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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Young lab may lose sight in one eye - how will she adapt ?

24 replies

Avantia · 20/10/2011 07:13

Various issues with one eye of our 16 month old lab - anyway under a specialist at moment.

The most recent thing is that she has developed an ulcer in that eye - had graft yesterday to plug a hole in surface of eye which vet is hopeful that will take as tissue around it is starting to look healthy.

However the cornea is very cloudy and he may not be able to save the sight but is hopeful not to have to remove the eye.

So we are preparing for her losing sight in that eye - how will she adapt and cope - how will we adapt and cope Confused

Just feel so sorry for her Sad

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PotteringAlong · 20/10/2011 07:19

I know it's an odd comparison but my mum's blind in one eye and she says she doesn't notice anymore as your field if vision changes and you get used to it. She just has to turn her head more one way!

Original poster
Avantia · 20/10/2011 07:21

I suppose the brain does adapt how to process things .

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PotteringAlong · 20/10/2011 07:26

Yup, mum drives and everything. As I say, the only way you'd know is because she turns her head to the right more (and then we were little we worked out where to stand so she couldn't see us Blush ).

I know it's worrying but am sure she'll be fine.

Original poster
Avantia · 20/10/2011 07:27

Thanks - made me Smile when you said about where to stand .

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tabulahrasa · 20/10/2011 07:30

I had a dog years ago that lost an eye - it didn't bother him at all, there was no noticeable problems afterwards.

DejaWho · 20/10/2011 07:55

Friend has a one-eyed labrador... he gets on just fine with the missing eye (the arthritis and being chronically overweight are somewhat more of an issue...)

Original poster
Avantia · 20/10/2011 08:11

At the moment when we are out walking it's pretty obvious that something is up as she is on long lead and has buster collar - if see loses her sight, initially should I do anything specific when off lead walking - or let her get on with it ?

Should I warn other dog owners about her lack of sight ?

Remember that she is still young and very much a bouncy lab at heart .

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Original poster
Avantia · 20/10/2011 18:40

evening bump

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brokenwingedflier · 20/10/2011 18:58

Avantia, she is a lucky lab to have such a loving owner. About 2 months ago I was told that my pup was blind and I started to look into being the owner of a blind dog. Beast'sbestfriend will be along to advise you, shortly. Please do not despair. My pup has got her sight back but I was given so much positive local advice, from local owners and from the people who work at the vet's.

We were set for dealing with blind pup and we were planning to deal with it. I don't really want to advise!

Mine is not out of the woods but each day is another positive day, so far. Big hugs to you and dog, and fingers crossed for you both.

xx

notmeagain · 20/10/2011 19:10

Just did a really long post and lost it!!!!

Main point I was making was although very hard for you she will get used to it quickly.

I have a collie who had to have an eye removed. She is still doing agility and noone would know (except you can see that it has been removed!) Some of her turns at agility are a bit slower and I try to run on one side of her but she still charges around as much as ever. Sometimes I notice that she will favour her sighted side to turn.

Take it at her pace - which I expect will be much quicker than ours. Dogs senses are so much finer tuned than ours and she will adapt extremely well.

I have also trained completely blind and on a separate occasion completely deaf dogs - they are fantastic to watch. I use hand signals for the deaf dogs and obviously voice for the blind dogs. they cope, get on with life and really do not dwell on what they do not have.

So shocking for you but it will be alright

brokenwingedflier · 20/10/2011 19:18

(At the risk of being insensitive! My Dad was a GP for 40+ years with only one eye, and Gordon Brown was PM with the same afflicton. It need not hold the dog back).

I still wonder whether mine responds to sight, or smell, or sound.

There are brilliant people on this section of mn so I will shut up.

xx

Original poster
Avantia · 20/10/2011 19:27
Grin

I actually have a very lazy eye and see most things out of one eye , 3D films are wasted on me so me and my lab make a good team !

The thing is animals can't tell you how they feel - us humans if we were going through it would feel like shit ! But dogs are so straightforward feed me , walk me and rub my ear and I will be better Smile

She has eye drops every 4 hours and will just sit there ( it was every 2 hours at one stage ) tablets wrapped up in piece of ham and she is happy .

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Stayathomebum · 21/10/2011 21:46

We had our Cavalier's eye removed when she was 6 months old and it never bothered her in the slightest, you can't tell from her behaviour that it is missing. They adapt so quickly and after a few days he will be running around as normal I'm sure.
Good luck with it!

Original poster
Avantia · 22/10/2011 07:11

Well I must say that she we were out for a walk yesterday - buster collar and long lead - she saw a squirrel some distance away and the next minute my arm was nearly pulled out of it's socket !

Stayathomebum - although your dog adapted did you have to change or adapt the way you dealt with her ?

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Original poster
Avantia · 24/10/2011 10:05

Back to vet this morning and looks like graft is taking and eye healing - although still a slow process . She might lose her sight but looks like the eye will be saved . Fingers crossed.

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PurpleFrog · 24/10/2011 16:53

Good news! Smile

frostyfingers · 25/10/2011 13:59

That's great. Our 15yr old springer lost an eye due to an ulcer and adapted brilliantly within about a week. We were careful to stand in the sight of her good eye, and not creep up on her on the bad side and apart from a day or so bumping into the furniture it hardly affected her. We didn't have the ulcer removed due to her age but she was back to normal (well, normal for a springer) very quickly. We had another 2 years with her, but then she got an ulcer in the other eye and although managed ok with our lab "herding" her round the garden for a while it all got too much for her in the end.

Original poster
Avantia · 27/10/2011 14:37

Thank you Smile

She is doing ok but a long healing process .

My walls have taken a hammering with the Buster collar !

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DizzyCow63 · 27/10/2011 14:40

Haven't read all the replies but our lovely lab was born with one eye and you wouldn't know any difference, he is fantastic, you just have to try not to throw the ball etc on his blind side as it takes him a little longer to find it, that's all.

Original poster
Avantia · 27/10/2011 15:09

Thanks Dizzy - that's good to hear .Smile

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DreamsOfScream · 27/10/2011 15:19

I have no experiance of a one eyed dog, but I do of a one eyed clydsdale horse (thats one of the heavy horse breads incase you didn't know) she managed absolutely fine, and would walk down a steep, stoney hill on a daily basis without anyone leading her, and find her own way to her stable. And back up the hill in the morning to the field.

And if you had seen her belting around the field at high speed and doing an emergancy stop when reaching the gate you wouldn't know there was anything wrong terifying sight, which would leave me a jibbering wreck curled up on the floor holding my head so in short I think your lab will adapt just fine!

DreamsOfScream · 27/10/2011 15:45

Actually now I think about it, we also had a shetland pony who had a graft on her eye which didn't hold her back any either. I don't think she completely lost sight in that eye but I don't think it was that great. So I'm sure you wont know there is a problem once she is all healed and used to her single eye sighted status!

brokenwingedflier · 31/10/2011 19:17

It sounds postive, Avantia.
Fingers crossed here that you get back to the normal routine.
xx

Original poster
Avantia · 01/11/2011 10:25

Buster collar came off yesterday - eye healing - check up again next week .

Dog seems back to normal - except for sight - gave a few trick or treaters a fright last night with her red eye !

Thank you all . xx

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