dog is almost blind?

Question

he is a shih tzu and will be 12 yrs old in april and does not act old. but both his eyes are almost totally white. it is tearing me up. what should i do

Answer 1

Aren't shih tzus the most wonderful dogs? I have had four. One lived to be 19 years old. She was totally blind and deaf by the time she died in her sleep. She never lost her sense of adventure or her healthy appetite.
Cataracts are such a slow process that by the time the dog is blind, the sense of smell has taken over. Try putting different scent air fresheners in different rooms. And remember not to move furniture or leave obstacles on the floor.
My heart goes out to you because it IS hard to watch, but remember that the thing your dog wants most is to be with you and to have you love him.
I think both of you will be just fine!

Answer 2

You can't do anything, and did you know that a dogs sight is not nearly as important as humans? They actually use their sense of smell and sound first.

To help your dog out, begin to familiarize him with commands such as "step" for having to go up a step, "stop" (if he doesn't already know it), and other important commands that will help him once he goes completely blind.

To help him around the house, begin to familiarize him with the house, and make sure that you don't move things. Most people suggest creating a "homebase". This could be his bed, a door, etc. When he becomes disoriented and needs to remember where he is, put him in that spot and say "home". Eventually he will learn where he is and be able to go anywhere from that area.

Although he is going blind, he is 12 years old and has had a good run. Remember: this is more devestating to YOU and make sure you do not overcompansate in affection because of that. Undoing 12 years of training will not help him in any way.

Answer 3

Dogs aren't really all that visual - they adjust very well to blindness. You say he doesn't act old so I would assume he is still in good health otherwise and enjoying his life, so there is no need to be too worried.

The whiteness may be caused by cataracts in which case a vet can operate to remove the cataracts, but it is quite expensive. Generally people do only one eye, the worse one, so that in case anything goes wrong the dog still has a bit of vision from the other eye, but if it goes well there is probably no need to do the other eye. Consult your vet for whether this is possible for your dog.

Meanwhile, don't stress - enjoy your dog; he is not suffering so there is no need for you to. You might want to be careful about rearranging furniture though as he may find this disconcerting.

Answer 4

Dogs do very well when they are blind. Try and keep him in a familiar area. Your dog should be okay. 12 is not that old for a small dog. Just love him and make him happy. It is going to be okay.

Answer 5

i used to have a shih tzu he will be ok as long as u train him to find his food and water again when he is blind its just like a having a pup again but a little different. dont even think about putting him down just because he is going to be blind. we dont put down people because they are blind.

Answer 6

Take him to a good veterinarian. It might be possible to perform surgery on his eyes and remove the cataracts from your dog's eyes. He is a part of your family and I am sure you will do whatever is possible to help him out. Your question about his eyes on this site shows your love and concern for him.

Answer 7

Mainly try to keep him in his familair surroundings. Don't change things around. He will learn how to maneuver around pretty quickly.

I have been losing the sight in my left eye for about a year. It's not fun.

Answer 8

umm. well u can take him to his vet an most likely dey will giveu drops for his eyes. but jus git him used to all of his suroundings so he wont hurt himself seyif he walks into something pointy and hard. good luck i hope it isnt anything bad...