Newly Blind Yorkie!!
 

Sammy suddenly lost the remaining vision in the eye that had some sight left. (cataracts) we will go to the vet next week to determine if he is a candidate for eye surgery (veterinarian eye specialist). meanwhile.. my poor baby is soo scared! He runs into walls, so he has decided that standing still is the safest thing. If I set him down near his litter box, he will usually use it, but he can no longer get off the couch safely by himself (he misses he steps by a foot). I'm wondering if any of you have any ideas? I'm talking to him as much as possible so he can follow my voice. I say "oops" when he is going to walk into something, and I have removed everything but basic furniture. I have an area rug in one room, floor grates he can feetl with his paws (he can tell when to turn to go into his area). I did get him to follow my voice once today, (he is still a fairly recent puppy mill escapee, so no obedience training yet), and he will walk around upstairs fairly well, as he has not run into anything major up there, so he's not afraid... yet.

HELP! My baby is scared (and I am grieving, but trying not to, 'cuz the dog whisperer says it makes things worse).

Ahhhh...honey, it will be ok...You are a good Momma and it sounds like you are doing everything right :)

He needs time to adjust to this new condition from what I've read
on blind dogs. They actually do very well when they adjust but it's
important not to change things around once they find their way
around.
You sound like a wonderful mommy for this little one.
I'll keep him in my prayer's in hopes the eye specialist can
help his problem and restore some sight back into his eyes.
Hugs to both of you,

thank you so much... i'm trying really hard not to cry right now. i set sammy down in his area, near his food (he doesn't eat easily), and let him be. he wandered out, banged into a wall, and started to growl and yelp at it... I tried not to interfere, but he ran over and hit my exercise machine (which i have covered with a soft blanket), then freaked out and hit the wall next to it before i could pick him up... he was totally hysterical....

I know how emotional this must be for you and him too. But you are loving him and taking care of him, so I know he will adjust, it will just take a little time for him to become familiar with all of this. Prayers coming your way :)

I am very interested in what you are going through. My little Rosie is losing her eye sight. It's not drastic yet, but it's coming.:( I am very impressed with what you already know. Thank you for that. It must hurt so much to watch him. I'm sad when I watch Rosie and she still sees. Hugs.

HI
I have a 6 year old that is blind also with catarcts.

How to help.. google halo for blind dog.

Bell yourself so he knows where you are.
Scent mark things.... ei orange for danger.
Rose for door jams.

Vanilla for beds.. etc
Spokane has a good eye vet and you need to make sure who you see is board certified.

Cost is in canada.... 5000. IN US in spokane 1200 per eye if done one at a time.
One last thing it may not work and the dog will not see normal or like they did before catarts.

I know just how devastated this is for you having just gone through it and still trying to deside if I do the surgry.

Wish you best of luck.

JL

Blind dogs do very well once they adjust. Most diabetic dogs like my Lady go blind (she was one of the very few that didn't) and their owners always describe how frightening it was in the beginning, but how well they learn to cope later on. I still remember one woman's joy at being able to jog with her Lab again. Once her dog regained his confidence, she tied his leash to her waist so they could run together again.

This website has been very helpful to owners of newly blind dogs:

Home Page

Oh my. I know exactly what you are going through.
About 2 years before I lost my last little yorkie, Kayla, (last July) she developed a large cataract very quickly. My vet referred me to an eye Dr.
She had surgery and it was not successful. I guess one thing was her lens was so much smaller then she expected. So, Kayla had sight in one eye for a short time. Then she slowly developed a cataract in her other eye. She could see very little. So, I had a discussion with her eye Dr. and we could have gone through with another surgery and hope for the best. I decided not to put her through that again. She was 12 years old at that point.
She adapted to her surroundings quite well. It took a little time. We never moved the furniture or put anything new in as she knew her way around. She knew right where her food and water bowls were. She new where the sofa and chair was as she came to one of them when she wanted to get up on it. We did have to watch her like a hawk so she didn't walk off of the sofa or chair. She always slept with me and after she walked off of the bed, I decided to buy her a bed. So she could no longer sleep with me.
I referred to her as my special needs baby. I was of course heart broken to learn she would no longer be able to see. I was in tears. The bond between us became so much stronger (if that is even poss.). She was now totally dependant . She could no longer get on the sofa,or climb up the stairs by herself. All in all though, she did very well.
She was the light of my life and to this day I miss her so very much.
I'm sorry for the length of this post. I didn't mean to ramble.
Please let me know if I can be of any help

