The Facts About Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDS) in Canines

Posted on April 15th, 2017

Unfortunately the veterinary profession is just now identifying this autoimmune, ocular disease within the past 2 to 3 years and they still seem to believe that there is no treatment for SARDS.

However, SARDS is an autoimmune disease that occurs due to the development of an endocrine imbalance, causing the immune system to lose control. When this happens, the endocrine imbalance allows the immune system to lose recognition of self tissue, which is in this case is retinal tissue. However other types of tissue can be involved causing other types of autoimmune diseases.

When this happens, the immune system will destroy the retina tissue and this is why it is so very important to identify and correct this imbalance, before the retinal tissue is damaged permanently.

To be told “Go home and learn how to live with a blind dog”, will never be the answer because SARDS is an autoimmune disease and left uncorrected, it will allow for other autoimmune diseases and cancer to occur.

This endocrine immune imbalance is easily identified, but must be identified and corrected as soon as possible, in order to reduce further damage to whatever retinal tissue remains.

Unfortunately, if this endocrine immune imbalance goes unrecognized while other unnecessary tests are being done because there is a lack of understanding why SARDS occurs, the damage to the retinal tissue may be permanent.

NOTE: Often even the correct treatment is blamed for a lack of return of vision, because the patient was not treated in time to stop their immune system from causing permanent damage to the retinal tissue.

Identifying and treating a SARDS patient must be done as quickly as possible to avoid permanent blindness.

If you practitioner needs more information on how to do this, they can contact NVDS laboratory at

What are the actual facts regarding why an endocrine immune imbalance will occur in animals and in humans?

The imbalance begins with the production of a cortisol that is deficient, defective or bound.

The production of normal cortisol is necessary, in order to fund the negative feedback mechanism to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.

The cortisol regulates the immune system while also carrying out its other function.

The cortisol is then normally broken down by the liver and excreted by the kidneys, and the reduced amount of normal cortisol stimulates the hypothalamus to release its Cortico-Releasing Factor (CRF), which causes the pituitary gland to release its Adreno-Cortico-Releasing Hormone (ACTH).

The pituitary ACTH causes the middle layer adrenal cortex referred to as the Zona Fasciculata, to release more normal cortisol.

When the release involves a deficient, defective or bound cortisol, the hypothalamus and pituitary will continue their release, and the inner layer adrenal cortex, referred to as the Zona Reticularis, will responds in a direct feedback mechanism, and produce excessive amounts of adrenal estrogen and androgen.

NOTE: This article will only deal with the production of excessive amounts of adrenal estrogen.

What are the health implications that the excessive amounts of adrenal estrogen will cause?

. If excessive estrogen is introduced to normal tissue in a Petri dish, the

  tissue will grow rapidly in an excess manner.

  NOTE: Most cancer patients whether animal or human that were

  Tested for an endocrine immune imbalance, all had elevated amounts

  of adrenal or total estrogen.

. Excess estrogen will cause inflammation of the endothelial cells that

  line all the arteries in the body. This may be apart of why Alzheimer’s

  syndrome occurs.

. It is a known fact that elevated total (adrenal) estrogen will bind the

  Receptor sites for triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxin (T4)

NOTE: T4 will also not be transferred into active T3 if there is a cortisol

  Imbalance exists.

. The elevated total estrogen causes the immune system to lose

  recognition of self-tissue and is the cause of autoimmunity and in this

  case, will cause SARDS.

. The elevated total estrogen will also cause the B-lymphocyte to

   Reduce its production of immunoglobulins (antibodies), and when the

   mucous membrane immunoglobulin, referred to as IgA, is below a

   certain level, malabsorption of oral cortisol and many other oral

   medications and supplements and will not be absorbed through the

   mucous membranes of the intestines.

  My clinical studies have indicated the following levels of IgA that will

  cause malabsorption in canines, felines and humans;

  Canines and felines = Below 58 mgs./dL

  Humans = Below 68 mg/dL

NOTE: The reason this is so important is because proper oral medication may be prescribed, but with a deficient IgA, the patient will NOT be able to absorb the oral medication.

In order to identify an endocrine immune imbalance in canines, felines and in humans, the following are the tests that need to be evaluated.

The normal values for these tests, based upon my findings are as follows for canines and felines:

. Cortisol = 1 to 2.5 ug/dL

. Adrenal (total) estrogen = 24.5 to 25 pg/dL

. T3 = 100 to 200 ng/dL

. T4 = 2 to 4.5 ng/dL. IgA

. IgA = 70 to 170 mg/dL

. IgM = 100 to 200 mg/dL

. IgG = 1000 to 2000 mg/dL

I refer to this test as an EI1 and can be performed by;

National Veterinary Diagnostic Services for animals and by LabCorp for humans.

NOTE: Total estrogen represents adrenal estrogen and does not include the ovarian hormones.

Of the 100,000 endocrine immune blood tests that I had performed, all were done on female canines and female felines that had already had their ovaries removed surgically.

Many of the human patients that were checked, were postmenopausal or also had their estradiol, estrone and estriole measured, and were found to be deficient, while their total (adrenal) estrogen was elevated.

Please remember that this test is not only to identify SARDS in canines, but is also to identify endocrine immune imbalances in humans and in other animals that can lead to allergies, autoimmunity and cancer.

Hopefully these facts will help you and your health care practitioner, identify and correct an endocrine immune imbalance in you and in your pet as quickly as possible.


Dr. Al Plechner