mlaq55

My basset is 11 years old and in fairly good health, her legs aren't as steady as they used to be and her eyes are cloudy which we never had a satifactory answer for because it's not glaucoma. She had a lot of teeth removed about six months ago and I noticed her howl had changed. The power of her howl had decreased, volume and tone, it's not as smooth anymore I guess. So my question is, was it the teeth removal, something that can happen to hounds or something more serious? She still plays and demands attention like normal so it appears she feels fine. Any thoughts are welcome!

Mikey T

part of the normal aginging process or it could be cataracts


Cataracts

Quote:

Nuclear sclerosis is a normal aging change in the lens of a dog’s eye. In this case the lens, which is a gelatinous material, begins to harden as the dog gets older. Fortunately, this cloudiness doesn’t cause major changes in the ability of the dog to see. It might make it more difficult to focus well enough to read the newspaper, but since few dogs do this, it really isn’t a problem. Sometimes this cloudiness affects depth perception at dawn and dusk. Dogs may be hesitant to bound up or down the stairs during these times of day, but otherwise you won’t notice much. The cloudiness associated with nuclear sclerosis is a bluish haze that is noticeable when light hits the lens just right, so you might not notice it all the time. ... While you don’t need to do anything about nuclear sclerosis, cataracts do require treatment and monitoring.

There is no way of telling if the cange in howl is realated to the tooth removal or some other serious or no- serious illness/condition without a vet visit. Dog can develop a number of oral and throat cancers which can often be treated successfully if caught early.