Here, Let Me Show You My Scar

This is our new arrival, wobbly blind Briggs, fresh from his eye surgery and neutering on Thursday.  Alayne drove over to Helena Saturday morning to pick him up.  I took the photo of Briggs on the living room couch this afternoon.  As I posted the week before, we had postponed his eye surgery after our vets, Brenda and Britt Culver, had found Briggs was suffering from a kidney disease called glomerulonephritis.

But what was causing the kidney disease?  One of the suspects was a tick-borne disease of some sort, among other things, and Britt ran a new battery of blood tests to see what they could find.  Well, it turns out that Briggs had Rocky Mountain spotted fever ... which he contracted while living in Georgia.  On the titer for this disease, Brenda said you would typically expect to see a normal ratio of less than 1:64, and Briggs' titer was 1:2048.

What's interesting is that it's likely his wobbliness is a result of the Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which in long-term, untreated cases can cause movement disorders.  We didn't think his wobbliness looked like our usual cerebellar hypoplasia animals, but we couldn't quite explain why ... it was just different.

And his blindness could also be the result of the Rocky Mountain spotted fever!  As Brenda explained it to me, Briggs probably developed uveitis, an inflammatory disease of the eyes, because of the untreated Rocky Mountain spotted fever.  The uveitis, in turn, caused his filtration angles (the "drain valve" in the eye) to plug up, which led to the glaucoma that blinded him. 

As you may remember from my post about the type of eye surgery we were going to do for him, Brenda planned on implanting a prosthesis in the globe of each eye to keep his 'natural' look.  Because his body still had the antigens from the Rocky Mountain spotted fever circulating in his system, thus putting his immune system on heightened alert, Brenda was concerned that this would increase the risk of his body rejecting the prostheses.

So she consulted with our veterinary ophthalmologist in Spokane, Dr. William Yakely, to get his opinion on this case.  Dr. Yakely told Brenda that since they were already treating Briggs for the Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and since he had received other supportive therapy even before we got the diagnosis, that this would lessen the risks for rejection.  And if Briggs' body did reject the eye implants, then we still had the option of enucleation. 

After reviewing all this with Brenda on Thursday morning, we agreed to proceed with the surgery as originally planned.  Brenda called Thursday evening to say all had gone well, and Briggs had come out of anesthesia just fine. 

It will be at least three weeks before we know if the prostheses "take," and as time goes on, the risks of rejection diminish.  We've done this on several animals and never had a rejection, but all we can do now is keep our fingers crossed.  Briggs was so happy to come home, and even though we tried to keep him isolated in a quiet room by himself, he wouldn't stand for it.  He bayed and bayed until we let him out so he could be with everyone else.  He's on multiple medications for his eyes and continues on doxycycline for the Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

How ironic that this poor little dog would have come down with Rocky Mountain spotted fever quite some time ago, was never treated for it, and then moved to the Rocky Mountains ... where he was finally diagnosed and treated!  (Although as Medline reports, "Contrary to the name "Rocky Mountain," most recent cases have been reported in the eastern United States...." and it also occurs in Central and South America, too.)

For more detailed information on Rocky Mountain spotted fever in dogs, here's a great write-up from the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Just after I finished writing this blog post, I noticed Briggs sitting on the ramp outside my office window.  Alayne had let him out after feeding him dinner.  He seemed to be sitting there, staring at Ovando Mountain in the distance.  Maybe he was just thinking how his future is going to be so much brighter from now on:

Comments

[Sonya Brooks]

Welcome home, Briggs! Love your pictures. Wish you a good and speedy recovery. I know you can't see the mountains, but I bet you can smell them, after all you are a hound dog!

[Bibi]

I think I've fallen in love with you, Mr Briggs..........

Sigh...........

O'Riley ( Bibi's boy)

[Cora]

After such sadness in recent days...these pictures say it all doesn't it? Steve and Alayne..these pictures are results of your big, loving hearts, your wonderful sanctuary and your ultimate passion to do well for your four legged (sometimes three legged) family!

[ginger & Tobias (the greythound)]

I'm so glad that the cause of Briggs problems have been found. It's unfortunate that he lost his sight because of it, but if he'd not come to the RDR, well, I just don't want to think about that! Thank you so much for getting him the absolute best care possible. I think in the bottom pic, Briggs is just being grateful to be at the RDR & be so loved.
Big hugs to all,
ginger, Tobias & Tlingit

[Candace]

I love the bottom picture of Briggs. That picture could be a poster for hope.Im glad he is doing so well.
It looks like Heaven in that photo.

[Moon Rani]

Was Briggs contemplating his happy, healthy future or was he listening to all the magnified sounds? Maybe both. Good wishes, Briggs. You'll feel so much better soon.

[Angela]

Awwww - what a little doll. He knows what a good place he is in!!! I hope for the best for Briggs!

[Boundforglory]

It's important to stay in the present with Briggs, rather than the past and what's important now is that he's been treated for all his conditions and seems ever so grateful. What a sweet boy!
Thanks for all the links and helpful information on Rocky Mountain Fever, Steve!
We're keeping all fingers and paws crossed that the prostheses will be successful.

[Nancy Longfield]

So glad Briggs is doing well--hope Trooper is also doing well--would love to see a blog about him!

[Margaret]

We're TOTALLY hrilled for Briggs' bright and loving future. Such a dear patient. You knowledge in things "vetrinary" are growing daily- we're so impressed!

[Carla Polastro-Nigro]

Just loved both pictures of Briggs! Isn't that blue Montana sky gorgeous?

I, too, am keeping my fingers crossed and wishing sweet Briggs a speedy and uneventful recovery.

Big hugs for all the residents of RDR.

[Lalla and Sasha]

...that photo speaks volumes.

[Kae]

No Briggs is cooling off those rather blackened nether regions with ice I think! LOL

Fingers crossed all is ok with Briggs.

Kae Norman
Rescued With Love Inc.

[Andrew, NZ]

Or maybe the reception for his dish was better outside and he was just tuning in his head piece?

[Kristen D.]

What a sweet photo of little Briggs! Glad to hear his surgery went well. Hey Steve, can Briggs pick up HBO with that thing around his neck? :-)

[Craig from Great Falls]

Awesome! Always nice to hear good news.

[Kay Stemnock]

Welcome home, Briggs! You will love it at the ranch.

[Shirley & James, Portland, OR]

Amen, his future is going to be much brighter. It warms my heart to know he has a chance now! I'm looking forward to updates!

[maggie]

this sounds like great news! i am so glad that you found the underlying problem and are able to take steps to fix it - and that the first steps (crossing fingers!) seem to have been successful.
Briggs is going to start feeling like a million bucks very soon, i hope, and he'll think he's just the luckiest boy in the whole wide world to be with you at RDR!
do you think his wobbliness will clear up once the Rocky Mountain spotted fever is out of his system? (I know the blindness, of course, is permanent, unfortunately...)