brightmount
Well-Known Member
My 10 year old Springer Spaniel had an accident 5 years ago and had to have her cornea stitched and grafted. To start with she still had sight in that eye, we were told she might develop a post traumatic cataract, which did indeed happen a couple of years later. She has never been the slightest bit bothered about slowly switching from binocular to monocular vision.
About 6 weeks ago, she started to lose the sight in her other eye and was very anxious and depressed. I took her to the vet, but he didn't do any more than shrug and put it down to her age. He did check for enlarged blood vessels in the retina and glaucoma, but there was nothing apart from clouding of the eye and hardly any constriction of the iris which is permanently dilated.
So we have been trying to help the old girl get used to her new dark world. Teaching her commands for obstacles, leaving the lights on round the house, moving furniture out the way, putting plants as buffers at the base of trees she pelts into in the garden, taking a clicker on walks so she knows where I am and calling her all the time on our walks... etc.
I suppose this is a common problem, but my last dog went deaf not blind, so I haven't had to deal with it before. Although she still has about 10% vision by day and 5% by night, at the rate she's going she will be fully blind in a couple of months unless the deterioration stops. She is otherwise a fit, tough and lively dog that looks younger than 10.
Any tips?
About 6 weeks ago, she started to lose the sight in her other eye and was very anxious and depressed. I took her to the vet, but he didn't do any more than shrug and put it down to her age. He did check for enlarged blood vessels in the retina and glaucoma, but there was nothing apart from clouding of the eye and hardly any constriction of the iris which is permanently dilated.
So we have been trying to help the old girl get used to her new dark world. Teaching her commands for obstacles, leaving the lights on round the house, moving furniture out the way, putting plants as buffers at the base of trees she pelts into in the garden, taking a clicker on walks so she knows where I am and calling her all the time on our walks... etc.
I suppose this is a common problem, but my last dog went deaf not blind, so I haven't had to deal with it before. Although she still has about 10% vision by day and 5% by night, at the rate she's going she will be fully blind in a couple of months unless the deterioration stops. She is otherwise a fit, tough and lively dog that looks younger than 10.
Any tips?
