SaberTails

IWinter2015

www.pbgv.org

23

testresultsweremixedup.IamcertainthatIsegregated
thesamples,butitmakesmewonderwhethertherewasa
mix-upattheAHT.

IemailtheAHTandask:
“Whatstudyhaveyoudoneregardingtheaccuracyofthetest,

andisthatinformationavailableforreview?CanIrepeatthe
test?Ifso,howdoIdothat?Simplyordermoretestkits?For
myaffecteddog,Iamlookingforinformationregardingfuture
pressuretestingandcare.Myaffecteddogis11monthsold.
GiventheabilitytoidentifythePOAGgenesoearlynowin
PBGVs,isthereanyfollow-upresearchorhasanyonealready
developedrecommendationsregardingearlycareandtreatment
thatmayhelpdelaytheonsetofglaucoma?Hastherebeenwork
doneinthisarearegardingBeaglesorotherbreedswithPOAG
testingthatcannowbeappliedtoPBGVs?Whatresources
wouldyourecommendthatmyvetandIreviewandusein
mydog’scare?”

Igetareplythatmyinquiryhasbeenforwardedtothe

relevantpersonnelforreply.

WetakeGemmeintothelocalvetwhodoeshavea

tonometer.Forreference,webringBijou,whotestedclear.
Thevethasatonopen,whichisatonometerthatshe
pressesagainsttheeyeballtomeasuretheocularpressure.
Shetestseacheyethreetimes.Gemmetests18,15and15in
thelefteye,and13,19and14intherighteye.Thatseems
likeasignificantvariationtome,anddoesnotgivemealot
ofconfidenceinthetests,butthevetisnotconcerned.In
contrast,Bijou’spressuresare7,4and6inthelefteyeand
11,13and13intherighteye.Thatalsoseemslikealotof
variation,butinmymind,Bijou’slowerpressuresconfirm
thatIdidnotmixupGemme’sandBijou’sDNAsamples.
ThisvettellsusGemme’spressuresarenormal.She
recommendstestingpressureseverysixmonths,andthatwe
shouldgiveGemmeprescriptioneyedropsifthepressures
gethigh,somethingmorethan20.

Ourregularvetgetsbackfromvacationandcallsme.I

bringGemmeinandwetalk.Wereviewtheresultsofthe

pressuretests,andhetellsmehewilltalkwiththespecialists
atIowaState.Heagreeswiththesix-monthprotocolandto
givedropsifpressuresrise,butIknowhewillresearchit.

IgetanemailresponsefromAHT.Iamtoldthatthe

researchregardingtheDNAtestiscurrentlybeingwritten
upforpeer-reviewpublication.Inotherwords,wecan’tsee
theinformationregardingtheaccuracyofthestudyuntilit
ispublished.Icanrepeatthetestbyorderingitagaininthe
usualway.Myquestionsregardingclinicalcareforayoung
dogtested“affected”willbeforwardedtooneoftheAHT
ophthalmologists.Idon’texpecttohearfromtheAHT
ophthalmologistsaboutGemme’sfuturecare,because
thatisnottheirjob.

IdecidetokeepGemme’sappointmentatIowaState.
TheDr.EugeneandLindaLloydVeterinaryMedical

CenterattheIowaStateUniversityCollegeofVeterinary
Medicineisateachingclinic,soGemmeisfirstexamined
byavetstudentwithanassistant.Theexamincludes
measurementofGemme’spressures,thistimewitha
Tonovet.TheTonovetisamoreaccuratetonometerthat
measuresthepressuresbyshootingasoftprojectileatthe
eyeballandmeasuringhowtheprojectilebouncesback.She
alsomeasuresGemme’stearproduction,andlooksinside
Gemme’seyeballwithalargelens.Igothroughmylistof
questions,andthestudentleavestheroomtodiscuss
Gemme’scasewiththespecialist.

ThespecialistisDr.RachelAllbaugh,anassistant

professorofveterinaryophthalmology.Dr.Allbaughrepeats
theexam,explainingassheworks.Wethengothoughmy
questions.WhatIlearnconfirmsthatitwasnotonlyagood
ideatokeeptheappointment,itwascriticallyimportant.

Theexamresultsaregoodnews.Gemme’spressuresare

14intherighteye,12intheleft.Herretinasandocular
nervesappearveryhealthy.Hereyesshownodamagefrom
elevatedpressures.Atthistime,shedoesnothaveglaucoma.

NowDr.Allbaughsurprisesmebyrecommendingthatwe

startprescriptioneyedropsnow.Sheexplainsthatunlike

Gemmeasasmallpupalreadylovedtohunt.