Blind Doggy :(

D

dainewell

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17 February 2006
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My old dog has recently lost his sight to old age, hes since been checked by a vet to ensure it is genuinely just old age and not diabetes etc..
I was wondering if anyone has any tips for ensuring he has the best quality of life he possibly can! He is well in himself and happy to go for walks as long as you talk to him, just cant help but feel he's a bit depressed as hes getting used to it. thanks
 
I'm sorry to hear this, but I know they can & will adapt..don't forget his sense of smell & his memory will play a big part in things..biggest tip is try not to move any furniture or leave things lying about..if you have any sharp edges,like table corners etc, buy some ping pong balls & cut & wedge them on the ends(you may need to glue or fix them so they don't go walkies) even folded bubble wrap taped will help. I have stayed with a lady in Germany who lived in a chalet with literally more staircases than sq foot..she had 2 daschunds, one blind, one not. The seeing dog helped his friend and I remember she placed draught excluders at th top of each staircase so he knew & didn't fall down. You could use baby gates too, bit safer if he's a bigger dog.My rough collie's sight deteriorated badly & fast tho he was 15, he coped very well.Mum used to place her hand on the top of the base of his tail and would tlk to him but use this area to tap left right while she said the words.steady hand on base to wait..lots of things you can do, its just finding what works for you both, he will probably guide you. and lots of sensory stimulants grooming helpd max too, try & be positive & upbeat with him rather than sad, it will help him keep happy,lots of praise.Hugs to doggy & you xx
 
Sorry to hear this, when mine lost his sight we basically did as above. He was really unsure of himself to begin with but soon adapted and he grew confidence so long as he has us to guide him when he's got it wrong and about to walk into something (normally the fridge..... When it's open......).

Also you will have to be more on the ball out on walks - guiding him around things and around dogs that he wont see coming :)
 
They cope remarkably well. They do find their way round the house quite well (though you will ahve to look out for them when they're wandering as they can't get out of your way) and on walks to start with a harness can make them feel secure. My two old girls both went blind, one was blind and deaf and she could find her way round the house and garden pretty well just on her nose (but once senility started that was pretty much it - but she was 17...). Have groomed several blind dogs over the years and they always seem to know their way round the shop (which way to the bath, which way to the crate, which way to the front door) and just now and again needed a small correction. Don't worry too much.
 
Oh also depending on if you have another dog or not, it may slightly change his reaction to meeting other dogs. Max became more 'sensitive' and did get cross with some (simply as he couldn't see their body language to know if they were curving (meaning no threat) or coming straight full on, if they were squinting (friendly) or looking away (mean no harm) again its just adjusting - I used a different voice, if I knew it was a dog he knew I'd put on an excited soft "hey its Scoobie/Fluffy etc" "hello Scoobie" "gently" once they are within sniffing range it was fine, new dogs you might have to do something like ask him to sit and use another intro word...or he might just cope brilliantly - all depends on his personality. Max did get quite grumpy with mum at times & told her off alot but despite this & his other problems he coped really really well:-) You just have to learn to think ahead and be their eyes in some situations x
 
Thanks everyone its good to know others have coped so well, he is improving everyday. He lives with a very bouncy 1yr old dog so occasionally gets bumped into by him but if we are around we can make sure hes safe! Also started crating him at night so he cant wander off and get hurt! :) x
 
I posted a thread a couple of days ago along the same lines. My Springer has gone blind very rapidly and is still getting used to it, and so am I. Yesterday in the woods I realised this wasn't going to be one of our walks any more, as steering her round the trees and out of the bushes wasn't fun for either of us. She was much more relaxed today at our other walk in open fields. Good luck dainewell, we'll both be on a learning curve together!
 
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