Gemmeisprescribedeyedrops,andIlearnthatprices

canvarygreatlyforthedrops.Therearesomecompounded
dropsthatareextremelyexpensiveandinconvenient.
Twotypesofdropsthatareavailablewithoutcompounding
aredorzolamide2percent(tradenameTrusopt)and
brinzolamide1percent(tradenameAzopt).The
dorzolamideisconsiderablylessexpensivethanthe
brinzolamide,butmaynotbetoleratedaswellbecause
itirritatessomedogs’eyes.Theprescriptionisforone
droptoeacheye,twiceaday.

IleavetheappointmentgreatlyrelievedthatGemme’s

eyesarehealthy,andwenowhaveaplan.IrealizethatI
forgottoaskwhetherwecancontinuetogiveGemmethe
cranberrytabletswegivetoourhoundsasaprophylactic
againsturinarytractinfections.Ifollowupandlearnthat
thetabletshouldhavenoeffectonocularpressures.

WhenIgethome,weorderapairofDoggles.Wegofor

thepinkwithblacktigerstripes;itfitsGemme’spersonality,
andhercollarcolorforhunttrialsispink.Iorderthestyle
withinterchangeablelensesandasetofclearlensesbecause
thatseemstobetheonlywayIcangettheclearuntinted
lenses.Wedon’tneedthegogglesforthetinting,justfor
theprotection.

Wefillthedorzolamideprescription,andtoourgreat

relief,Gemmetakesthedropswell,andtheydonotirritate
hereyes.Withinaday,bothdogsarereadyandeagerfor
medicinetimewhenIcallthem—probablybecauseboth
gettreatseventhoughonlyGemmegetsherdrops.Ifind
thedorzolamideatWalgreensfor$15perbottleandabottle
lastsmorethanamonth,butGemmehastosignupforthe
prescriptionplanwithanannualfeeof$20togetthatprice.

ThenextweekendwemeetfriendsataBeaglecluband

practicehuntingwithourregularpackofPBGVs.Wetrythe
Doggles,butwerushedGemme’sintroductiontothemand
shepawsatthem.Weletherhuntwithoutthem.Wewill
savethegogglesforanotherday,afterwecanintroduce
themslowlyandproperly.Thepackfindsmanyrabbitsand
doesn’twanttoleavethefieldwhenitistimetogo.

We’venowsettledintoaroutine.Gemmegetsherdrops,

andsheandBijougettreatstwiceaday.I’vediscontinued
Gemme’sbriefforayintotheshowring.Inolongercringe
everytimeGemmeandBijouplayhardasithappensdaily,
buttheriskofinjuryisalwayspresent.Otherwise,Gemme’s
lifehasnotchanged.

IseetheDNAtestdiscussedonsocialmedia,andget

frustrated.IreadFacebookpoststhatappeartobemorethan
simplyhappywithcleartestresults,andborderonbeing
self-congratulatory.Therealityisthatuntilthetestbecame
availableearlythisyear,nobodyknewwhetherasireora
damwasclearoracarrier.Anypuppyconceivedbeforethe
testcouldhavehadtwoPOAGgenes,andabreedercouldnot
knowwhetherthepuppieswouldbeclear,carriersor
affected,sotakingcreditforgoodresultsseemsinappropriate.
Similarly,someofthediscussionisinsensitive,because
affecteddogsarebelovedpetsthatcanhaveeverydesirable
qualityexceptthosetwogenes.Pushingownersofaffected
dogstopostresultsseemsinappropriate.Sharingresults
amongfriendsbecausewesharenewsaboutourdogsisone
thing;thepushtopostresultsonsocialmediaunderthe
guiseofavoidingPOAGinthefutureisanother.Social
media,includingFacebook,isnotthebestplaceforresults
forbreedingdecisions.Socialmediaisnotpermanentand

hasnosearchableindex.Theplaceforresultsison
registriesthatwillbepermanentandcanbesearched.

Iworrythattherewillbenofurtherresearchon

thecareofhealthybutaffectedPBGVsbecausefuture
breedingcaneliminatethePOAGrecessivegenetic
disorder.Iunderstandthatcanineglaucomacanalways
occurfromothercausesandinotherbreeds,sotherewill
alwaysbeaneedforresearch.Iamafraidofagapin
knowledgeforouraffectedhounds,butitwillbeagood
thingifnoneofthisknowledgeisneeded20yearsfrom
nowbecause,withcarefulbreeding,therearenomore
affecteddogs.

Ialsonowunderstandthatahealthydogthattests

affecteddoesnothavePOAG.Somedescribehealthydogs
withtwoPOAGgenesashavingPOAG.POAGmeans
glaucoma.Ahealthydog,evenonethattestsaffected,
doesnothaveglaucoma.Gemmeishealthynowandshe
doesnothaveglaucomaorPOAG.Shehastwogenes
linkedtothedevelopmentofPOAG.Ourgoalistodelay
theonsetofglaucomaaslongaspossible.

Hopefully,oursearchforinformationwillhelpothers

withhealthybutaffectedPBGVs.Wehaveatreatment
planandalistofthingstodo.IwillordersomenewDNA
testkits,andIwillsubmitnewDNAsamples.Iwillsubmit
thesampleswithoutidentifyingthePBGVsbyname,to
reducethechanceofbiasinthetesting.Wewillwatchfor
thestudytobepublished,andreaditcarefully.Wewill
giveeyedrops,getpressurescheckedandhaveeyeexams.
WewillsupportthePBGVHealth&RescueFoundation.
Wewillsharenewtreatmentinformationaswelearnit.

Andwewillcontinuetohunt,becausethatiswhat

Gemmelovestodo.

I

SaberTails

IWinter2015

www.pbgv.org

25

Gemmemodelsherpink-and-
black,tiger-stripedDoggles.