Blind Dog Care

[edmarycoleman]

We have an 11 year old Yorkie who has been diagnosed with a progressive eye condition that will result in his total blindness. Wondering if there are individuals out there that have experienced the sad condition of their pet dog going blind and would be willing to share that experience and how they cared for their pet? Have started reading on "how to" but would like to hear some real life situations and maybe some helpful tips, etc.

[JSR22]

We have an 11 year old Yorkie who has been diagnosed with a progressive eye condition that will result in his total blindness. Wondering if there are individuals out there that have experienced the sad condition of their pet dog going blind and would be willing to share that experience and how they cared for their pet? Have started reading on "how to" but would like to hear some real life situations and maybe some helpful tips, etc.

I use to own a dog business and the dogs that went blind did fine. Their sense of smell increases and that really helps. My cousin has a Lab that went blind from diabetes. She is fine. The moved from PA to CO and she had no problem adjusting to the new house. My cousin talks to her a lot and she appears to be happy and comfortable.

[DAVES]

We have an 11 year old Yorkie who has been diagnosed with a progressive eye condition that will result in his total blindness. Wondering if there are individuals out there that have experienced the sad condition of their pet dog going blind and would be willing to share that experience and how they cared for their pet? Have started reading on "how to" but would like to hear some real life situations and maybe some helpful tips, etc.

No reply will help much. We had a wire hair fox terrier who went blind due to cataracts.
His eyes were totally white. Did he slow down due to being blind or due to being a really old dog? In any case, dogs get around by smell. Many dogs are groomed with fur covering their eyes. Surely they can't see much through all that fur covering their eyes.

[Robnlaura]

My girl went blind she’s adapted well but you have to be there for her she boopsies into things but knows her way around and she listens when she call her away from danger

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

My sisters last 2 dogs lived to be 16 and 17 both went mostly blind by 12 , it never seemed to bother them much , the house is 3 floors and they seemed to still do well running up and down stairs , don’t worry he’ll be fine

[Bigmike18]

I know this is off the subject, but can anyone tell me how to start a new discussion??

[Luggage]

Your voice becomes more important and look behind you more . I'd put a bell on your pet too .

[BoatRatKat]

Aw, I'm sorry. We had a yorkie that went blind and also deaf. He did ok though. He walked along furniture and made his way around the house and yard. Bumped into things along the way but still loved his food and lots and lots of closeness and hugs. Keep things the same and give lots of love and it'll be ok.

[doctorknow]

I have an almost blind yorkie. He is 12 and has had abuse which caused eye damage in the past. I find that keeping to a routine in familiar surroundings is good. When I take him out of his environment he struggles and bumps into things. He relies on his sense of smell much more now. Also if your dog is not totally blind it is important to keep the surroundings well lit with bright light. My dog struggles also in dim light. Using a flashlight in dark rooms ahead of your dog will help.

[Jewelz]

AAWWWW- Yorkie's are the best! My little girl lived to be 18 and was partially blind from cataracts and deaf. Since it happened slowly, she adapted.

[BlkBlt6]

We have an 11 year old Yorkie who has been diagnosed with a progressive eye condition that will result in his total blindness. Wondering if there are individuals out there that have experienced the sad condition of their pet dog going blind and would be willing to share that experience and how they cared for their pet? Have started reading on "how to" but would like to hear some real life situations and maybe some helpful tips, etc.

We had a wonderful little Yorkie that went blind due to cataracts. She didn’t miss a beat. It happened so slowly that she adjusted to it. When she was totally blind, we would clap our hands for her to come to us. She just followed the clapping sound. Don’t worry…just love her.

[heyrey58]

Sorry to hear about your Yorkie. I've had 2 blind rescues, one was also deaf. Dogs are resilient..they use their smell first. When I first rescued the blond and deaf one she did what they call mapping..walked around my entire house, sniffing, bumping into things, after a few times doing this she had mapped the house..she even went up and down the stairs! I always had to make sure nothing was out of place though or leave something out. My other one went blind when she already lived with me so she didn't do the mapping. But she also used her sense of smell to get around. My vet gave me a pamphlet on how to live with a blind dog, lots of info on internet too. Good luck, im sure your furbaby will adjust..and probably faster than you do!

