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09-15-2012, 09:08 AM | #1 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 506
| Blind Yorkies Ok, it's been a REALLY long time since I've had a completely blind dog. Lily doesn't appear to be able to see at all. She's actually adapting pretty well, but is there anyone else that can give me advise on how to make the transition easier? So far, no accidents and she's eating wonderfully (I have to smile, the shelter said she'd barely eaten the entire time there!), but if she can hear me and can't get to where she can touch me, she starts crying because she doesn't know where she is. She will also wonder into a corner and can't figure out how to get herself out of it. I tried crating her when I can't be right there with her, but the crate really freaked her out when she kept bumping into the sides of the crate, so for now I'm just baby gating her into my bedroom when I can't closely supervise her.
__________________ Momma to King Louie Missing my angels California Lily and Benjamin Button, forever in my heart |
Welcome Guest! | |
09-15-2012, 09:52 AM | #2 |
I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 37,147
| Poor baby I dont have any experience with blindness with dogs but mine are 8 so im sure i will in time. Imbumping this up so this thread doesnt get lost and maybe you get some responses
__________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427 |
09-15-2012, 09:58 AM | #3 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 506
| The shelter said they thought Lily was about 8, but I'm not so sure, in my experience with Yorkies, they don't age as fast as many other dogs, and Lily already has significant arthritis, cataracts to the point of blindness, and is noticeably an older dog. Benji was about 8, and he didn't act it at all! I'm guessing she's at least 10, maybe older.
__________________ Momma to King Louie Missing my angels California Lily and Benjamin Button, forever in my heart |
09-15-2012, 10:16 AM | #4 |
Therapy Yorkies Work Donating Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Central, Florida
Posts: 3,863
| I feel for you. I was not helping them learn their their way around by picking them up and carrying them out side, to their food etc.. After talking with other trainers I used sound and smell to help them find their way to things. They do learn the layout. One time we had to use a soft cone to protect a blind dog from banging into things. But that dog had dementia and could not memorize the way to his food or crate. We also used a soft sided crate for blind fosters. Thank You for bringing her into your heart and home.
__________________ Teresa & Rubin, Gracie, Abba, Ginny Joy and Julia Rose Act like a dog, be kind, forgiving, and loyal. |
09-15-2012, 10:45 AM | #5 |
Senior Yorkie Talker | Hi I lost my darling yorkie age 11yrs in May this year. She went blind two years earlier..due to an accident. She was depressed for a long time and then adjusted and accepted..but her life was never the same. She lost her lovely spunky character and was anxious especially if she got wind we were going out. This was activated by the smell of my perfume or the hairdyer..she would cry out consistently. I had to passifiy her & give her and her sister a bone. Poor little thing..R.I.P. my darling Bo xx |
09-15-2012, 01:35 PM | #6 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 506
| The shelter I rescued her from had said that Lily wouldn't eat, and would lash out at anyone that tried to touch her. They didn't realize she's blind. She was terrified! I haven't had a single problem with her eating, and haven't even heard a growl! ALL she needed was some love and security. She actually seems pretty well adjusted, but she does cry out if she can't find me, I've blocked all stairs because she'd GI up a few steps and get scared and I was worried she'd fall back down the ones she'd climbed. She knows to go slow and make sure she knows what's in front of her before she takes a step and is really careful, but she does lack confidence, and that's the biggest thing I'd love to find ways to help her gain so she doesn't feel she has to walk hunkered down and slow to avoid bumping things. Right now her injured eye is also pretty painful, so I'm sure that's not helping any, either!
__________________ Momma to King Louie Missing my angels California Lily and Benjamin Button, forever in my heart |
09-15-2012, 02:43 PM | #7 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY
Posts: 6,582
| You can continue to walk her around each room where you live. Slowly let her feel and smell the objects in each room. She will eventually learn the lay of your home. It may take her a while since it sounds like your home is fairly new to her. It must be frightening to not be able to see in a place she is unfamiliar with. If you have several rooms than just do the ones she will be in the most at first. Dogs do adjust to blindness. It is the new area that she needs to adjust to right now. Continually introducing her to each object in each room will help her greatly. |
09-15-2012, 02:46 PM | #8 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY
Posts: 6,582
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09-15-2012, 02:52 PM | #9 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 506
| Quote:
Yes, she is very new to my home, I just rescued her from the shelter yesterday. She has a horrific injury to her one eye that we're treating and hoping the eye can be saved right now, but even then the eye is covered with cataracts, as is her "good" eye. She's completely blind. I have been trying to mostly confine her to my bedroom and the living room, but she's having a hard time with that, if she hears me and there's a baby gate or something to keep her safe that prevents her from getting to me it really upsets her right now. I'm sure alot of her anxieties about that will improve as she settles in and realizes that I'm not going anywhere, and she's not going to get abandoned again!
