I was told yesterday that Timothy is blind because of diabetes. I am so devastated and sad and scared. He is staying very close to me now.. I have read do not pamper them, but well else can I do.
He is lying between my feet right now. He knows how to get around the house extremely well. But I still worry. This is killing me.
Vet says he will adapt but I still worry. How do I not worry.
Your vet is 100% spot on. Timothy will adapt and faster than you can imagine.
BUT, it will take longer if you pamper him. He has to find his way which means letting him move around your home on his own. Don’t carry him around to different areas. He will have no idea where you have carried him and will be even more disorientated.
Imagine if you were blind and someone kept carrying you around and placing you down somewhere else without telling you where you were.
If you want him to go somewhere then let him follow you. Use your voice and pat the back of your leg so he can hear you.
My blind dog could navigate my home no problem. She was able to go in and out of the dog door and roam the garden on her own. She was able to go on walks with me and in fact, she would drag me down the road in front of me despite being 100% blind.
Your dog will cope and he will be amazing. Just give it time and be confident around him. Dogs pick up on your energy so you need to display confidence.
Everyone goes through the same process as you when they sign up to this site. They are utterly devastated but then they come back a month or so later and they can’t imagine why they were so upset.
It will get better, trust me, but you have to let Timothy find his way.
He has unregulated diabetes
I just adopted a rescue cocker spaniel, who had untreated diabetes and is 100 percent blind. She of course is now getting the insulin she needs, but has been plopped into an environment she has had no previous experience with. I’m amazed how much she has already learned. I use my voice constantly and make louder stomping sounds when I walk… she can maneuver down the three steps to go outside(“step!”)and can follow me to the barn or out to the mailbox. I also tell her “whoa” if she is about to walk into something and she stops in her tracks. I’m wondering if anyone has any experience with the halos…it’s tougher for her in the kitchen area where I generally confine her due to a crabby shihtzu on the other side of the gate who doesn’t tolerate other dogs walking into him. She is also pretty needy for attention ( I have six other rescues) and would like any suggestions for toys etc. that might keep her happily occupied for a bit.
You might find that as time progresses that she becomes more at ease and is less needy, although my cocker spaniel was always a loving little thing and always wanted to be around me.
I was going to get a halo when my dog first went blind but found that she didn’t really need it. That’s not to say that she didn’t bump into things every now and then but I just figured I didn’t want her to become dependent on something like that.
As for toys, anything that can make a sound is good but really blind dogs are like other dogs and they will play with anything regardless of whether it makes a sound or not.
Really great replies from all. I just want to add that, while you should not baby him in getting around, I think it’s ok and healthy to ‘pamper’ some, with maybe sitting on your lap or a few extra toys, gourmet treats (of course be careful not to cause digestive upset), etc. I think it’s good to give comfort at a time that must be quite distressing.
For example if he’s sitting between your feet maybe pick him up and cuddle for a few minutes, and then play a little game where you let him find a treat using his nose. I thought this really helped my dog in the beginning. I started about a foot away, then slowly increased it.
I agree you should avoid picking him up and moving him, and the tip about being confident is really important too.
My dog is now blind AND deaf, which was horribly painful for me to watch. Worse, almost all the advice online focuses on sounds. I was so afraid she would be unable to do much of anything. But she did adapt, and much quicker than I thought possible. I admit I had a very hard time at first, watching her bump into things and struggle, but I forced myself to let her learn most of the time. I sometimes gave her small guidance or used her leash to walk a certain path a few times.
I also learned to use scents to help her navigate – I often use a scented lotion so she can find me, I use a tiny drop of lavender on her bed every few days, etc. She’s really surprised me too, she knows when I’m close even when I think she won’t. I feel like her brain rewired the visual and auditory functions to her smell, touch and spatial awareness. There are human studies that prove this happens, but it gives me tremendous joy to see her go from fear to being content.
I took her to a park last week and after we walked a large area (I give gentle corrections with the leash), she actually ran and jumped!! Takes a lot of confidence! Was amazing for her to feel free and so happy 🙂