BIG HUGS!!

I know what you are going through. My Bichon went blind, it started gradual like not seeing well in the dark then he lost sight completely. (He was diabetic)

The most important thing to remember is that it is soooo much harder on us than it is them. I so remember crying and thinking what kind of life can he have if he can't see? Well he did have a good life with out his sight, it just took me longer than it took him to accept that, lol

Your baby will adapt, but don't move things around in your house. keep his food and keep the water bowl, potty place etc, in the same area you have it now. It will be easier for him. When they lose their site, their extreme ability with the nose takes over. Just be there with him to help guide him as he gets used to using his other senses to get around. Before you know it, you will be amazed at how well he has adapted.

When people came to my house that didn't know my Bailey, they were amazed when they found out he was blind.

Big hugs

I know this is hard for you, but instead of not interfering at first when this happens you might want to go over to him and guide him in the right direction using only your voice, and let him walk his way around while following you.

thank you all so much for your unconditional support and love for our dogs. sammy fell down the stairs today... he is fine (THANK GOD), but now i know i can't leave him for a second upstairs. i placed a strip of rug on the hardwood floor in front of the stairs, so hopefully he will learn that means the stairs are nearby. the scent training might work very well with him-he uses his nose all the time. (though he missed his litterbox a few times-i moved it and he's fine now). I'm giving him small doses of independence with success-setting him down on his litterbox, then moving away and talking to him. i say "oops" when he is going to bump into something, and already i notice he is doing better, though very, very tentative. so by the time we go to the eye vet, i should have a better idea of how well he will deal with things if he doesn't recover his sight. and even if he doesn't, he will still be loved! and we did take a shoping trip to target (in his new kwigy-bo bag), and he really enjoyed it, i think. (ok, so he slept the whole time lol)

i will be visiting the websites and the herbalist for scents. i hope you guys know how much this is helping us, cuz i would be at a loss emotionally and knowledge-wise without you.

There was an excellent Dog Whisperer show on recently about a blind Yorkie. He adapted very well. His owner felt so sorry for him (of course that's only natural) and Cesar said that makes it worse for the dog. Maybe you could find the episode on line. It would be really helpful. You sound like an excellent mommy and your Yorkie is in good hands. Sending warm wishes and thoughts your way.

I wish I had some of this info when I went through this with my first yorkie. She lost her sight for the last 2 or 3 years of her life. As she went with me pretty much everywhere, I tried to keep her life pretty normal. She did fine as long as I let her know when there were obstacles. When we came to a curb or a step... I said wait, and then said jump up, or jump down. Occasionally she'd run into something, but I just said "you're okay" and we'd continue on. Of course, she got carried around quite a bit -- but not any more then I did when she had her sight. I wanted her to keep her independance for as long as possible. At home, I did the same until she knew her way around. I'd tell her wait to let her know something was there, and then she'd find her way from there.

Just stay as calm as you can with your baby, and work through it with him. Before long, he'll be getting around as good as he did before. Just don't move things on him without working him through the changes! Lots of love and tummy rubs are in order!

Your story brings tears to my eyes. I know your yorkie baby will thrive under your care! Put a bell on him and on yourslef and talk to him constantly so he knows where you are and where walls are. People and animals alike will develop thier other senses to make up for what they are missing. Caesar Milan is right, if you sound nervous the doggy will pick up on it (just like human kids). Talk to him like everyitng is ok, don't treat him like anything is wrong, and he will eventually think "NOTHING IS WRONG WITH ME! : ) This is a part of life and I am AWESOME!"

