[Dailydrool] Blindness

[Pamela McQuade]

So sorry that Elmo is losing his sight. If he has diabetes, it's likely 
that he has cataracts or maybe even glaucoma, which can show up later.

The blind dogs group you probably mean is a Yahoo group, which you can 
connect with at www.blinddogs.com. There is a lot of good information on 
their Web site, but you can also sign up for a Drool-like Yahoo list 
where you can get advice from folks who have been there before. They are 
wonderful, sweet people who do not criticize but provide lots of help. I 
adore these folks, who helped me a lot when Dexter came to us with 
glaucoma. I would not have known how to manage without their walking me 
through the whole thing, since glaucoma is very painful for the hounds, 
and it is pretty long and drawn out. Because of them I knew what to 
expect and how to deal with it.

Take heart, because your basset can do very well. Support your hound, 
encourage him to do things, and keep your own spirits up, and everything 
will be fine. Before Dex lost his sight, I taught him commands like, 
left, right, up, down (for stairs and curbs), door, door, door (said 
while opening a door, so he moves back), and more.

Buy the book LIVING WITH BLIND DOGS, by Caroline D. Levin. It is a guide 
that provides everything from a general description of the causes of 
blindness in dogs to training methods that will help your hound.

If Elmo is still partly sighted this is the time to start training. You 
will notice a sharp decrease in his ability to get around when the sight 
goes completely. It will take a while for him to map out your home 
completely, so he can move through it without bumping into things. This 
is the hardest time for the humans. But you can put bubble wrap around 
chair and table legs, to make them softer, or you can even use those 
pool noodles, cut open so they will go around a leg, then taped tight. 
You will get lots of other great ideas from the blinddogs sight.

The group told me that when Dexter lost his sight, he would amaze me at 
how well he would do. They were exactly right. They told me that at 
times I'd forget his was blind. They were right about that too. That 
terrific basset nose is a real blessing for a blind dog. Dex can find 
his food with no trouble (of course I always give it to him in the same 
place). He goes on walks with little trouble, as long as keep an eye on 
him, but he has mapped out the neighborhood as well as our home.

Elmo will do just fine. There are lots of folks on the Drool who have 
blind dogs and have been down this road. I'm sure they'll tell you the 
same thing.

Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets