Any tips from anyone who has a dog who has gone blind?

[Sigarms]

Now can anyone give me any tips about what to do with a wife who takes in strays who totally disrupt everything about our existing "pack", spends $hundreds for vet care for them, and then weeps bitterly when she realizes that it is best to find another home for the stray?

Get involved with a local humane society and work as a foster family for dogs.

The last dog I brought home from the airport around my office. The previous dog my son found while golfing with his grandfather out back, and the previous dog my wife found.

The older dog going blind represents a prior life my wife and I had when we had no children, and came into our care when we first started doing volunteer work in our rural county with dogs.

Dogs generally give back way more than you put into them. I understand that to some they are nothing more but animals, but so are we.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Our two little Toy Rat Terriers are now 14 years old, 5# each. One is basically retarded and the other, the smart one is near blind; totally blind in one eye and very poor vision in the other eye.

As a pair they cope very well. The blind one depends on the retarded one to give direction via sight. The retarded one relies on the blind one to lead, which she does very well by smell. I don't think either could survive without its partner. They're comical when they get after a squirrel. They are just as likely to take off running the opposite direction as the direction of the squirrel. No matter - they wouldn't know what to do with the squirrel if it walked up to their face.

We now have a cute little kitten that quickly turned into a 20# bully cat. There's always a ruckus when the cat walks by, but neither of the two dogs try to run the cat. Bully cat has already taught them 'who's boss', i.e. There's a New Sheriff In Town. Their tolerance for each other increases dramatically as it gets closer to meal time

Putting either dogs down for us would be a remote option, but definitely that time will come, sooner or later. Together they cope, but singularly, I don't think they could. You have my sincere sympathy with your dilemma.

 

[YardBikeBob]

Our Black Lab was blind the last 2 years (diabetes) and did fine. Inside her nose mapped everything out. Outside she learned two new words "Step, Step" if there was a curb to go up or down and "Careful, Careful" if she came to obstacle that she needed to go around.

Otherwise she did fine as long as she heard where we were. She taught us not to leave things laying around. Cars or ATVs she could smell. Lawn chair? Not so much.

She had been blind for a year and could still track an armadillo to its borrow. Still tolerated gunshots as long as she heard racking the slide on the shotgun first.

All things considered, I felt blessed that it was her eye sight and not her hearing she lost.

And funny things happen.

Like shooting the shotgun in the air when I didn't want to kill the armadillo. She 'looked' at the borrow, sniffed, and 'looked' at me with a "You missed."

Like swimming in streams was now 'fun' as she couldn't see all the scary water.

Like sitting at the closed man-door to the barn when the garage door is wide open 4 feet away.

Or stalking a "**** cat" and trapping it in the corner (for a LONG time) when it was only the cat's pillow.

Miss her every day.

Bob

 

[jay3534]

Our miniature Schnauzer is blind and we have done what yardbikebob has done. Step Step to go down 5 steps / he will no longer go done steps without the command / I put a leash on him for security. Once outside I turn him loose and he keeps up with me by smell and I constantly talk. In the house keep his bedding, water and food are in an easy to access place. The worst issue is touching him to pet or scratch as sometimes it spooks him on contact. My advice would be consistency. Best wishes.

 

[QRTRHRS]

We put our 18 year old min pin down earlier this year due to renal failure. He had been blind a couple of years. We kept him in an open topped cage in the kitchen close to the door. I had a ramp off the door with sides so he did not have to do steps nor would he fall off of the side. We often chose to pick him up and carry him outside. He always had been pretty hyper so he did not do well on a leash or left to his own devices.

Do not make changes and keep things picked up that may hurt him should he bump into them.

I have read stories about blind horses that followed a close buddy with a bell. I don't know if that ever worked with dogs or if you have another?

 

[TomSeller]

When I lived in the city for a short time I'd take my dog to a dog park. There was often an Ausie and a mini Ausie there that were always a pair chasing a tennis ball with the mini constantly in the lead. The mini yapped the whole time. I never thought much about it until I got to talking to the owner. She said the Ausie was blind and the mini Ausie yapped so the Ausie knew where to follow and run. Amazing. I had a new respect for those two after hearing that.

 

[Sigarms]

Just an update for those that might be in the same situation...

Took her to a vet specialist. Eye surgery for the cataracks (sp?) pushed 5k. Due to her age added the fact that they weren't completely certain how effective the surgery would be AND the fact that we'd have to bring her back every 3 months for a checkup, we decided it wasn't worth the effort, time and money.

All that said, anyone have a dog that seemed to have dementia? She's kind of gotten worse, and won't sleep at night, will bark anywhere between 0100-0400 and won't stop until she knows someone is with her. That said, she'll end up in a spot in the house and won't know were there until we touch her. She'll settle down and then go to sleep in the office under the desk. Both my wife and I agree it's getting rough getting up at odd hours in the morning for her (my wife more than me).

Just never heard of a dog getting dementia type symptoms.

 

[prichard]

Just an update for those that might be in the same situation...

Took her to a vet specialist. Eye surgery for the cataracks (sp?) pushed 5k. Due to her age added the fact that they weren't completely certain how effective the surgery would be AND the fact that we'd have to bring her back every 3 months for a checkup, we decided it wasn't worth the effort, time and money.

All that said, anyone have a dog that seemed to have dementia? She's kind of gotten worse, and won't sleep at night, will bark anywhere between 0100-0400 and won't stop until she knows someone is with her. That said, she'll end up in a spot in the house and won't know were there until we touch her. She'll settle down and then go to sleep in the office under the desk. Both my wife and I agree it's getting rough getting up at odd hours in the morning for her (my wife more than me).

Just never heard of a dog getting dementia type symptoms.

Our oldest has dementia exactly as you describe. Her sight isn't bad but not great either. She is, however, deaf. So we can't even call out to her so she knows where we are. She goes straight into a corner and stands there barking at the wall. Its like she can't figure out how to turn around.

That reminds me, I need to put more charge on my night stand. If I throw a coin at her it seems to, at least temporarily, break the cycle.

 

[Sigarms]

My only fear is she's not dancing around like she use to be when she gets up (when it's dinner time in the morning when I come downstairs).

I fear the time is getting near. I did talk with the vet, and for somthing completely different, when her time comes, the vet will give us a decent sedative to make her sleep for the drive to the vets. Almost in tears when I was talking to the vets office about it. She's one of the "originals" we've had when we first got married. The other 3 are gone now and it'll be rough losing her. That said, from where we got her that long time ago, no doubt she's had a great life. Hope we all can say the same!

 

[prichard]

Well crap. I was almost in tears reading that. Riley is still pretty active and happy. She wrestles with our 3 year old. That pup gave her a new life. Aside from the hearing and dementia she's in great shape fair for a 16 year old.

But she too is the last of that pack and it will be hard when she goes.