Sad that my dog is blind

[ChotHocolate]

My dog will be 13 in two months. Since she was 10 we noticed her sight deteriorating. We took her to the vets who said she had cataracts and referred us to a specialist. The specialist said that they could do surgery to remove the cataracts and explained the risks. He said it's an 80% success rate but even after that, down the line she could have problems with her eyes due to the surgery.

I took a couple of weeks to think about it. Spoke to other people who had the surgery done for their dogs, spoke to people who have blind dogs etc. and we decided not to go ahead as the risks weren't worth it to us. Especially because she was 10 as well.

At the time, she was completely blind in one eye but still had 15% vision in the other. But I'm really struggling to see her getting worse. Nothing in the house changes but she bumped into the wall a few times yesterday, she gets a bit confused on walks, if I call her she looks in completely the opposite direction. She got herself under the table yesterday and then started panicking because she kept bumping into the chairs and couldn't get out. I was saying 'over here, come this way' to get her to follow my voice but she just gets confused so I moved the chairs out of the way for her. If I'm directly in front of her with her toy she will wait for me to throw it, but then when I throw it she just stands there because she doesn't realise I've thrown it. I'm struggling to come to terms with her like this, because she used to love chasing her toys and going for walks. And she still does but now she can't really do it because she can't see the toy to chase it, and on walks usually she is fine if it's daylight and we just go round the block because she has it mapped out. But I'm sad that I can't take her anywhere new, or she'll never be able to run around on the beach again off lead. We did try to take her on a new walk a few months ago but it was just very stressful seeing her tripping and bumping into things and other dogs coming up to her, and she fell off the kerb. I tried to help her but she still has quite a lot of energy and walks fast in front of me so it's hard to stop her bumping into things.

It's just really hard to see. She copes absolutely fine really, on a day to day basis. She knows the layout of the home so she's mostly fine, and if we go on the same walk every day she's also find as she has mapped it out. She still loves to play, she loves her food, she still gets excited to go on a walk. Her quality of life is still good. I'm just struggling to see this happen to her. Has anyone else gone through this? I'd just like to speak to some people who know what it's like and maybe help me come to terms with it a bit better?

I wouldn’t throw any toys as it will just cause confusion, change her play to what she does enjoy, that might be finding treats instead now.
Youve said that she’s happy, so be happy for her. If you feel sad she will feel that, so happy, happy, happy.

@DustyLee123 you're right, it's just hard because she still brings me toys to throw. She will take her ball or teddy, bring it to me and then back up and wait for my to throw it 😔

Have you tried using balls/toys with bells in them?

@DustyLee123 no but that is a very good idea actually! Not sure why I haven't thought of that. She loves ones that squeak so while I have it in my hand I squeak it so that she knows where it is but as soon as I throw it she has no idea where it's gone so this is a good idea, thank you

You’re welcome! It’s all about the humans adapting to the new situation.

When our old bear had cataracts and almost full blindness, we used flashing, noisy balls and he still loved us to throw his ball, even managing a few catches. Luckily, he had good hearing (the day before he died he still ran to DH across the entire house when DH opened a packet of Hob Nobs).

He died in September at the age of 12 (a good aged for a giant dood) and we all miss him so much.

I can understand your feelings on this but your dog will not be feeling them though .

Just change how you do things a bit. You can use noise on toys or you can use scent on toys.

If you can walk in open places so that it is easier for your dog and nothing to fall off or walk into.

Swimming is great in hydro pools as the dog will work out the pool layout and be supervised.

If he bumps into things you can get a dog bumper which will warn him when he is approaching something and teach him to turn away to protect his face from being bumped.

Find a local scentwork club your dog will love it.

There is a blind dog owners facebook page with loads of info.

Your dog can have a really positive life without sounding patronising but your energy into this rather than feeling sorrow. Your dog will not be feeling sorrow

@CentrifugalBumblePuppy I'm going to buy her something like this, she will love that.

Did you struggle to see your dog this way? How did you change your mindset? I just feel so upset like I'm grieving all of the things she won't be able to do and my heart sinks when she bumps into things. I don't want her to be unhappy, I get really concerned when she walks into the wall or gets stuck somewhere and can't find her way out. Even though she doesn't seem bothered by it, she just gets on with it.

@IngGenius thanks so much for your reply! I really needed to hear that, it's very helpful. One of the reasons I feel down about it is because I wonder if she is feeling depressed about it or unhappy. Even though she doesn't seem like she is. I try not to humanize her but in this situation I'm struggling not to. I need to change my mindset for my sake and hers

One of ours ended up blind due to diabetes and then a failed cataract op. She managed ok though, we bought scented tennis balls, I had a bell attached to my trousers/jacket whatever. She still went out with the other dogs. We used foam pipe lagging on door frames and sharp things at her eye level. Not easy though.

My previous dog lost his sight at six from an inherited disorder. He lived, happily blind, for another decade. It sounds as though your dog may have a hearing problem too?

@muddyford yeah I know what you mean because when I shout her she looks in the wrong direction but she still hears me. She hears her toys when they squeak and she hears the sound of her lead and the treat packet etc. if I ask her for her paw or to sit down she obeys the commands so I know that she can hear me and isn't deaf

@ChotHocolate I think as Humph’s cataracts took a long time to develop, we were able to modify his play as he gradually lost sight. Our view of him never changed really (we were always more concerned with bastard cancer that ended up taking his life at 12, poor dood had his first cancer diagnosis at 6).

He was always very smell and food orientated (part lab & he definitely got the greedy lab gene, exactly like our old Lab predecessor 😂) so we substituted sight games for smell and taste games. He could still catch a ball with treats inside from 10m the day before he was PTS!

And also, as I mentioned before, he could hear a biscuit wrapper open across the house the day before he died, so he wasn’t losing his hearing. Balls with bells and biscuits (preferably biscuits lol) really helped him to keep playing.

We kept our home tidy & didn’t move any furniture as he became blinder, which helped him navigate confidentially. Likewise the garden.

Humphrey still bumped into the occasional thing, but then he’d bump into many things way before he developed cataracts! He wasn’t the most careful of hounds (especially if he was racing to the location of the rustling biscuit wrapper).

Like for us humans, there are inevitable changes as dogs age so modifying their play is natural.

It is very sad though, as you know that time may become shorter, so with any of our dogs we’ve counteracted the sadness by always living in the moment. Of course we’re realistic, but Humph was having fun with his brother (from another mother, and father!) until the day he died.