He will adjust ....

Dogs use scent as their primary sense in getting around in the world
I had a dog that lived to be 18
and we had taken him to the vet when he was 16 or so because of the usual old age things arthritis and such but the vet came out and said
You know that hes blind right?

We had no idea
He was getting around fine
He seemed very happy
So happened that during his last year he also went deaf
If it is catarax ... and something that can be easily taken care of
correct it but he will not be bumping into walls and having problems forever

Dec 08 there was a Yorkie pup, Kirby, who was born blind w/no eyes. He is in a great forever home in SC. If you would like, I can pm you his "Dad's" email address (w/his permission) and you can correspond.

Kirby is doing great:). If anyone would like the updates, I will be glad to post them, but where on Yorkie Talk can they be posted.

WOW - Wonderful :p

You can start an Update on Kirby thread in the Rescue Section or even the General Section ;)

I had cataract surgery done on our Mini Schnauzer. It was very expensive and not totally successful. I would recomend doing only one eye. Her retina detached in one eye after the surgery and she only has one good eye with limited vision. They were unable to implant a lens because the capsule that holds the lens had ruptured. Ask your vet about Rimadyl. It is good for the inflamation. PM me if you have any questions. Sounds like you are doing everything right. It just takes time for them to adjust, but mine is doing very well.

Tritsy,
If your baby cannot see, please make sure you don't put him on the sofa or any other elevated surface. If you feel you must, close off other rooms to him so he doesn't have as far to roam. If he has problems finding his pee pad, further restrict him to a smaller area. I have an X=pen set up on a 5'x7' rug right here in my living room. The rug only costs about $20 at WalMart. Under the rug, I spread a shower curtain liner to protect my tile. This way, my dogs who can see, can see me and the ones who can't see can at least hear me and/or the TV so they know they are not alone. Please don't feel too bad if you find out he is not a good candidate for surgery for the cataracts. I've had a lot of blind Yorkies and you will soon become amazed at how well they can cope with it. I actually think they can cope with it better than we can. Just last month, I drove to California and picked up 10 month old Kirby who was born without eyes. He truly is a remarkable little dog. Since he has never had vision, he doesn't really understand what he's missing. He's a lively boy who jumps up and down to show me how excited he is that I'm home. I've also got an older dog who used to have vision but lost it as he aged. Since he lost his vision slowly over a period of a couple of years, he learned to adapt as the blindness advanced. He's still with me and he still loves to go outside. He has learned to move slowly to keep from running into things. He does that outside as well as inside. Kirby on the other hand is still a lively puppy and would charge into things 'full speed ahead'. Eventually, he learned not to go into certain areas of inside the house as well as in the yard. Just love that dog, keep him safe, but it's not necessary to coddle him although I know from experience that you will. LOL He'll be fine, believe me. You'll be amazed to see what he is capable of doing all by himself. If you need more help, please write to me privately at richere@yahoo.com
I will also be able to send you photos of Kirby or Timmy as well. While still livng in CA, I also adopted Miss Wuzie out of a shelter when she was 17 years of age and already deaf and blind. (she was an owner turn in and I still curse them for dumping her at the shelter) I had her for another wonderful 2 years before I had to help her to Rainbow Bridge. My Mr. Jones was found wandering the highway in the high desert North of Los Angeles. Fortunately, he was picked up by Animal Control and taken to the safety of the shelter. I picked him up the next day and brought him home with me. He was the sickest little dog I've ever had to get well. He had a really bad case of Kennel Cough that I had to treat. He was also old as dirt, deaf and blind. I had to hydrate him subcutaneously for about 2 weeks before the 3 antibiotics he was prescribed began taking effect. I was also able to have him with me for another 2 years before he finally decided to go off food. All these dogs showed me how well blind dogs can cope to new surroundings and new people and new dogs.
Ric

