[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.