I sincerely believe that the initial diagnosis of blindness in your dog brings about the most intense feelings of helplessness and fear that we can experience.
I've been there. My Lucy, an adorable American Pugsley, 14 pounds of boundless energy and mischief, went blind very quickly just 2 months after a
diagnosis of diabetes. My initial reaction was of horror. How could this happen? Can she live a happy life? What can I do now keep her safe from harm? Is
she suffering? The answers for me all fell into place, quite quickly in fact, because I had no time to reflect or ponder what was going to happen. The time
was now and Lucy needed me to leave the pity party and move on to the business of helping her adjust. We all know that our dogs pick up on our panic and fear
and it quickly becomes theirs, so temper your emotions, calm your fears, and educate yourself the best way you can on how to help your blind dog recover his
confidence and exuberant self.
The first thing I learned that really astonished me was this; Lucy didn't seem to know or care that she was blind. I'm not saying that all dogs would react this way- some may act temporarily depressed or confused by the situation- but I understand now that sight is not the major force in a dog's life compared to the other senses. Their highly tuned sense of smell, hearing, and touch appears to have a much greater influence on their daily activities. For instance, though the art of catching a ball or frisbe in mid air may be hampered, the blind dog will still enjoy chasing and finding these things using their strong sense of smell and hearing. Bells on doorknobs, throw rugs on the floor, and scents left on critical landmarks, will all help your dog adjust. I use the fingerclick method to let Lucy know exactly where I am or where I want her to go. She comes instantly when I click and will follow me everywhere without words or commands, even off leash in the neighborhood. Which brings me to the very important warning of keeping your dog leashed at all times outdoors unless you have extreme confidence that he will stay right by your side at all times. If you have a cat chaser, an aggressor, or just one that likes to roam or wander, a good harness type collar and leash is mandatory.
Teach your dog commands such as "up and down", "careful", "stay", and most important for us, "STOP". This one word (spoken maybe one octave higher than others) will stop Lucy in her tracks immediately regardless if she is mid step or mid flight. The persistant use of verbal commands will help a dog navigate through his dark world with ease. Being the intelligent beings they are, most dogs can learn or already know most of these commands so the process is easy to implement.
Dogs know their environment already. Keep your dog on the floor and resist the urge to carry him about- it will only confuse him to be picked up, carried somewhere, and dropped in a different room than he started in. Keep all furnishings and objects as they are and try not to leave things that could hurt him around on the floor in his familiar paths. Be ever vigilante of sharp objects at his eye or head level and take measures to protect his eyes from accidental bumps. Especially outdoors, a dog will gravitate to his favorite trees and bushes and unknowingly walk with eyes wide open into sticks, tree limbs, patio chairs, etc. and damage to the eyes can be instantaneous. Some people purchase "doggy googles" for just this reason. Another unique protection device is the Angel Vest- a harness type device with an aluminum enforce hoop that surrounds the dog's head and stops him when he bumps into things. I've studied these and made my own "K9 Kane" that I use on Lucy when we go to another environment that she isn't familiar with. She looks very cute in her Kane and only when she wears it does anyone recognize the fact that she is blind.
I can't go any further without speaking about the final and maybe BEST option for managing your dog's blindness- Cataract surgery. All blind dogs, or dog's going blind should be under the care of a veterinary opthamologist. There are other conditions that diabetic dogs can develop- glaucoma, uveitis, nerve damage, and more that may need the attention of a specialist. Not all dogs are candidates but cataract Surgery is available and can restore the sight in some dogs, especially the younger and otherwise healthy dog. Be warned, the surgery to remove the damaged cataract and replace the lens itself is very costly and will most likely require the use of drops daily for the duration of the dog's life, but it is a good option for alot of people. Talk to your veterinarian for a referral to a specialist.
I am going to provide some useful links here that you can reference for more information to help you understand and manage your dog's blindness.
The first thing I learned that really astonished me was this; Lucy didn't seem to know or care that she was blind. I'm not saying that all dogs would react this way- some may act temporarily depressed or confused by the situation- but I understand now that sight is not the major force in a dog's life compared to the other senses. Their highly tuned sense of smell, hearing, and touch appears to have a much greater influence on their daily activities. For instance, though the art of catching a ball or frisbe in mid air may be hampered, the blind dog will still enjoy chasing and finding these things using their strong sense of smell and hearing. Bells on doorknobs, throw rugs on the floor, and scents left on critical landmarks, will all help your dog adjust. I use the fingerclick method to let Lucy know exactly where I am or where I want her to go. She comes instantly when I click and will follow me everywhere without words or commands, even off leash in the neighborhood. Which brings me to the very important warning of keeping your dog leashed at all times outdoors unless you have extreme confidence that he will stay right by your side at all times. If you have a cat chaser, an aggressor, or just one that likes to roam or wander, a good harness type collar and leash is mandatory.
Teach your dog commands such as "up and down", "careful", "stay", and most important for us, "STOP". This one word (spoken maybe one octave higher than others) will stop Lucy in her tracks immediately regardless if she is mid step or mid flight. The persistant use of verbal commands will help a dog navigate through his dark world with ease. Being the intelligent beings they are, most dogs can learn or already know most of these commands so the process is easy to implement.
Dogs know their environment already. Keep your dog on the floor and resist the urge to carry him about- it will only confuse him to be picked up, carried somewhere, and dropped in a different room than he started in. Keep all furnishings and objects as they are and try not to leave things that could hurt him around on the floor in his familiar paths. Be ever vigilante of sharp objects at his eye or head level and take measures to protect his eyes from accidental bumps. Especially outdoors, a dog will gravitate to his favorite trees and bushes and unknowingly walk with eyes wide open into sticks, tree limbs, patio chairs, etc. and damage to the eyes can be instantaneous. Some people purchase "doggy googles" for just this reason. Another unique protection device is the Angel Vest- a harness type device with an aluminum enforce hoop that surrounds the dog's head and stops him when he bumps into things. I've studied these and made my own "K9 Kane" that I use on Lucy when we go to another environment that she isn't familiar with. She looks very cute in her Kane and only when she wears it does anyone recognize the fact that she is blind.
I can't go any further without speaking about the final and maybe BEST option for managing your dog's blindness- Cataract surgery. All blind dogs, or dog's going blind should be under the care of a veterinary opthamologist. There are other conditions that diabetic dogs can develop- glaucoma, uveitis, nerve damage, and more that may need the attention of a specialist. Not all dogs are candidates but cataract Surgery is available and can restore the sight in some dogs, especially the younger and otherwise healthy dog. Be warned, the surgery to remove the damaged cataract and replace the lens itself is very costly and will most likely require the use of drops daily for the duration of the dog's life, but it is a good option for alot of people. Talk to your veterinarian for a referral to a specialist.
I am going to provide some useful links here that you can reference for more information to help you understand and manage your dog's blindness.