[stargirl]

My “granddog” is a 3# Yorkie. He’s been totally blind for about 4 years now (and has no teeth), other than that he is very healthy and happy. When he started losing his eyesight he was scared and they slept with a light on because he would tremble at night, but after he went totally blind he adjusted. He does bump his head a lot but other than that he just keeps going. Sweetest little guy ever!!

[Charlene Widmer]

I had a blind German Shepard, had very little sight in one of her eyes, the other was totally blind. When I adopted her, someone gave me a great tip that I would like to share with you......Every time she came near an obstacle, like a couch, chair or whatever, I said "be careful". She got to know that every time I said those words, she would stop and go around it , or go slow. You can use whatever word you like, but this worked great for my Annie.... Also, which is obvious, if you move furniture, or add anything new, walk your dog around it a few times so they get familiar . I went through a move with her, and she did great.....

[destinygal@aol.com]

Sharon and Don who live on the corner of Deerfield and Talley ridge
They have gone the whole route with their dog

[sallyg]

It is a sad situation, however many dogs adjust well. Obviously, you should not move furniture around in your home. If you have any furniture with sharp edges or decorative flourishes that your dog could run into you should consider removing or replacing now, while your dog can see and will know where everything is. Our dog stuck close to walls when he walked around the house so we made sure we didn't leave obstacles in his path, like our shoes, or whatever. He stopped getting up on furniture fortunately, on his own, as I was afraid he would fall off. We purchased a soft dog bed for him so he could have a spot in the living room with us, and he always slept in his crate at night, which was good because I didn't have to worry about him roaming around or hurting himself while I was sleeping. He stumbled over everything on walks - the smallest bump, the edge of the grass, etc. I bought a good harness for him so I could kind of lift him when we came to anything. It helped a lot. He had cataracts which were treatable so we opted to get the surgery.
We took him to U of F Veterinary Hospital in Gainesville for treatment with an ophthalmologist. They were fantastic.
I wish you and your pup well. Good luck.

[KjLjGooding]

We have an 11 year old Yorkie who has been diagnosed with a progressive eye condition that will result in his total blindness. Wondering if there are individuals out there that have experienced the sad condition of their pet dog going blind and would be willing to share that experience and how they cared for their pet? Have started reading on "how to" but would like to hear some real life situations and maybe some helpful tips, etc.

https://muffinshalo.com/
I used something similar for my blind Maltese, kept him from injuring his eyes and getting eye infections

[merrymini]

We had our 13 year old yorkie undergo eye surgery to restore his sight at UF in Gainesville. Worse decision I ever made. The anesthesia cause neurological damage and we had to put him to sleep. The doctor who did the surgery would not see us in the aftermath and handed us over to another doctor. I consider them liars and cowards and would never use them again.

[Bushey]

We have an 11 year old Yorkie who has been diagnosed with a progressive eye condition that will result in his total blindness. Wondering if there are individuals out there that have experienced the sad condition of their pet dog going blind and would be willing to share that experience and how they cared for their pet? Have started reading on "how to" but would like to hear some real life situations and maybe some helpful tips, etc.
She lost her eyesight from cataracts. I carry her outside to do her business, she doesn’t walk around the block with me anymore, she prefers being in the house. We still travel with her, she does very well. Basically she tries to find a spot under a chair or in a corner, she feels safe that way. I don’t move any furniture. Sometimes she is so funny, she will be sitting looking at the wall and have no idea it’s a wall. Koko is also deaf and has lost the use of one of her hind legs. But she is doing good, eats goods, never has an accident in the house. Koko is the same love she has always been

[Mulliganguy]

Ours went blind and deaf but still did fine. Finally succumbed to cancer

[Vermilion Villager]

I understand your situation and it is so sad. My dad's dog went blind a few years before it passed.
With that said I feel the question needs to be asked regarding quality of life.
Are you keep the dog alive in the state of perpetual darkness for the dog's benefit....or yours?

