What the vet said

I brought Rusty back to the vet this morning. The blood in his eye has cleared up, allowing her to peek behind the cornea.

While it is still inflammed, the situation has improved, thanks to the medication. However, the bad news is his right eye is totally gone. It's not because of trauma or injury or negligence on our part, but his is a case of luxated lens, a genetic disorder common amongst Jack Russells.

Primary lens luxation is assumed to be autosomal recessive. That is, each parent must at least be a carrier of the disorder. According to the vet, Jack Russells from Australia are highly susceptible to this disorder. During her working stint in Melbourme (where Rusty came from), she had attended to many such cases and almost all were Jack Russells.

In Rusty's case, the lens had detached entirely causing massive bleeding in the retina. The displaced lens is pulling the retina, causing the blood vessels in there to burst. Stronger medication is prescribed and we'll have to bring him back again in 2 weeks.

Now that he's totally blind in one eye, we must be very vigilant in observing the good eye. If we see any change in his eye colour or sense any discomfort, we should bring him to the vet right away. While googling about this condition, I am sad to learn that there is a possibility that his other eye may get luxated. I don't think I want to keep another Jack Russell again. It's too sad.

Again she was all praise for Rusty, whom he calls "Sweet Darling Boy" because he's so quiet and cooperative compared to other jack russells (she calls them jack rascals) that come into the clinic. She said, "If only all jack russells are so good like Rusty, people will like them more."

That's just about the best thing I've heard all morning.