Author Topic: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!  (Read 1530 times)

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Offline Dexterdog

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Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« on: January 05, 2021, 05:37:23 PM »
Hi all, I'm looking for advice please. I took Dexter to the vet yesterday after noticing his eyes didn't seem as sharp anymore. The vet confirmed my worst fears that Dexter is going blind. However the vet did not have the specialist equipment to investigate further and we have been referred to another practice with an opthalmology department.

Has anyone had any experience of something like this please? Any ideas what might be wrong with Dexters eyes?   

Dexter is 9 in March and has no other medical complaints, and the vet said he was in good health otherwise. Please help.

Offline LucyJ

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2021, 05:58:37 PM »
I'm so sorry to hear about Dexter, and am sure someone will be along soon with some direct experience of this.

I don't have first hand experience but a friend has a dog with limited vision and she sticks to familiar walks as much as possible and tries not to rearrange the house too much (but says putting an essential oil on the edge of furniture legs helps if she needs to move things around as the dog can smell them).

Remember that sight isn't the primary sense for dogs in the same way as it is for humans - scent is so much more important to them.  Hopefully you will be surprised how well Dexter is able to adapt and someone will be able to provide some more useful advice to you soon.

Offline cazza

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2021, 06:44:56 PM »
So sorry to hear this - sending you and Dexter love n hugs  :luv: :bigarmhug:

Hope all goes well at the other practice and they can advise  :luv:

Offline Mari

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2021, 09:47:51 PM »
Sorry to hear that, it's very shocking news. My girl started loosing her sight a few years ago. Her pupils got more and more foggy. She can still see some things close up, at least contrasting light and dark. But can no longer follow a ball if i throw it more than a meter away from her. She also runs into things occasionally, especiall in the dark. My only advise, after having the vet do a proper check, is to look at your dog, not the diagosis. Most dogs cope well with vision loss. My dog will run into an object, yelp, and keep running with a waggy tail. I do have to help guide her when it's dark and she is about to run happily into a bin put out for pick up. I have to be careful that she is not spooked by people she cannot see coming. But most of the time I forget how poor her vision is, she is still my happy dog, just slighly more clumsy. So when I feel sad about her eyesight I look at her, if she is happy then that's all that really matters.

Offline ejp

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2021, 03:48:19 PM »
It's always a shock to get told something like that even if you had suspected an issue.  No personal experience of a dog with sight loss, however, my friends wee cocker has had sight issues for quite a while now. You wouldn't know, you need to tell people, she is a happy crazy cocker that stops at nothing.  Dogs adjust really easily, it's us that have trouble with it.  Speak to the ophthalmologist, get the full story and then go from there.

Online Mudmagnets

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2021, 04:21:45 PM »
Sorry to read your news about Dexter, hoping the other vet will be able to help.  :luv:
Remembering Smudge 23/11/2006 - 3/8/2013, and Branston 30/8/14 - 28/10/22 both now at the Bridge.

Offline Ben's mum

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2021, 08:36:35 PM »
Hello, my Harry is now almost blind. He has PRA and cataracts, I can’t remember how old he was when we found out but it was a few years ago and he is 11 now.  To be honest our vet was brilliant and said that dogs don’t actually use sight that much to get round so they don’t struggle in familiar places, they use scent and just knowing where things are. And he has been right Harry is fine and everyone is always amazed to know how poor his sight is because he runs round perfectly well in places he knows.

In poor light he struggles with steps so we have dozens of lights in the garden for when he goes out at night. If we go anywhere new he is on the lead till we know he is familiar with the place. There have been a couple of times he has ‘lost’ us when we have been out walking but we have got good at talking to him so he knows we are close by and waving madly as he can see big movements, I have stopped worrying about what other people think 😂

We have noticed he is more nervous with sudden noises now but he has always been a nervy dog (he was a rescue) so possibly that might just be him and not the sight problems. I watch him like a hawk around patio doors as I worry he won’t see clearly if they are open or shut and we have had a couple of near misses. But on the whole it genuinely doesn’t seem to worry him too much. I suppose dogs just live in the moment he doesn’t  know he has sight loss, he just lives with what he has if that makes sense and he is fit, happy and healthy. He will be 12 in March and still walks a good 10 miles on the moors no problem, mostly off lead.
I know it’s a huge shock when you first hear but hopefully Dexter will cope really well, chances are he has been managing for a while like Harry was. 💕 xx

Offline Sara_Clara

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2021, 03:41:02 PM »
Hello.  I posted about this exact same issue before Xmas.  Our Pebbles is 9 and was diagnosed with cataracts in both eyes at her annual vaccination check up.  We were so upset, especially as she is also quite deaf.  We are slowly coming to terms with the diagnosis.  She is definitely getting worse and struggles in poor light. Also bumps into doors a lot now.  However, like others have said she is still a happy soul and loves her walks.  We keep her on lead now.

The only thing I feel very sad about is that her main love is chasing a ball but she can’t properly see it now.  Does anyone have any suggestions of ways to help her with a ball.
Puppy Colour: Orange Roan
Puppy DOB: 22.04.2011
Puppy Name: Pebbles
Mummy Name:  Sara

Offline phoenix

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #8 on: January 09, 2021, 11:35:37 PM »
Blind people use balls with bells inside.  If you get one from a specialist website, you could put a unique scent on it, so when his ears stop hearing it, his nose takes over!
RIP Marti  the EPI springer age 12,  and beloved black cocker Bobby, 8 yrs old, too soon, from PLN.
Now owned by TInker, tiny hairy grey poodle/terrier rescue from Greece and Jack, local rescue,   scruffy ginger terrier mutt.

Offline Sara_Clara

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2021, 12:34:25 PM »
Thanks Phoenix hadn't thought of that.  Will take a look.
Puppy Colour: Orange Roan
Puppy DOB: 22.04.2011
Puppy Name: Pebbles
Mummy Name:  Sara

Offline ollie nathan's mum

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2021, 06:11:01 PM »
My old cocker went blind, I got lots of support and advice from a facegroup page, I think it was called “ living with a blind dog” good luck
Ollie D.O.B 29/03/2010

Offline theshrew

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2021, 03:19:30 AM »
Missy has been going blind for a few years probably since 10 ish, Tbh that really hasn't bothered her. Shes nearly 13 now, this last 6 months shes become deaf as a post. Old age creeping up sadly.  :luv:

Offline Finvarra

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #12 on: January 26, 2021, 09:39:27 AM »
A couple of weeks ago we were walking our lad, and there was a woman with two little dogs, she was throwing balls for them, they were so happy. She told us one of them was completely,blind, but you would not have known it to see it. She had a ball with a bell in it, and the blind dog was able to chase it by sound and smell, and of course react to the woman's voice and smell to retrieve the ball. The dog was having a lovely time.

Lesley
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Offline theshrew

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #13 on: January 28, 2021, 01:26:28 AM »
After seeing a friends lab go blind years ago and how well she got on with things its not an issue unless you leave things lying around.

As i said previously Missy is going blind has been for some years. This last 6 months her hearing has dropped dramatically / gone from pretty good to deaf really. That has effected her 100 times more than not seeing as well. 

Offline cba

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Re: Please Help! Dexter is going blind!
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2021, 08:14:09 AM »
There is a book called ‘my dog is blind...but lives life to the full’.  May help, my Dusty is diabetic and on her way to being blind.