Anyone else have a blind dog?

[dixiegrrrrl]

Our beloved Golden has cataracts, they came on pretty quickly. Distance seems blurry, close up is ok, night vision seems gone, he gets upset when the lights are all off, so we leave a night light on.
He has been hesitant to run around, ( he is always on the long leash outdoors) and seems to prefer the same spot in the yard for his outdoor business.

Poor baby is 10...an old man.
What an irony he needs a seeing eye dog.

Any tips?

[shenmue]

1. My Keisha was blind the last few months of her life

I'd say make the rooms safe and comfortable. Move any weird stuff from the floor. That's it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Fortunately this is the one house where furniture moving does not happen.

Every single piece of furniture in this house has only one place that fits..weirdest thing I have ever run across.
The dog lucks out in that respect.

[dsc]

2. I agree with the other advice you got

My dog had very bad vision toward the end and I focused on keeping the apartment the same in terms of furniture layout etc. I also watched carefully when we walked to be sure he didn't get in trouble by accident.

[mopinko]

4. is she an only dog?

i had a boxer that was probably deaf. at least partially deaf.
but it was a matter of great family debate because she was so well adapted. big part of that was not being an only dog.
she had yappy little sisters that told her when it was time to make a fuss.

not sure if it works the same for blind dogs, but maybe something to think about.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Yes, he is an only dog.

He has personality issues, and while he has been quite accepting of cats who have wandered into our lives, he has little tolerance for other dogs.
Which has prolly saved me a bundle on vet bills, since I like to have more than one dog in my life.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. My girl became blind with cataracts and had surgery to remove them. Unfortunately,

she lost sight in one eye due to complications from the surgery. She did an excellent job of knowing where she was and even going up and down stairs.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. How expensive is that operation?

I have heard various prices.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Hers was less than $2000 for both eyes. That was back in 2005 at Okla. State.

[broiles]

9. Same here.

He's diabetic which complicated everything. They say that 95% of the time no complications but the other 5% one of three. Well he had all three and lost an eye. Now he seems to see just fine out of that one eye and I'm glad we had it done.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Blind dogs can handle just about anything. Here's a little video explaining

Here's How Your Dog 'Sees' A Whole Other World With His Super-Powered Nose.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/04/dog-sees-with-nose-smell-video_n_6608118.html