Blind puppy issues?

Question

I have a blind mini dachshund whom has become a close part of the family. He's always had little tantrums when he's hungry, or something along those lines, but lately he's been screaming and we have no clue why. He stretches his neck, thrashes, bites and screams.We think it's a stomach problem, but we're not totally sure, for when he eats he's fine for a while. We've brought him to the vet, and they haven't done anything but a routine check-up. Is there anything specific we should get him tested for?

Answer 1

O, that's a tough question!
How old is he? What does he eat? How much, how often? He could be hypoglycemic and needs to eat smaller meals, more often. He might be having some form of seizures too. If he falls on his side, throws his head back, stiffens his legs or paddles, slobbers and drools or snaps and gnaws his mouth, it sounds like he's having seizures - not temper tantrums.
Keep a journal of EVERYTHING related to him.
Be sure to feed him a puppy formula food and no human food. If you want to give him treats, just for now give him single pieces of his dry food. YOU Act Like it's a Treat! and he'll like it. Later you can buy doggy treats for him, after this has been diagnosed & treated. Feed him 4, 5, or 6 times a day - small amounts. Write everything down - the time, the amount of food, etc.
Write down when he sleeps, when he's up, how he's acting, and record his "tantrums". Watch for details in his physical behavior that can indicate if he's having a seizure, if something hurts, or if he's just acting up. Keep careful records for a couple of weeks and watch for any improvements and for declines. This will be helpful in diagnosing food allergies, poisonous plants he's chewing on, etc. - something you haven't noticed before. After a couple of weeks if you haven't found some clue what's going on, take him (and the journal) to another vet.
Oh! and another possibility is his spine. Dachshunds are prone to spinal problems (due to the elongated spine and short legs) and he could be experiencing a pinched nerve from jumping off the furniture, etc. That could be his problem... Does he bite at his rear legs or hips when he's screaming? It could be the nerves in his rear are pinched...
Good luck.

Answer 2

Sorry to ask... is he deaf? (that may be why he's screaming)
Maybe he needs some reassurance by being petted...maybe he's suffering from a separation anxiety if he feels alone.

Call all the vets in your area and see who has more experience with mini dachshunds or blind puppies...they would have a better idea or ask the place where you got the pup.

Please take the time and search on line on how to take care of a blind dog... (hope you don't expect him to be like any other dog... )like your family may want to wear little ankle bracelets with different toned bells so he can hear (if he isn't deaf) who's approaching.

It must be a bit confusing for the little guy trying to figure out his world...too bad it can't be explained to him.

Good luck! Hope things work out for him and your family.

Answer 3

Working with & training a blind dog is going to be very time consuming, especially a puppy. None of the regular training method is going to work the same way. It is not a simple thing to work with a blind dog. It is all together a different animal when blind, his size is one of your main concerns. How many tables will be knocked over? No moving around of the furniture. His sense of smell will increase, his sense of hearing will increase, not being able to see what he smells or hears will cause a lot of mental confusion. If he is predisposed to aggression then you will have a blind biter. I would take the dog back. You don't have the time required to work with this poor little (big) guy. It is a whole new world when working with the blind. I know that this is hard to face but reality is reality. My heart reaches out to these guys.

Answer 4

get a second opinion from another vet. i have 3 vets. if i dont think one is right i call the next one.

Answer 5

GO TO THE VET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!