Toto Clinic VII RESULTS
27 October 2007, St. Louis Park, MN
Greater Twin Cities (MN) Su-Mac Cairn Terrier Club Toto Clinics are held each fall on a late-October Saturday morning. We find that the dilated eyes give the dogs a headstart with their spooky Halloween look. At this seventh Toto Clinic, we limited the number of Cairns this year and saw 68 of the tykes, and identified 32 with one or more eye conditions (see Table of Results below).
This year, Dr Olivero and his staff found no eyes with suspected or diagnosed ocular melanosis. There is a continuing concern, however, with several types of cataract: juvenile-onset, injury-related, and age-related. Maybe it's time to support research concerning the types of cataract in Cairn Terriers.
We continue to be very grateful to Dr. Olivero and his skilled staff for their generous offer of their clinic, time, and commitment to Cairn Terrier eye health. Aggregate data (clinical findings identified with each Cairn are kept in strict confidence by the VOSP staff) are made available to the Cairn community via the CTCA News and this website.
The following is a summary of the findings of the examination of 68 Cairn Terriers with
conditions reported:
Condition Diagnosed Cairns Eyes (1)
1. Cataract, age-related
* cataract with minimal or no impairment in both eyes 7 14
* cataract in left eye only 5 5
* cataract in right eye only 1 1
2. Traumatic cataract
* peripheral traumatic cataractic left eye 1 1
3. Genetic cataract with potential for progression
* Genetically-transmitted, posterior cortical, both eyes4 8
* Genetically-transmitted, posterior cortical, left eye only 1 1
* Genetically-transmitted, posterior cortical, left eye only 1 1
with age-related cataract in right eye (unduplicated above)- 1
4. Progressive Retinal Atrophy
5. Pigmentation abnormalities
* Posterior capsular pigment, left eye 1 1
* Posterior capsular pigment, right eye 1 1
* Anterior lens capsular pigment, both eyes 1 2
with genetically-transmitted cataract, left eye (unduplicated) - 1
* Anterior lens capsular pigment, both eyes 1 2
6. Persistent pupillary membrane (PPM) - both cases in Cairns aged
< 1 year, and PPM may resolve with time
7. Optic Nerve Hypoplasia
* Borderline small optic nerve, just inside normal range, left eye 1 1
* Optic nerve hypoplasia, left eyes 2 2
with diffuse cataract in left eyes (unduplicated) - 2
8. Episcleritis, inflammation, not genetically-related1 2
9. Ocular melanosis (No eyes suspected or diagnosed) 0 0
10. Total Affected Cairns, with Condition-Eyes3252
11. Total Affected Cairns, with number of normal eyes 32 12
11. Total Cairns with normal exams, with number of normal eyes36 72
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Note 1: Condition-Eyes; Eyes with two conditions are counted twice.
No eyes had three conditions. List is not additive.
Cairn Terrier Eyes with some form of cataract: 32/136 or 24% of total examined
Cairn Terriers affected with one or more eye conditions (unduplicated) 32 (47%)
Cairn Terriers with normal exams 36 (53%)
Summary The 2007 OM-CERF Clinic examined 136 eyes of 68 Cairn Terriers and identified eye disease in almost half of them. As in the recent past, about one Toto Clinic Cairn in four (32 eyes of the total 136, or 24% of our 2007 clinic population) had some form of cataract. We did not identify new cases of ocular melanosis (OM). We believe that Cairns in the Twin Cities with identified OM at previous Clinics are being followed privately.
The 2007 sample reflects, the ongoing policy of the Toto Clinic to recruit older (7+ years of age) for ocular melanosis (OM) exams. We do this because we believe OM is more prevalent in older Cairns and our screening will be more likely to encounter cases in lines that have transmitted or could transmit the disease. As a result of our focus on older Cairns, we are finding a serious number of another threat to vision: cataracts.
Factors contributing to the success of this year's Toto Clinic include the enthusiastic support of the Minnesota purebred (CTCA) Cairn Terrier breeders, the recruiting and organizing work of Jeanne Mortenson, the Toto News e-mail newsletter, and the Su-Mac Club Toto Clinic web page with information and registration materials. The Su-Mac Club is proud to be offering this service to Midwestern Cairn breeders and owners. Due to the kindness of Dr. Olivero and his staff, Su-Mac Club fund-raising, and the generous assistance from the CTCA Foundation, we were able to offer exams this year for a discounted $22 per dog.
The Toto Clinic offers a chance for learning and social contact with other Cairn devotés. For many pet owners, the Clinic provides the only occasion in the year that they can observe the antics of more than one Cairn Terrier at a time.
The Club’s REGULAR clinics offer Cairn owners a continuing assessment of their dogs’ eye health through time. Cairn Terriers and their owners in the region owe Dr. Dennis Olivero and his staff much gratitude for dedicating the good part of an October Saturday to Cairn Terrier eye health!
The Continuing Prevalence of Cataract Cataracts were detected at previous Toto Clinics: 2001 (about 19% of the eyes), 2002 (4%), 2003 (10%), 2004 (17%), 2005 (25%), 2006 (23%), and, now, in 2007, (24%). Forms of cataract remain by far the most prevalent eye condition found in Cairn Terriers at all seven consecutive Toto Clinics in central Minnesota (2001-2007).
Dr. Olivero’s comments at Toto Clinic VII
"Pigment on the anterior lens capsule can be a spontaneous birth defect if present at birth associated with failure of the central iris to completely dissolve when the pupil is developed. If it (pigment) develops at a later age, dogs should be followed for possible future ocular melanosis (OM), becasue they are shedding pigment from the iris.
"Pigment on the posterior lens capsule has unknown significance. (It) can also be a birth defect or can develop as a result of iris shedding. I feel less pressure regarding OM follow-up on dogs with posterior capsule pigment compared to anterior capsular pigment, because OM involves the iris in front of the lens.
"Persistent pupillary membranes are fetal membranes that did not fully dissolve when the iris developed. They rarely are vision-impairing and usually ... resolve by a year of age ... The two cases diagnosed were in puppies.
"Very organized clinic with friendly and cooperative pets and people. Congratulations on the lack of OM in MN this year. Thank you.
Dennis Olivero."
Next year! Toto Clinic VIII
Toto Clinic VIII will be held in late October, 2008. We will again limit the number of Cairn Terriers registered. Those wishing to register their Cairns after the cap will be asked to contact their veterinary ophthalmologist (DACVO) for their Cairns’ annual exams. Finally, we repeat our guiding principle:
"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32)
Jeanne Mortenson
Jim Hulbert
27 October 2007
The Su-Mac Club will gladly permit, upon request, Cairn Terrier Clubs' use of its information and registration forms to support any OM-CERF Clinic.
