Nikki's eyesight seems to have worsened. Nikki my senior rescue has had failing eyesight for awhile now. He could not see out of his right eye and had very limited in his left eye. In the past few days we have all noticed a dramatic change in his ability to see. He is bumping into walls, doors, my leg, the other dogs all the time. He will stand somewhere just staring at nothing for a long time. He can no longer see a treat in front of him and when he walks he keeps jumping back like he is afraid of running into something. He has no concept of where my voice is coming from. He had his physical about a month ago and the vet said he had some vision in the left eye, but suddenly it seems like he is totally blind. At first I thought maybe he was stressed out with me being up at the hospital for 3 days and only coming home late to sleep, but he seems to be getting worse. I know dogs can adapt to blindness but he really is struggling with it and I am afraid he is going to get hurt. Does anyone know if it takes awhile to adjust and if the vision can change so drastically in a matter of days? I am going to take him to the vet but I am not ready to make a decision. Please keep Nikki in your prayers. He has not had an easy life and I hate seeing him so scared and bumping into everything. Thanks |
Patti, I'm so sorry to hear this. I do know vision can change drastically in only a couple of days; there are certain types of eye conditions that come on very quickly. I think that maybe a playpen might be a good idea for now. It almost sounds like perhaps his hearing and sense of smell may be deteriorating as well. |
I'm so sorry Patti, and I don't have any knowledge or advice to share. Sending prayers for Nikki and gentle hugs. You have been so good to him and he is blessed to be in your loving care. |
Thanks. His hearing has been bad for awhile so the combo is probably making it worse. Nikki does not take to be confined not sure if its due to his past history. I can try putting the play yard up but I think he will just cry to get out and bump into the sides. He is estimated to be 19 years old and has kidney disease so I know he is not a candidate for any surgery. Maybe the vet can determine if there is something else we can do to keep him safe and comfortable. |
I have two blind seniors in my home. My Georgie, who is also deaf, really upset me for a while as he seemed to have a difficult time adjusting and bumped into things a lot. I just made sure that the house was safe for him (nothing sharp at his level) and let him learn on his own. It took a while, but he did adjust. It broke my heart watching it, but now he does pretty well. He does seem to get a bit out of kilter at times...when he does, I pick him up and put him in one of his favorite spots so that he can get his bearings. Same thing when I hold either one of them....I always put them down in a familiar to them spot. I think if you restrict them too much they don't learn. Maybe you could start him out in just one room instead of the whole house. |
I'm sorry, Patti. You might try to hold a flashlight in a dark room to find out if he can follow the light. I think it can happen very suddenly. |
oh my....so sorry to hear this Patti. |
I really have no advice, but I'm sorry to hear this about Nikki :( Hugs and prayers. |
So sorry. Sending prayers the vet has some answers for you |
So sorry Nikki is having such a tough time |
Thanks. I have 3 nightlights in my room so he is never in the dark. Ladyjane- that's good to know. It is so sad to see him bump into things, but hopefully he will adjust. I tried putting his bed on the floor earlier but he wanted to be on the bed in his usual spot next to me. I have noticed in the past couple of weeks, Nikki would rarely get out of his bed. I think now he was scared and felt safest there. Pixie has been staying close to him, and he use to fall in the pack and walk with them. Now he is running over them not seeing them. I will make sure not to change anything around and pray he becomes more adjusted. He just looks so scared. |
Sending Prayers for Nikki... hope the vet has some ideas... |
Sending prayers for little Nikki. My first Cairn ended up going completely blind a few years before she passed. Although it was tough for her and us at first, she became very well adjusted (and we were trained). We never moved any furniture, never got anything new that would change up her routine or knowledge of where objects were. She was blind 5 years before she passed, and still was a happy spunky dog. However, the first few months of her being blind were really rough, and we really had to adjust many things to accommodate her. |
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I'm really glad I came across this post. My Presley who will be 16 in August has just developed a little night blindness. He also has weakness in his front right leg. The vet says is nerve damage. So he trips alot. He can see a little, but I think its just a matter of time before he does lose all sight. He has a hard time getting off the bed a night, he is afraid to go down his stairs. He gets to the top of the stair and maybe down one, but then he panics and starts barking. We now have 2 night lights to help him find his way, but I imagine they won't be of use for long. He's pretty good about not having to go potty. If he does he goes to the bathroom and uses a potty pad. He sleeps next to me so when he wakes up and tries to get off the bed, I am now helping him down. If I actually have to go, I will take him with me. Most of the time he goes, so we end up having a good sleep. I've lived with a blind dog and know he will adjust (hopefully), but the process is going to heartbreaking for me. I've had him since he was 12 weeks old. He is my baby. I'm his mama. We will get through this. |
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