14 Simple Tips For Caring For Blind Dogs & Cats
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Blindness is a common occurrence in both man and his pets especially dogs and cats. It can bring a whole lot of life transformation; hence if you follow the 14 simple tips for the care of your dog and cat when they’re faced with blindness, then you will be helping them to regain their life back and you will both live happily. In man, the sense of sight is the primary sense used for navigation hence there can be much challenge to him without it. However, the primary sense in dogs and cats is the sense of smell, followed by the sense of hearing. As a matter of fact, sight is the distant third sense needed for navigation.
Therefore rather than becoming frustrated or broken down with the thought of putting your blind pet away or to sleep, note that dogs and cats are in a better advantage to cope well and adjust quickly to blindness situation. Also, they have a special skill called cognitive mapping, an instinct that enables them to be able to locate places or objects that they once came in contact with couple of weeks earlier.
Causes of Blindness
Blindness can be a secondary condition caused by a number of factors including untreated or not promptly diagnosed diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, diabetes, cancer, retinal dysplasia, Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration (SARD), Erhlichiosis, Uveitis, Toxoplasmosis, liver diseases etc. Other conditions causing blindness are old age, trauma to the eyes, hereditary Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) that is prevalent in certain breeds of dogs and a congenital condition i.e. occurring at birth.
Glaucoma is an excess secretion of fluid into the eye chamber that can eventually become cloudy. It can cause an increase in the ocular pressure thereby resulting in migraine headache and damage to the optic nerve. This situation can easily be corrected by medication or surgery if it is detected early by the pet’s owner and taken to the veterinarian. Though glaucoma is more common in dog than cat, certain breeds of dog are genetically well predisposed to it such as Siberian husky, and Shih Tzu.
In cataract, a change in protein causes a release of whitish deposit on the inner surface of the eye lens leading to opacity of the initial transparent lens. Though it is commonly an inherited disease in dog breeds such as in miniature and standard Poodles, miniature Schnauzers, Smooth Fox terrier, Bichon Frise, Boston terrier, Silky Terriers, American Cocker Spaniels and Javanese, it can also be caused by diabetes. The eyes begin to look cloudy or grey. Cataract can also lead to glaucoma when some fragments begin to dissolve or peel off from the attached lens which can eventually block the eye draining channel leading to fluid accumulation. Cataract can be corrected if observed earlier. So, when you begin to notice cloudiness of the eye of your pet especially if it is not due to old age, then consult a Vet.
Trauma to the eyes can be as a result of puncture, accident or even due to human errors in surgical theater especially in hospital where surgical check list is not a usual practice in surgical operations. Like in the case of Cassandra Tynes and her dog Hot Stuff that a Surgeon mistakenly removed the good eye instead of a bad eye leaving the dog completely blind.
Below are 14 Simple but most important steps you must follow:
I will emphasize here that the fact that your pet suddenly goes blind should not cause to break down at all. By following the simple tips below, your pet will cope well and adjust faster than you think.
1). Training- Give a positive reinforcement to your pet’s initial basic training of Sit, Heel, Come and Stay by beginning to talk to him consistently to get him used to other positive verbal commands such as Step out, Step down, Step up, Watch or Stop and Slow. These can be accompanied by always using a clicker in your hand to make a clicker sound and giving a treat each time your pet obeys a command. Sooner he would begin to associate the sounds with those actions.
2). Train them by using a leash and a collar (do not use choke chain). Blind pets are usually afraid of going through the stairs. Put carpet or paper at the bottom of the step and put a treat on it. Then first lead your pet down the stairs with your “Step down” command. As soon as he completes each step, let him take the treat on the carpet. He would soon begin to associate the sound of his step on the carpet with the stairs.
3). Wear hoop and harness on him to help him navigate the house without bumping his head on objects.
4). Make sure you have a regular spot for his food and water bowl. If he still finds it difficult to locate them, you can buy a drinkable water bowl fountain. He would soon begin to associate the sound of the fountain bowl to his food and water.
5). Never approach or touch your pet unannounced. At this stage, they tend to be more sensitive to movements and become extra defensive.
6). Massage and groom his body regularly. This would help blood circulation in the body and prevent atrophy of body muscle mass as a result of reduced activities. It also helps to calm him and gives reassurance.
7). Drugs and supplements against anxiety should always be handy to help calm him down especially in the early stage of blindness.
8). Do not place furniture or objects at the center of your living room.
9). Avoid reorganizing your furniture, TV or other objects. This can cause disorientation for your pet.
10). Use scented marker at different spots in your house. A drop of scented oil on your furniture to indicate warning, a drop of Pledge can be at the doorways, and another type can be at the stairs while you maintain a regular perfume on yourself. Block off the stairs at the initial stage.
11). Enroll your pet to an obedient training class. This would bring him out any initial depression when he socializes with other pets and develop his confidence further.
12). Play with them always and buy toys that are specifically made for blind dog and cat.Your dog-sitter can be very useful here when you're out.
13). A few percentages of them develop separation anxiety and may start growling when you’re not around. Therefore, do not leave your blind pet in the crate while you’re gone; rather get a dog-sitter.
14). Make sure you take your pet to see a Veterinarian immediately you see any form of cloudiness or eyes that don’t respond to light, dilated pupils, inflamed or discolored eyes that are tearing or running. Some blindness is reversible if treated early.
Do not forget! Your pets’ sense of smell and hearing are more acute than those of human; thus, in general, dog and cat can compensate for loss of sight better and faster than in man. At this stage they put absolutely blind trust on you. Hence with your support, your pet would begin to run around happily before you know it by using his now elevated other senses as if he’s not blind.
