i have a puupy that seems not to see very well and he is three weeks old is that normal?

Question

what should his eyes look if they are still in the development stage

his mom died in a fire when he was very young and he has been tube fed and bottle fed and half the litter was lost. i was just wondering and what would his eyes look like

he is not stumbing at all and not really hit anything. would follow my finger and seems not to see me

i mean will not follow my finger

Answer 1

If he seems different than the other pups, you should have him looked at by a vet.

Answer 2

I think they should be real glossy and still shut a little. I have a new puppy and the vet said a healthy puppy his tail will wiggle a lot and the puppy will play a lot. He was 3 months when I got him, that's a big difference. I would take him to the vet, make sure the smoke from the fire didn't hurt it. Better to be safe than sorry. I feel terrible for the other puppies and the mom. Best of luck

Answer 3

I don't think their vision is that good at 3 weeks old. Even babies have a hard time seeing very far. Just keep you eyes on him and his eye sight should develop in time. If he does have trouble seeing you'll notice when he starts moving around more, he'll bump and stumble. I once had a dog that was severely visually impaired and would run full tilt into people. It was funny. Don't worry he never got hurt he was a big boy. So even if he has some vision problems he'll be fine.

Answer 4

I hope the puppy is still with the mother dog. He'll need her for another 3 weeks at least.
Sorry I can't help with the eyes. I'd reccomend a trip to the vet for a check up.

Answer 5

The eyes should be ok by now, I think they open at about 10 days, maybe just get the vet to check him,if he dosnt seem well, is he getting the right amount of food, they should be drinking every couple of hours and starting to play around.

Answer 6

at three weeks old your puppy is probably stilll a little wobbly. He is stil developing. His eyelids should still look as if they are not big enough for his eyes. It sounds like he is on track. In about a week if it has not improved then go ahead and take him in.. maybe he has dirt or something in there...

Answer 7

as sad as it sounds people cant read the pup lost his mom in a fire.but any how it seem to me that the pup just needs more Time for his eyes to develop more puppies eyes look glossy when they are working right and if their is a white tint in them them maybe he will be blind but for god sake do not get rid of him because of that.he need a good home and it sounds like you can do that for him. but I would really get him checked out just for pups sake.good luck and if pup needs a home I will have it.just email me..ok..lots of love.and merry Christmas

Answer 8

You didn't state what type of puppy he is, but with my german shepherds, they were almost 5 weeks old before their vision was totally developed. At 3 weeks, it's normal for them not to be seeing well.

Answer 9

The puppy's eyes should no longer be in the developmental stage!!! take him to the vet, is he stumbling? Most likeley he might be blind...so here are some tips





For the most part a blind puppy is not that much different from a "sighted" puppy. Most blind puppies are born blind so this is the way the world is to them. They come into the world depending on their other senses from the very start, and those senses very often become even keener. So emphasize their other senses of smell, hearing, taste and touch in your training of your puppy.

Housetraining
Most that have housetrained blind puppies say they are not that much different to housetrain than a sighted pup. Alot of people go with crate training and the wee-wee pads. But if you want to train them to use a doggie door that still can be possible. You can scent the door or put a special throw rug at the opening. If you don't have a doggie door and need to train your puppy to signal you they need out, you can use your scents and rugs to fix a special area for them to go to.

Toys
Ones that make noises or have a scent are the best for them to "find". There are alot of toys made now that make all kind of noises from. There are also toys that wiggle and vibrate for the blind/deaf guys. For some suggestions please go to our Toys page

Sadly I've heard of puppies are taken away too soon from their mothers and littermates when its found out they're blind. This in turn may cause various problems dealing with socialization, "puppy" biting and not knowing how to play either with another animal or with toys....since puppies learn alot from both their mother and littermates. So for these little guys you may have to act as their littermate/mom and teach them the do's and don'ts and how to's.

Socializing
Socialization is extremely important and shouldn't be avoided but encouraged even more with your blind pup with both other dogs and people. However, special considerations and precautions should be used, since even though you may have a little guy now, what you teach them now will be with them their whole life.

Don't let dogs or people approach your dog too fast. Let your dog ease into the situation by letting them smell the persons hand or dog before being touched by them. Some blind dogs can develop "startle" aggression when approached to fast or grabbed/touched by surprise.

Start from day one talking to your pup. With a blind baby its very important that you vocalize to them. This will not only help them to find you, but you can also help them avoid obstacles. Examples would be:
STEP-To let them know where the steps are
WATCH -When they are going to Bump something
OK-you got a clear path

Having others talk to your blind pup will also give them security and trust in other people.

Blind dogs do seem to develop separation anxiety more easily than a sighted dog....this maybe more "our" fault than the dogs though. We tend to want to coddle and pamper a blind pup/dog thinking they can't or shouldn't be left alone. With a pup you can restrict the area they are in to an exercise pen or to one room when gone and gradually increase the area as the dog becomes more secure and confident.

Touching and massage can be an important tool. Even with dogs that loss their sight later in life, touching and massaging makes them more confident and content. With a puppy it can do the same and also help create a more social pup.

Alot of people wonder if getting a sighted dog will help their blind dog. It's really not an easy question to answer, since every dog is different. It really has more to do with the personalities of each dog as opposed to the ones blindness. If you think another dog would be good for your situation if possible try to put the dogs together to see how they react together.

If you do have multiple dogs already they can help your blind one. Its not uncommon to hear of sighted dogs leading, looking out for and guiding the blind ones as if they knew they couldn't see. Many people with multiple dogs find putting bells or noisy tags on the sighted dogs collar helps guide the blind one.

Answer 10

Puppies and kittens usually dont have that great of paw-eye coordination until around 5 months.