[sallym7777]

We have an 11 year old Yorkie who has been diagnosed with a progressive eye condition that will result in his total blindness. Wondering if there are individuals out there that have experienced the sad condition of their pet dog going blind and would be willing to share that experience and how they cared for their pet? Have started reading on "how to" but would like to hear some real life situations and maybe some helpful tips, etc.

We had a golden doodle who eventually became blind. Our vet told us that dogs adjust and they do, but we did some things to help our girl. One thing we did was put rugs on the floor between rooms so she could feel the different texture and know she was moving to a different space. In the same vein, we had rugs before the exterior doors so she could sense her location. We also rubbed essential oil on the corners of furniture with sharp corners so she could smell it and knew it was there. (If you do this, you will want to test it on your furniture first to make sure it won't damage it.) There are probably other things you can do as well, but these were the things that we did that seemed to help.

[Ludovic]

Our whippet got glaucoma at 5 and after trying multiple treatments from an opthamologist, he needed his eyes removed. He is almost 11 now and gets around great in the house and the neighborhood, Even travels well. Try to keep loose things like shoes off the floor. His sense of smell will improve greatly. Try to keep him socialized but not overwhelmed.

[worahm]

We had a Lhasa that went blind and deaf at about 14 years old and lived to be almost 17. It did not seem to bother her much and she got along fine inside the house. However, you might want to keep an eye on your Yorky if you have a swimming pool.

Our Lhasa got into the habit of trotting around the perimeter of the pool. It appeared she used the edge of the pool as a guide. She made out well most of the time but occastionally she would get too close to the edge and fall into the water. She did not panic. She slowly doggy paddled to the edge of the pool and I lifted her out of the water.

[Skeety]

Take the dog to the UF Small Animal Clinic for a thorough exam.

[MKDiva]

We have an 11 year old Yorkie who has been diagnosed with a progressive eye condition that will result in his total blindness. Wondering if there are individuals out there that have experienced the sad condition of their pet dog going blind and would be willing to share that experience and how they cared for their pet? Have started reading on "how to" but would like to hear some real life situations and maybe some helpful tips, etc.

He recently passed. If anyone has a diabetic dog, I have leftover supplies that might be of help to you. Please send me a private message. Thx.

[Madelaine Amee]

I raised a litter of puppies from my Bassett Hound and we kept one. As the mother aged we noticed she would run alongside the daughter literally bumping into her and she was gradually going blind. She lived to be about 13. However, she could not be out in the yard on her own, it was pathetic she would put her head into the air and sniff to try to see where she was/ Finally we stayed with her when she had to go out, kept her on a very short leash which kept her close to our legs, had her bed by our chairs. Anything so that she was never alone and she slept with her daughter.

She was wonderful and we enjoyed every minute of her life. Having a blind dog is basically like having a blind person in the house, you just do everything you can to make them feel secure.

[Rsenholzi]

For those of you that have a blind dog, I was told the same thing recently. Do any of you have a dog door , and does your dog still use it?

[DDToto41]

We have an 11 year old Yorkie who has been diagnosed with a progressive eye condition that will result in his total blindness. Wondering if there are individuals out there that have experienced the sad condition of their pet dog going blind and would be willing to share that experience and how they cared for their pet? Have started reading on "how to" but would like to hear some real life situations and maybe some helpful tips, etc.
My daughter, who is a Veterinarian in Inverness has a blind and deaf Dachshund and they have no trouble with him. They also have 4 other Dachshunds. She won't put an animal down unless they are really sick and won't recover.

[Jima64]

My female 13 year old Lhasa apsa went blind from the progressive retina atrophy which is a genetic problem for this breed. She has her dog beds near us around the house. Sleeps next to my bed at night. She will go to the door after eating or if I tell her she needs to go out to do business. Has no problem coming back to the door. I do go out with her every time. Her sibling does keep a watchful eye on her. She still puts him in his place if he irritates her. Other than being more slower and nesting in her beds she is fine. She lets me know when she wants lap time. I do see her raising her nose up when outside and sniffing. She is the same loving dog.