Dog losing vision?

[Haps]

I noticed over the weekend that my dog can not see something right in front of her face, like a treat or food even. She has been clumsy and lethargic for about a month, but otherwise seems healthy. My reading on this leads me to believe this is just a degenerative condition that shows up in some pure breds. I do not think there is anything I can do about it, but figured I would post and see if anyone has dealt with this before.

My read is that I can spend a bunch of money to find out the cause, but they are not going to be able to reverse it, so it seems futile. Diabetes or high blood pressure can cause it, but I do not think that is the cause here, but might test for those, we are due to go for shots anyway.

Thanks for any input.
H

 

[Kalicokitty]

I seen many old dogs that went blind in their later years, most still got around pretty good despite it.
My Buddy's cocker spaniel was blind as hell, milky white eyes, he still loved to play fetch though, you'd throw the ball one way, he'd hear it bounce and go running off in another direction, he'd find it eventually though.

I guess I don't really have any advice for you, but I've seen several times before, and it's not the end of the world, they adapt pretty well.
Good luck with it.

 

[johnny butt]

Had a good dog go blind later in life due to cataracts. She managed to get around alright and still had a good quality of life. Like you said, there's not much you can do once the vision starts to go.

Good vibes to your best friend

JB

 

[RoachClip]

I wouldn't know how to deal with my life long best friend going blind. Their always their when you come home and make you feel everythings going to be ok and when you see their ageing and you have no control or feel helpless it's very sad but you can always know you gave them the best care and love and they gave you the same.

 

[ChaosCatalunya]

In some breeds you can get the actual lens come loose, "Primary Lens Luxation" the little tendons holding it in place give way, there is an operation Vets can to do remove it before it causes more damage, the dog can have pretty decent vision without the lens there... but you need to get it looked at and treated ASAP. Good luck.

 

[Mr. Bongjangles]

There are drops that can be used to prolong what vision is left with certain conditions.

May be worth some tests, but it sounds like it may be too late for this doggie.

Good luck man.

 

[vonforne]

We have two that have traveled the world with us 11 and 12 years old. The little dog cannot see when the light is dim or it is dark. It is natural in dogs as with us.....I need No. 2 glasses now.

Don´t move things around in the house too much....put little night lights out for her and just be gentle. She will be fine. Dogs are tough.

V

 

[straintester]

Sorry to read about your buddy.
Dogs have a keen sense of smell and hearing but unfortunately most of them do not have good vision to begin with.
When they get older, like us, their vision starts to go as well.
Like the others have said, try to keep the rooms kept as is and leave some lights on to help.

 

[Haps]

Thanks folks for the kind thoughts, my pal is adjusting, as am I. I am stoned enough to call you chaps on the nite light thoughts though, hehe, she is blind, hehe.

She still tracks critters in the field, gets excited when she flushes a rabbit, and has even managed to get one cat in a tree, her favorite place for them. Must say though, the wild cats figured it out quick, now they disrespect her, walking right outside her compound, where they never would have dared before. So I have a pile of pennies there now, when they diss her, I wing em with a penny, they be hoppin again now.

Ain't been bit in two weeks, this might work out.
H

 

[tequila_sunrise]

I noticed over the weekend that my dog can not see something right in front of her face, like a treat or food even. She has been clumsy and lethargic for about a month, but otherwise seems healthy. My reading on this leads me to believe this is just a degenerative condition that shows up in some pure breds. I do not think there is anything I can do about it, but figured I would post and see if anyone has dealt with this before.

My read is that I can spend a bunch of money to find out the cause, but they are not going to be able to reverse it, so it seems futile. Diabetes or high blood pressure can cause it, but I do not think that is the cause here, but might test for those, we are due to go for shots anyway.

Thanks for any input.
H

What breed do you have? is it a Spitz? My Akita has VKH, which is an autoimmune disorder known to be prevelant among the spitz breeds. His body thinks pigmented cells are the enemy so his immune system attacks them. This has caused loss of pigmentation around his lips and nose.

This also caused his eyes to increase in preassure to a point where his retinas detached from his eyes.

We noticed him having trouble seeing and pawing at his eyes, very scared, I took him to the emergency vet. They gave him some prednisone(steroids) and he got better almost immediately. After the bottle was up, he was fine again, could see as good as new. But Slowly he started to degenrate again.

This time I got him an appointment and took him to a regular vet which checked him out and got in touch with an animal eye specialist who confirmed he might have VKH.

Shortly after, I was taking my dog to the eye specialist for animals and they did a BUNCH of eye tests on him and got him on a good plan.

so after a year and about $3000 later, he has gone through some rough times but can see. He had major weight gain / constant water drinking because of the prednisone. his whole body structure changed so that he didn't really look the same anymore.

We got him down to a much reduced dosage so now he looks and is acting much happier. He has developed cataracs now which the docs tell me is a normal part of retina detachment.


My advice to you is to take your dog to an eye specialist if there is one in your area. It is around $100 each visit (not including drops or medication) so it is not tooo bad.

I swear man, my dog has better health care than I do!

 

[Haps]

I'm from the farm, and can't name the breed, it would be a security issue. I would not mind spending money to fix this, but do not think that is possible, I would not go as far as you did, in truth. My gal is learning new ways, as am I. We figured out fetch this week, now she throws the ball, and I bring it back and put it on her foot, we were both happy when we figured that one out.
H

 

[tequila_sunrise]

I'm from the farm, and can't name the breed, it would be a security issue. I would not mind spending money to fix this, but do not think that is possible, I would not go as far as you did, in truth. My gal is learning new ways, as am I. We figured out fetch this week, now she throws the ball, and I bring it back and put it on her foot, we were both happy when we figured that one out.
H

Sounds like yall are adjusting well It is amazing how well dogs learn their surroundings.

 

[BirdDawg]

I used to work as a surgical tech for a veterinary ophthalmologist. There are many causes of blindness in dogs, ranging from old age cataracts to progressive retinal atrophy & retinal detachment. Cataract surgery is a viable option for most dogs. Although expensive, ($1300-1700 per eye) having just one eye done will restore useful vision. Like people, most old dogs develop cataracts if they live long enough. Retinal detachment can also be surgically corrected, but very few vets perform the surgery, and it runs about twice what cataracts cost. Nuclear Sclerosis is another vision issue in older dogs, but while it reduces vision somewhat, it generally does not cause blindness. It appears as cloudiness in the eye but without as much opacity as cataracts. Glaucoma, uveitis & keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS or "dry eye") can also result in blindness if not treated. None of these conditions are exclusive to purebreds, but some breeds are genetically prone to certain eye problems and the reason that responsible breeders use CERF and Optigen testing annually for their breeding stock.
My best advice is to find a veterinary ophthalmologist in your area and take your dog for a consult. You can locate one here:
http://www.acvo.com/locate.htm