrate the tissue to such an extent that the organ fails (often this is bone marrow or the liver). As the patient loses appetite, begins to vomit, & develop diarrhea, he will continue to weaken, & eventually dies. Sometimes we can put a patient in remission for a while with chemotherapy, but then the tumor cells become resistant to the drugs, & death ensues. This is a bit simplistic, but it is actually the mechanism by which all cancers take over, kill normal cells eventually killing the host. It is a terrible disease.

Sadly, many of the ailments of human senior citizens can also occur in our canine companions. Impaired vision or blindness can occur in dogs and can be due to things like cataracts, glaucoma, etc. The good news is that these diseases, if caught early enough, can be treated and sometimes even reversed or cured! My best advice is to take Baby to your local veterinarian as soon as possible to have a complete ophthalmic examination performed. Some of the tests you should ask for are as follows: a menace test, intraocular tonopen test, schirmer tear test, and fundic exam. I hope this helps. Have a great day.

Dogs can develop blindness secondary to disease of the brain (central), eye (peripheral) or secondary to systemic disease such as elevated blood pressure or Cushing's disease. If she is able to see now, she may not have been truly blind before or just had trouble seeing at night. A full examination would be needed to help to determine the underlying cause. In the meantime, observe her closely and make notes including changes in behavior, bumping into things, changes in eyes, changes in urination or defecation, appetite and take this information with you to your veterinary appointment.