How Long To Adjust To Blindness?

[tramissa]

Hi guys,

It's been a while since I was here but I desperately need some help with my darling girl. For those that don't know, or don't remember, Minnie is a 14 year old lowchen. She has been blind in her right eye for the past year or so (detached lens) and her left eye had limited vision. She is also mostly deaf, only recognising certain frequencies. Up until 4 days ago, she was still living life like only a dog can, ruling the roost over Jonno, demanding food and cuddles etc and just generally a happy lady.

4 days ago the left lens detached. Whilst her pain/comfort levels are being taken care of through medication, she seems to be having a very hard time adjusting to complete blindness, despite the fact that she was mostly blind before and being that we haven't moved furniture etc for over a year due to this. She is moving very tentatively, although this is slowly improving as she learns where things are again. I have put strong but different smells in different areas to help her identify where she is (i.e., food area, outside bed etc) but I'm not sure if this is helping much.

How long should I expect her adjustment to take? She has a few other health issues now as well, but her being terrified of moving around in her own environment is making me believe that it is almost her time. Only the fact that she still enjoys her cuddles and her food and gives the occaisional tail wag is making me hesitate about this decision. I don't want to make the decision prematurely though if I am expecting too much, too soon from her, only to find that if I had given her another week or so she'd have been fine.

Thanks in advance for any responses. If you need more info, please don't hesitate to ask.

[puggy_puggy]

Give her time. Make things safe.

I also found that different scents around the house really did not help my blind boy.

[corvus]

I know someone who takes in geriatrics and trains them with essential oils. She uses one scent for the edges of steps, another scent for danger, makes trails for them and all that kind of thing. She swears by it. I think it helps to start when they can still see, though. I never did it with my old girl, who could not see or hear much at all at the end. I found she startled a lot if she saw me coming towards her or if she was looking lost and I touched her. I kept her on leash a lot and didn't move things around in the house.

When dogs get dementia, unfortunately their sense of smell is affected. I think this happened with my girl as well. She had trouble finding dropped food on the floor and that kind of thing.

[schnauzer]

Hi Tramissa

Welcome back. My old boy went blind at 10 years. I used essential oils for the stairs outside and did a lot of training work with my younger dog getting him to always go outside when my old boy went. He tended to follow the smell of the other dogs. He did cope very well for three years until I had to pts last August due to his quality of life diminishing.

He would still walk on lead with the others and I was glad I had put so much time into obedience training, because he was happy to trot along on the lead. Their sense of smell is very important when they are blind. I never moved anything in the house so that he coped well - it makes you very tidy. I would give your dog some weeks to adjust and then reassess. It was daunting for me to see him struggle initially in the first few weeks, but then as he improved around the house/garden he seemed to cope very well. Good luck with your girl.

[tramissa]

Thanks for the replies :p I guess we'll keep taking it day by day and fixing whatever we can see needs fixing. Luckily we have no stairs etc and I've separated the backyard into a smaller area for her to get used to and also to use to give her a break from Jonno when needed.

[Crisovar]

I have had several totally blind dogs, I have one now, we have changed nothing, she navigates up and down the stairs, in and out of her night time crate and rules the roost with the other dogs still. The only precaution we take with her is that she is locked up if the ponies are mowing the back yard so there is no chance of her being trodden on.

IMO a dogs sense of smell is so well developed anyway that they do not need extra scents to help them.

[~Anne~]

Hopefully she will soon regain her confidence. Sadly, some never do. I know one little Pug that was put to sleep as he never regained his relaxed state and was living a life of fear and confusion. In my experience, the dogs I have had here that are blind and one that was blind and deaf, handled their disability really, really well though and it was all good for them. I was always amazed actually at how well they handled it all.

Edited May 22, 2010 by ~Anne~

[tianakaesha]

tramissa.... *hugs hugs hugs*

that's all..

[blacklabrador]

So sorry to hear about your darling girl. I hope she makes an adjustment soon.

[tramissa]

Unfortunately, despite not leaving the yard this week, she has now come down with kennel cough. On top of the difficulty adjusting, impaired renal function and tumour on her side, I think this is just too much. I know that kennel cough is recoverable, but seeing her frail little body shaking with the coughing and how constant it is, she is just not having any quality of life. It will be a vet visit for her tomorrow morning (waiting until the vet I trust is on, and spoiling her rotten today) and will ask for his advice, but I do not think she will be coming home tomorrow

Now to break the news to the 14 year old who already lost his pet fish yesterday

Thanks for all the advice guys.

[tianakaesha]

Oh Liisa *hugs*

Sending you lots and lots and lots of love. I know how heartbreaking this will be... but with the KC, I think you might be right. On top of everything going on the KC will make it very hard for her.

Much love. Give her cuddles from us.

[~Anne~]

Sorry to hear that.

[Guest *Pixie*]

Oh Liisa, I am so sorry

Lots of hugs for you and a gentle kiss for Minnie Moo. From her old pals Brody and Holly too.