Dogs For The Blind

I just notice today that an eye of my Jap Spitz turned whitish. I call some of my dog owner friends, some say that it can be corrected by giving my dog vitamin supplement for eyes, one says that my dog is already blind. I am quite far from the vet but i am planning to go there in 3 days. What can i do for the moment?

It depends on what you mean by "white eye". If the pupil is clouded over and has turned to a whitish smokey type color, then the dog is already going blind in that eye or is already blind. It's a cataract. Your dog is probably going blind in one eye. My Cocker Spaniel (RIP) went blind in the first one gradually, and then the second as she got older. But take your dog to the vet and see what they say. Without a photo of the actual eye, I couldn't really speculate.

2009-03-31 03:03:30 by Mr.Miller

Guide Dogs for the Blind is a non-profit organization which trains and supplies the dog as partners for the disabled. Guide Dogs are raised for ...

We have a blind 8 year old Cocker Spaniel mix that didn't get along well with other dogs before he went blind. Now he does not like to be around other dogs at all. Due to an emergency we are pet sitting a very friendly 2 year old dog. She is not bothered by the older dog, but he will not accept her. We let her wander the house when he is in a bedroom or outside with the hope he will get used to her smell, but he lunges at her if we try to put them in the same room. (We always have them on leashes so we can pull him back.) It's a lot of work to keep them seperated and we will have her for several more weeks. Any suggestions?

Keep them apart unless you are walking them. And walk them often. Keep the leashes short with the dogs right next to you. They will become use to each other as they walk. Your dog is frightened of the intruder and a bit territorial. Give him time. It is his house.

2007-06-06 14:42:17 by Library Lady

one of my dogs is 15 and he's going blind. he was barking at the wall yesterday and ran into the refrigerator. maybe he is suffering from dementia...

Yes, they are supplied by the same company that puts braille on handicap parking signs. How much sense does that make? lol

2007-11-20 10:56:56 by britt brat

Price: $22.99

I have a blind mini dachshund that has a slight amount of sight (about 10% or less) in one eye. He normally learns quickly when a room is changed around and he can get around obstacles, but I recently put my bed up on a bed frame, so it is about a foot higher than it was before. He is having a lot of trouble getting down from it, but he has been able to jump up on it with only minor trouble. I bought some puppy stairs for small dogs to get up, but he can't seem to figure out where the stairs are even though I keep them in the same place and I'm constantly showing him where they are. I wondered if anyone knew any good techniques to either get him to learn the stairs or how I could get him to jump down on his own without feeling as much fear as he has now when he tries to jump down. I don't want him to get hurt either, but I also don't want him to depend on me to get down. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi There...interesting scenario...does your dach go up and down other stairs in your home?? If yes then this transistion will take a while . If the answer is no, rather than stress the dog out you may just have to resolve to the fact you will need to help your dog up and down off the bed.

If your dach does stairs in the house, you can place a scent on the steps of the stairs...try taking a piece of his favourite snack and rub this on each step of the stair. Then using the same treat coax or guide him from the bed onto each step until he reaches the bottom, then reverse this and go up the stairs. Dogs have really poor day eyesight, worse than humans actually so they dont depend on day eyesight. Now they have better night eyesight , but mostly rely on hearing and smelling plus knowing what is around them. Much like a blind person, the dogs senses will increase. How long has the dach been blind and how old is the dach.Those are important questions.

2007-05-29 11:27:38 by Kristy

Baxter and Zoe are my dogs and my children. They are both rescued, Baxter is about 9 and a half and Zoe is 10 and a couple months. About 3 1/2 months ago, Zoe developed Diabetes. About 2 weeks ago it seemed that she was possibly starting to lose her eyesight, and yesterday when we took her to the vet they confirmed that she is blind. So now, the poor is not only getting shots twice a day and eating yucky prescription W/D diabetic dog food (which we do mix with the W/D canned dog food for her so that its not so yucky) and wearing a diaper, but she can't see anything! I want so badly for her to be as happy as possible, so my questions to anybody out there is: HOW DO I DO THAT? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I SHOULD NOT DO? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HELP? ANY TIPS TO HELP HER FROM RUNNING INTO THE SLIDING GLASS DOOR, CORNERS, AND WALLS? She's doing okay, and we obviously keep a close eye on her, but once in a while we're too late and she's smacked her face into something!!!

Here are some tips for helping a blind dog become comfortable in their surroundings: 1.

Try not to move furniture around or leave obstacles on the floor
2.

Remember we take things so much harder than they do and they also pick up on our emotions. So try to express "happy" emotions around your blind baby
3.

Emphasize the senses they still have:
A blind dog/pup-their use their sense of smell, hearing, taste and touch
(they can feel vibrations-especially when you walk)
4.

Ask people to let your dog "smell" their hand before touching them. Most blind dogs personalities don't change. Some dogs however can easily become "startled" and this could also lead to fear biting in some dogs.
5.

Try to treat them as normal as possible. Building their confidence is key to letting them know they can still do things and that you still love them....let them know they are still the same dog in your eyes. For a blind pup it can be the basis for what type of personality they will developed.
6.

Coax, encourage and praise them to do the same things they did before. However, understand and still praise them if they "can't".
7.

Be creative with different scents to mark areas for your blind babies--just make sure its safe for them. You can use different scents of flavored extracts or even something as simple as hanging a car air freshener or potpourri sachet on a door. Using different scented candles in each room may also help your dog distinguish from different rooms in your house
8.

Use textured materials to mark areas. Throw rugs and decorative pillows are great (and people don't even realize their "Real" purpose). Indoor/outdoor carpeting, wind chimes and something as simple as cedar chips or decorative bricks or blocks can help guide them along their way outside.
9.

Use bells or jingling tags on your other dogs.. not only help your blind babies to find/follow your other dogs, but will also avoid them from being startled by your other dogs. You can also use bells on your shoes to help them find you
10.

Don't be afraid to walk with a "heavy foot" when approaching them especially with a blind/deaf baby....they can still feel vibrations.
11.

Don't under estimate the power of touching and massage.
12.

Be very vocal with your dog.
13.

A tabletop fountain can be used as a water bowl. Get a simple one with a large bowl and the sound of running water helps to orient the blind dog and helps him to find his water bowl as well as know where he is from the sound. Some dogs like drinking from running water too! This can be especially helpful if you have to move to a new home with a blind dog.

2007-09-01 22:46:57 by Jenell