__________________ Momma to King Louie Missing my angels California Lily and Benjamin Button, forever in my heart | |
09-15-2012, 03:03 PM | #10 |
and Khloe Mae's too! Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Eastern Washington
Posts: 14,732
| My childhood dog is a shih-tzu who lives with my parents and is completely blind and gets around just fine. She knows exactly where the furniture is and doesn't have any problems. If they move any furniture, it just takes her a couple days and she begins to figure it out. I just always make sure to let her know when I'm going to pick her up so I don't scare her. Her hearing is bad too, so I just talk kind of loud, make loud steps and pet her softly so she isn't frightened.
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09-15-2012, 03:17 PM | #11 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Idaho
Posts: 4,544
| I went through this about 9 yrs ago with a little very old girl Poodle/ShihTzu I took out of the shelter. She was in the exact same spot in her kennel @ the shelter for 3 days & on the 4th day I went back to see if her owner had come to claim her & they had not & again she was curled up in the same position & spot. When I got a worker to get her out 4 me the moron looked @ me like I had lost my mind & said "This dog, you really want to see this dog???" in an angry voice I said YES, THAT DOG ! when he picked her up & I saw her little face it made me gasp & when he handed her to me & I felt EVERY bone in her little body all I could do was hold her to me & cry. Usually this shelter keeps very old and/or blind small dogs in the cat room in a cage by themselves but for some unknown reason they had put her in with 5 other young small dogs. She was in there for 8 days & no one noticed she had not eaten as she was blind & the younger pups would bump into her & startle her so she just went & curled up in the corner to die all alone on the cold hard floor. She went home with me & had a bath w/medicated shampoo as she also had green goo oozing out of her eyes & PP & RED itchy skin & all the hair burned off her face from the severe yeast all over her little body. After a bath I put food down for her & she ate like no tomorrow, went out of the kitchen & found a bed & went to sleep. About half an hr later I went outside for a smoke & came back inside to find that she was NOWHERE on the 1st floor of my home so I went upstairs to find her standing @ the end of my bed yipping & jumping in place. I believe she followed my scent to the bed as that's what would have probably my strongest scent. The fact that she was near death just hrs earlier to going up a flight of stairs with a landing & then a turn back up & then down 1 hall to another being totally blind to find my scent was just sheer WILL because she could barely stand from starvation & weakness. She was my sweet little Gracie Mae till she had to be PTS due to renal failure 4 yrs ago & I still miss her silly little attitude & loving personality & STUPBORNESS. R.I.P GracieMae Lily may not maneuver your home as fast as Gracie did mine but & bet it will be no time before Lily is rite @ home in your house. She will become the love of your life, you'll see. |
09-15-2012, 03:51 PM | #12 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY
Posts: 6,582
| Quote:
Last edited by gracielove; 09-15-2012 at 03:54 PM. | |
09-15-2012, 04:05 PM | #13 |
YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: scotland
Posts: 2,224
| I'm so glad you have found this little one, I think once she is a little more settled she will find her way around .my first little one went blind and started to bump into things at first,which was heartbreaking but he did really well adjusting and as long as we did not move things around he got around pretty well
__________________ From Julie Alfie & Lottie |
09-15-2012, 07:20 PM | #14 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: USA
Posts: 659
| I have 2 blind yorkies now. Eye problems were inherited from their same parents, litters 2 yrs apart. I didn't know back then the breeder did not get the parents tested for eye problems. Anyways, Now 15 yrs later I have a little girl with PRA, progressive retina atrophy. by the time I found it, the vet said there was nothing she could do, so Lacey, 3 yrs ago, has found her way around ok and adapted. Just recently her little sister Lindsey became blind in the only eye she has left, with a cataract. Her other eye had to be removed due to glaucoma. Lindsey is having a hard time adapting, just keep yourself positive, as they will react to your every emotion. They do learn to adapt, some harder than others, but love them at first when they need it. Start them in a small safe area. I've bought so much of the foam pipe insulation, the clerk knows me by my first name to wrap on furniture legs. Recently lindsey was in the ER for a nose problem, she keeps sneezing, vomited, and hard breathing. She was xrayed, heart was ok, and lungs were clear, was on oxygen for 12 hrs. they couldn't figure out what it was, other than maybe a polyp and wanted to further the care with a scope up her nose. I decided to wait and see if anything came out or if it could be allergies. Blind dogs are wonderful, go to their site, Blind Dogs.net - Where dogs see with their heart! - Home and theres lots of information there. Also if you are on Facebook, there is a group there to answer your questions on anything with blind dogs instantly at Blind Dogs group. There is a resource book called "Living with Blind Dogs" which is very helpful to read also. I'm so glad you found your little one and are compassionate with her needs. She'll be ok with a lot of love, she'll build confidence within herself and adapt. Wishing you the best and hope to see you in Blind Dog group where you can ask any questions. We all have been there and working thru and will help you. Dogbless your little one <3
__________________ Mom of Lindsey R.I.P. 3-12-13 & Lacey: 10-22-13 |
09-16-2012, 04:24 AM | #15 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 506
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__________________ Momma to King Louie Missing my angels California Lily and Benjamin Button, forever in my heart | |
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