Update on JJ my JRT.....

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Blue-bear

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Following on from my post the other day i took JJ to the vets as arranged today.
The bad news is he has cataracts in both eyes.
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I feel sorry bad for him hes only a baby at 6 months old he doesnt deserve it.
The vet said we just have to monitor him now to see how quickly or slowly anything is changing.

She also advised that i phone the rspca and see what they say... not sure what im expecting them to say but i see it as a result if from now on they make more of a point of checking other dogs in the future.
Its difficult knowing what to say to them because had they of checked they would have picked it up and i have no doubt that i probably wouldnt have been able to rehome him as he has a mostly outdoor life around horses, cars etc on a busy yard.
Please dont get me wrong im not saying i would give him up now, because i honestly wouldnt, he is still the JJ i love and wanted but had we have known then it would have changed things.
Does anyone have any advice on training or things to help partially sighted/blind dogs, i know generally they cope well without sight but any training i can do before he is completly blind will help?

Thanks for reading (have also posted similar in NL)
heres some pics from tonight:
jj006.jpg

jj009.jpg
 
Being that he's so young, they are known as juvenile cataracts and blindness, I'm sorry to say, will follow and likely rather quickly. It's a genetic complaint, and is the biggest issue in the breed I love, Boston Terriers. It is a really simple gene to test for, however, which only goes to show that completely irresponsible people bred this dog
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My dog lost an eye in an accident last June, and has adjusted incredibly well to her lesser state of vision. Blindess is not a death sentence in a dog, but it will take more work on your part.

You should definitely check out: Blind Dogs on Yahoo. Braille Bookstore sells tennis balls and footballs with bells inside, so perhaps order some of those in advance.

Don't move your furniture around, and socialise him as much as you possibly can in the months where he is still able to see. Do you have a second dog? Does he like other dogs? Perhaps you could get him a companion; seeing dogs often take on the role of guide for dogs without vision.

I'm so sorry for the diagnosis. Your dog is absolutely precious, btw
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Thanks, yeah have 2 other dogs and he gets on particularly well with my lab. Was thinking about putting bells on their collars so he could follow them?
I have been training him as a normal dog so far so combining voice with hand signals but will obv now have to concentrate more on voice commands. Was also thinking about looking at clicker training or even using a whistle.
 
A whistle would be great, and you should definitely put bells on your other dog's collars.

One thing people with blind dogs say is that picking them up can cause some distress, so perhaps try and avoid doing that. We have a JRT/Chihuahua at our local dog park who was found blind as a stray and he's a fabulous dog. He has two terrier brothers and gets right in the mix when all the other dogs run around. His owner jokes that he navigates the world using sonar.
 
Do you have children?

The main thing I was thinking is to make sure that anyone who approaches JJ does so vocally, so as not to startle him if they go to touch him. It might make him more likely to be nippy if he's startled being touched suddenly.

Bless his heart though. Poor little sausage.
 
Firstly, Im very sorry to hear that
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, and 2 I agree with your vet, I would contact the rspca, as I think if he was health checked thoroughly, that should have been picked up on, either way, if that was one of our rescue, you would have been covered on insurance, as we have now made it compulsary, and u would have been covered for 6 weeks free also, and we are no size compared the the rspca, but lets not go there with the uselessness of the charity, it ain't gonna help your little doggi.
We have a fab cataract specialist vet near us, my mam recently had her puppy husky operated on, as he has juvenile cataracts and he is diabetic(hence the cataracts) and I msut say, it was sucessful for Diesel, his sight has inproved greatly, as he was near enough blind.
maybe it would be worth speaking to him, even if it is just to get some advice on the "could this have been picked up on scenario" as if it could, then I think, they should definately pick up the costs if anything can be done.

They do adapt pretty well, but as above the furniture and routine will help him.
 
In defence of the RSPCA they are dependent on their vets to pick up any health issues. They also rehome all animals with a month's free insurance.
 
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