On January 20th 2020 Jaz had his half year check up, I was a bit worried as he was putting on weight, he had gone from a very fussy eater to suddenly empty dish.
All was fine at my vets just to cut down on treats, by the beginning of February I noticed he was not playing the same, did not want to go for his walks and did not seem able to see the treat in my hand.
I made an appointment with the vet and doing just minor tests he confirmed that Jaz appeared to be blind, he arranged for urgent MRI scan etc, which again confirmed blindness.
My husband and I could not take it in, many tears have been shed, questions asked why? he is only 7yrs old.
I found it hard but read all I could on Sards and what help I could do for Jaz.
It is only 2 weeks and I am seeing how well he is coping. Me, I still shed a tear. But we are trying to build up his confidence, as well as ours.
We are due to go on holiday in 2 weeks. We booked a caravan break and because Jaz is so unsure on walking at the moment we have bought a stroller so we can go into busy towns and he will be okay. When we find quiet areas we can then walk him more.
It is a big learning curve for all of us, I think we are adjusting but sometimes it is hard, mainly because you miss some of the past times, but on a positive note we will look forward to Jaz enjoying his walks again.
As I say it is early days and reading all I could re other dogs has helped.
John Schaninger says
Hi. We adopted a blind rescue dog, Fritz, who is about five years old, and probably blind since birth. He gets around very well, although moves very slow in the house, even though we don’t move any furniture. He is a great part of our family and a blessing to have.
I’m sure by now your pooch has adapted, but wish you the best.
Tracie Johnson says
Jaz sounds just like our Willa who is only 5 years old. Willa was an extremely picky eater and skipped meals frequently but never skipped her treats. When she took a 180 degree turn, ate anything and wanted more, we took her to vet. She had gained 2 lbs in the short period since her last appointment. The vet suspected Cushing Disease and ran blood work. In the meantime, Willa was not doing her usual fun activities…chasing balls, running after squirrels and lizards, etc. and we suspected it was because of lack of energy due to extra weigh gain. We were advised to change her food and cut treats. She then developed diarrhea every 2-3 hours for a week. Willa’s blood work and extended T4 blood tests came back normal and vet felt exercise and time was the answer. Fast forward a few days and Willa bumped into the car in the garage and then would not attempt going up our stairs that she went up often every day. We made an appointment to a second vet and got the devastating diagnosis of SARDS. We are now almost 2 weeks into this and trying so very hard to teach Willa to adjust while adjusting ourselves to the new normal. Willa is our cherished rescue fur baby. My husband and myself are senior citizens and so very sad about changes for Willa and possibilities of injuries when she bumps into objects though we do our very best to protect her and pretty much follow her around. She loves her new Hill’s prescription food but still remains hungry constantly. I am hoping she has lost a few pounds when she has a recheck. It is nice to know of others who have faced what we are facing and are optimistic that their pets are happy and adjusted. That is certainly what we pray for our precious Willa.