You are all so wonderfully sweet and knowledgeable!!! UPDATE: We went to the specialist on monday, and he is an excellent candidate, but due to the very rapid loss of vision and swelling, i needed to do the surgery immediately.... so, 2.7k later, tuesday morning, he had cataract surgery. implants in both eyes, and it was done using the same method as on humans. i am now beyond broke (my mom said i should put him down.. sigh... and really i'm not adopted lol), but sammy is SO happy!!! we got home from the surgery and he RAN around the house, tried to go up the stairs (not allowed for 2 weeks), ran to his litter box and used it! it was a rough night-he would NOT sleep! he just looked and looked! though he has to wear the e-collar for 2 weeks, and have lots of drops, he is great. he is expected to have full vision in one eye, and close to full in the other, but if it was never been than it is now, it would be wonderful! i forgot how much energy he had! I'm glad the vet said the surgery was required, because i was not sure if i could afford it, and figured he would adjust, so i was somewhat debating.... naw, i would have done it anyway :) we do what we can for our babies, right?

THANK YOU, YT FOLKS!

Thanks for the update! I had just found your thread for the first time, and my heart was breaking when I read about him bumping into things. I'm so glad that he's had surgery and it seems to have gone well!

Please continue to update us on his progress...I'm sure we'd all love pics (or even a video;)) of him getting around!

What a wonderful update! I am so glad Sammy has his vision back!

Tritsy
 

I am so glad to know this problem has been solved with a very good outcome. Please do continue to keep us updated about little Sammie.
Ric :)

What wonderful news!!!! Please continue to keep us updated. Hugs!!! :) GO SAMMY!!!!

Our little 3.5 lb Papillion, Spicy is 97 % blind and the other dogs take care of her. She cannot see food in front of her face. At first she fell down the stairs and bumped into everything. Now she doesn't even seem blind. She still cannot see anything but light and shadows but she has adjusted beyond my wildest imagination.

I actually though she would break her neck before she finally learned how to navigate without sight. Our Yorkie Mandy will make sure Spicy gets food and treats! We do make sure not to move things around to much as she will bump into something and bark like "what was that! where did it come from!"


Hang in there it gets easier.

Hi there! Well...........Truman my rescue is pretty much blind too and does GREAT! He loves to go on walks and will follow behind me all over the house. Yes he has run into the fence and even walked off the back stairs before but now that he has been here for a while he has even started to go up and down the stairs. :D Once they adjust to their new environment it does get much better. Truman will follow my voice all over the yard and house. I also do a lot of clapping and he responds to that really well too. On the leash he is wonderful! We had him on the trials for a walk last weekend and he was so happy that he was prancing....wouldn't have even know he was not able to see. I hope that you get a good prognosis from the eye surgeon. Good luck!:)

ANOTHER GREAT MOMENT! As you may know from his profile, sammy is a puppy mill (hell) rescue. I just got home from work, and let him out of his area, and he RACED around the house!! he has trotted before, when he had some sight, but he truly ran at top speed!!! The joy in my baby is worth every single late i can no longer afford :) oh, and for those of you who have dogs with cataracts, if you have not checked into the surgery, know that, at least in the case of my surgeon, he said that almost EVERY dog he operates on comes out with good (at least) vision... but not every dog is a candidate, and some vets will operate without doing the ultrasound and other tests....

SAMMY AND I ARE SOOOO HAPPY

WONDERFUL news!!!! I just love happy endings!!! :)

On another note... I have to chuckle b/c as I write this my little guy is RUNNING around the house barking at some phantom sound he heard that the house let out...lol... his chest is all puffed out in furry...lol

Oh I am so happy for you and Sammy!!!
What wonderful news!!!! Offering up the "happy dance" for Sammy:D
Please keep us posted with up dates.