I know it has to be because his eyesight is going and maybe even blind one day.Is there anything I can do to prolong his eyesight or prevent him from losing it totally?Leave lights on?Certain foods?I'm worried because my neighbors dog went blind and she ran into walls and I would be devastated if that happened to my dog.
2007-06-04 08:52:28 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
Sounds normal for 14. He still can see fine. There's not a whole lot you can do.
2007-06-04 09:41:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Sounds like it could be cataracts. Has he been checked by a vet? If it IS cataracts, the good news is that the loss of eyesight is so gradual that by the time the dog goes completely blind his sense of smell will have taken over. I had a shih tzu that lived to be 19. She went blind from cataracts at 16. The vet said that surgery would be futile. She did fine for the last three years of her life and never lost her sense of adventure or loving disposition.
Good luck to your boy!
2007-06-04 15:58:07 · answer #2 · answered by 5gr8k9s 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have a vet check it out. If it is a bluish white haze, it is usually part of normal aging and may not have much affect if any on her eyesight.
I have had a cat that went blind from detatched retinas and she went on with her life very normally despite this problem (and the fact that she couldn't hear well and had high blood pressure and eventually kidney failure). She figured out where the walls were and didn't run into them once she figured things out. Animals don't stress over disabilities - they have an amazing ability to get on with life and find other ways to cope. So even if your dog has lost some eyesight, he will likely do just fine.
2007-06-04 15:57:02 · answer #3 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What you've described is cataracts. This is a clouding of the lens that gradually leads to blindness. Surgery is the only cure. Leaving lights on will not help unfortunately because the clouding is preventing light entering his eye. The only good news is that this is a slow process, and dogs seem to cope with it fairly well, at least better than humans do I would say. It's only with more sudden blindness that dogs tend to run into walls - with cataracts they learn to take it slow and use their nose to tell what's in front of them.
Cataracts usually go hand in hand with diabetes, especially in older dogs. You should really take your dog to the vets to see what else is going on here.
Chalice
2007-06-04 16:47:19 · answer #4 · answered by Chalice 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like he is developing cataracts. He will lose his sight, at least partially. Our dog has severe cataracts--the pupils of her eyes are a pale blue. But she still has some peripheral vision, and gets along very well--she has the house, yard and vet's office memorized. Even though she's an indoor dog, she was so good that we didn't even realize there was a problem until the vet told us!
We were told that if we wanted to, it is possible to have cataract surgery done on dogs, just like humans, but unfortunately it costs about the same amount. She's adapted so well, though, that even though we'd do it if we could afford it, she still has an excellent quality of life. I wish that I could live like her!
2007-06-04 16:19:35 · answer #5 · answered by cross-stitch kelly 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
White pupils are a symptom of cataracts. Cataracts are a covering than forms over the lens on the eye, are cloudy and hinder the dogs eyesight. Some catatacts can be removed with surgery. There are also training methods you can use for dogs that are hard of seeing. See your vet.
2007-06-04 15:57:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cataracts are common in older dogs. We had a 12 year-old shih-tzu who recently passed away who had cataracts that were mature for the last two years. They get along just fine and still have quality of life even with cataracts. Our dog could get around the house just fine...we live in a single-level home. Just don't change anything around, such as the furniture, or his feeding place...etc. If there are stairs where he can fall and get hurt, I suggest a baby gate. Always supervise him when he is outside, to be on the safe side. For the longest time, until she became seriously ill, she could still even jump up on her stool and onto the bed. Just continue to give him lots of attention and love. Ask your vet for advice. I don't think there is anything you can do for a dog if they develop cataracts. Maybe vitamins. Try looking into holostic methods, maybe. Good luck.
2007-06-04 17:16:39 · answer #7 · answered by porkchop 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
used to be surgery was the only option for a dog with cataracts forming. Now there is a new product called "occluvet" that can actually dissolve them. Talk to your vet and see if it'll work for your dog. A bottle of the stuff is expensive, but it lasts a long time, and it's easy to use. Completely cured one of my dogs.
2007-06-05 00:33:18 · answer #8 · answered by blk_sheep_fl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