Father of a Blind Dog: Learning to Care for a Recently Blind Dog
By Joshua Cook, published Apr 10, 2007
Published Content: 63 Total Views: 77,774 Favorited By: 57 CPs
Father of a Blind Dog: Learning to Care for a Recently Blind Dog - Associated Content
Since I am now the father of a blind, 8-year old, Australian Cattle Dog/Dingo mix, I decided to do a little research on how to cope with having a blind dog. Actually, cope doesn't seem like the right word. It seems too... Pitiful. I'm not coping with Blue's blindness; I am merely learning a new way to train an already well-trained dog.
The first thing I've realized, which should actually be common sense, is that having a blind dog is just like living with a blind person. You can't keep moving the furniture around or it's going to be frustrating for her to move normally.
Teaching her commands such as STAIR or CURB has helped her to understand what is coming ahead of them, and avoid unnecessary falling or tripping, though she is still getting used to these commands I do still have to be cautious around stairs and outside, but this will make things a little easier around these obstacles. I'm noticing she got scared around stairs at first, so I found slowly coaxing Blue down with a treat and a gentle tone to my voice helped her.
Vocalizing or just general noise making is probably one of the most important things I've learned I have to do with Blue. She still loves to play fetch with her ball in the house, I just can't throw it as far and I make sure it hits hard floor so she can hear the thud it makes. If I want her to follow me, I call her name and pat my leg. When I feed her, I shake the bowl, so she understands where it is and what's going on. You get the general idea, I'm sure.
And whatever I do, I do not coddle or baby Blue. Everything I have seen or read has claimed that. With Blue, I obviously treated her like she has some terrible disease at first, making sure she didn't have to move if she didn't want to. I would've gone to the bathroom for her, if I could've. While I was doing all this, I noticed she was doing less and less on her own, and not even trying to do anything she could easily do. So now that I'm not babying her and trying to train her a little more, she's able to stand on her own paws and be independent. Which works, since that's all they wanna be anyways.
Vets specializing in blind dogs in Canada:
Prince Edward Island
Dr. Cheryl Cullen
Atlantic Veterinary College
University of Prince Edward Island
550 University Avenue
Charlottetown, PEI CANADA
C1A 4P3
Work phone: (902) 566-0869
Fax: (902) 628-4316
clcullen@upei.ca
Quebec
Dr. Elise Laperriere
Practice Name: Clinique Animo Vision
Practice Address: 5931, avenue deLorimier
Montréal QC, H2G 2P2
Phone: (514) 376-1686
Fax: (514) 721-2711
animovision@qc.aira.com
Dr Michel Carrier
Practice Name: University of Montreal, Veterinary Teachin Hospital
Practice Address: 1525 Des Vétérinaires,
St-Hyacinthe QC, J2S 7C6
Phone: 450-778-8111
Fax: 450-778-8110
Michel.carrier@umontreal.ca
Ontario
Dr. Richard F. Quinn, DVM, DVSc, DACVO
Veterinary Eye Specialists of Western Ontario
10203 Charlton Drive, RR #1
Denfield, Ontario N0M 1P0
Phone: 519-666-EYES
Dr. Michael Zigler B.SC, DVM, Cert. Vet. Ophthalmalogist
Bronte Road Animal Hospital.1544 Speers Rd.
Oakville, Ontario
Phone: (905) 825-2100 Fax (905) 825-0133
Bronte Road Animal Hospital and
eyevet.org
Dr. David Tinsley, DVM, Diplomate ACVO
Ophthalmology Referral Services
Alta Vista Animal Hospital
2616 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1T 1M9
Canada
Phone: 613-731-6851
Fax: 613-731-2315
tinsley@cyberus.ca
Dr Joe Wolfer DVM, Diplomate ACVO
Animal Eye Clinic
4932 Dundas St W
Toronto, Ontario
M9A 1B7
416-232-0211
Dr. Joseph C. Wolfer - Animal Eye Clinic - Toronto Canada - Tel: 416-232-0211
British Columbia
Western Animal Eye Clinic Inc.
Graham T. Lewis DVM
812 Roderick Avenue
Coquitlam, British Columbia
Canada V3K 198
TEL (604) 937-3937 FAX (604) 937-3989
Forum for care of blind dogs: Coping with a blind dog
I am in the US., I know several fund raisers, and or of funds availailable through LSU Veterinary School to support the medical costs of diagnostic and treatment for blind dogs. However, I do not have those kind of network resources in Canada. As far as MOVING her-this I agree would traumatise her if her trusted human could not be with her every step of the way. I am going to continue researching and communicating with several of my contacts and will post what I have found.
Thank you
DLS for your efforts to save Sasha.
Perhaps together all of us can find some way, somehow, and in time for Sasha. I agree completely with fund raising efforts and media blitzing her campaign. I have found it really, really, works, I have done this for many dogs many times it would be imperitive to get Sasha's cause out there, because only then can we find the help Sasha needs. I know A LOT of people that live with their blind dogs and their behavior "issues", and all is not lost.
BLUIZK