Help Blind Dogs See

Knowing how to care for a blind dog can help prevent many frustrations misunderstandings and even injuries from occurring so dog owners should educate themselves on the special needs of their blind pets.

Help blind dogs see. Blind dogs are helpless and training a blind dog is more difficult. People forget that vision is not the primary sense in dogs. Learn more about how canine cataracts develop and what you can do to help your dog if he has them. Blocking off the stairs and entrances to pools or other high risk areas will help prevent accidents.

But regardless of how a dog may become blind blind dogs require special care that is different than that of a sighted dog. See from your dog s eye height to check if there are any sharp objects or corners that would injure his eye face or body she says. It may be for people but not for dogs. Blind dogs are completely trainable.

You can help your dog create a house roadmap. And don t neglect the yard. The fact is dogs don t need sighted eyes to live a normal healthy and fun life. The second thing is that a blind dog can do anything a sighted dog can do except catch a frisbee on the fly.

The cataract may be the size of a pinpoint which most dogs and people can t notice but a cataract may also grow to the size of the entire lens which can cause blindness. Try a new water dish. Look for dog food that lists beta carotene in its ingredients hill s science diet for example. Leashing the dog and walking him around will help him familiarize and navigate through the house andersen says.

A fountain style dog bowl that constantly circulates water is practical for a blind dog because it makes noise. Blind dogs can even participate in agility. Some become more dependent on the owner and act clingy basically your dog treats you as a guide dog stands very close and follows you around. A blind dog in the wild is a dead dog and this is the first thing you must understand.

Blind dogs can find stairs pools and sharp edges to be extremely problematic. Miki saito a certified dog trainer specializing in blind dogs recommends removing or covering any dangers with cushion material until your dog learns the layout of the house. The quickest way to help a blind dog adjust to their new condition is by activating smell sound and touch. Walk your blind dog through the house.

In multiple pet homes another cat or dog may serve as a guide for the blind pet and you can help by adding a bell to the sighted pet s collar. For example spraying three different scents in the three most common areas will help. When a dog has a cataract it obscures the vision.