Dogs going blind...

[littlemisslauren]

Has anyone got an older dog that has gone blind?
My litte man has been gradually losing sight in one eye and I think it may be pretty close to going completely now

He is his usual self, greedy and sleepy as ever but still wants to play with anyone who will have him. Will losing sight in his eye affect his behaviour?

Selfishly I hate that this is happening to him because it is forcing me to realise he is old and wont be here forever

 

[Blue-bear]

Slightly different but my young dog has cattracts and is progressively going blind. Having discussed it at length with my vet we have decided not to operate... Main reason being that dogs cope very well being blind...especially when it has happened slowly and as you say its only one eye he will cope fine. The only thing i notice with my boy is that he struggles in very bright sunlight and has been known to bump into things...his is both eyes tho.

 

[GinaB]

I own a dog that is blind in one eye

As she went blind grsadually, she found it easier to adjust. She lost her sight at about 5 years old. It was eventually removed though.

She has done incredibly well and has always worked as a gundog for me regardless of the sight issue

 

[littlemisslauren]

Thank you

I think i worry about him too much sometimes

I have noticed him bumping into things alot more recently, but he is still his chirpy little self afterwards. He just looks at me like im putting things in his way lol

 

[GinaB]

Poor wee man, I'm sure he'll do grand

Tina really is fab although has been known to misjudge and run into things

I used to own a dog who was actually blind in both eyes. Again, she went progressively blind but coped very well as her mum that we also owned looked after her

 

[Cop-Pop]

Bear went blind in one eye after an accident when she was three - at 14 she's going blind in the other eye now too

She can still spot a scrap of food on teh floor at 50 paces tho...

 

[MurphysMinder]

MY old GSD had to have an eye removed when she was 10. After a week or two of adjustment she coped absolutely fine with one eye. She hadn't had a prior problem with the eye that was removed vison wise so there was no gradual change. My 9 year old GSD Buffy has a sight problem, despite visits to eye specialist we are not really sure of what is wrong, but she has trouble judging depth and focussing. She will sometimes trip over things at ground level or bump into things, has trouble with steps and can't see toys if you throw them, but she seems to be coping very well. If her sight deteriorates to th point where it is affecting her quality of life I would have to consider pts but at the moment I feel she is a happy dog.
Ets. She does seem unsure in fading light/night time. I know go out in the garden with her at night with a powerful torch as she was reluctant to leave the door when put out on her own.

 

[Goya]

Skye has little sight in one eye from an old injury and she is fine. The only thing I would say is that when we are somewhere she is not familiar with, it seems to take her time to adjust if that makes sense.
Otherwise no problems. Does her flyball and is just learning Agility.

 

[prosefullstop]

Stella lost an eye to an accident when she was five; now nearly seven, she is as feisty and fun as ever.

And she is still the best fetcher on the planet. If the ball falls on her blind side, she simply waits to hear the thud first.

 

[kerilli]

i had a boxer as a child who had cataracts and lost most of her sight - with her, we learnt not to move any furniture an inch, as long as it was all in exactly the same place she would tear around it all (as boxers do) and never touch a thing, but if something got moved she'd run into it.

my old girl now is gradually losing her sight, and going a bit deaf, but she manages fine so far. it's really upsetting though as i want her to be here forever.

 

[reddie]

We had a golden retriver who went blind with cataracts when i was growing up. She was happy and managed well around the house and garden. She loved to have stones throwen for her and amazingly she always managed to fnd the right one. She wouldn't go for a walk though, she would rather have her neck pulled out. she had a good qulaity of life and lived to be 12 i think.