DECEMBER PET OF THE MONTH
Max
Max Moldenhauer, a 3 year old German Wire Haired Pointer first came to see us at the end of
May. Max is a hunting dog that lives with his owner on the Pigeon River in Clintonville. Max's owner brought him to see us because his eyes were extremely red and he had lost his appetite. The initial
exam showed that Max had lost sight in both of his eyes. After discussing the findings with his owner we decided to refer Max toa veterinary opthamologist to see if there was anything that could be done to
restore his vision.Further testing revealed that Max had contracted a disease called
Blastomycosis. This is a fungal infection that can affect not only animals but also humans. The infection had not only caused Max to loose sight in both of his
eyes but also had caused some changes in his lungs. The decision was made to try to do everything possible in an attempt to restore Max's vision. Initially Max
was receiving 7 different medications that included 4 types of eye medications, one of which needed to be given every 2 hourrs. In addition to the eye
medications Max was also receiving oral medication and one medication which needed to be given intravenously. To receive intravenous medication Max's
owner needed to bring him into the clinic 3 times a week. At each visit Max would need to have a blood sample to check his liver and kidney values prior to
receiving the medication. The medication then needed to be given over a 15 minute period, during which time Max needed to remain very still.
Unfortunately we were not able to restore Max's vision, but he has not let that slow him down. His owner says that Max continues to be able to hunt and
enjoys running in the field and giving his new little brother a hard time. We are still seeing Max every month for rechecks and his attitude has never been
better. Max has taken everything that he has had to go through in stride and thanks to the hard work and dedication of our clinic staff and Max's owner he is enjoying life. 
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