How to know if a dog is blind? Sometimes it is not easy to know, especially when blindness has been progressive, but that, although it makes us very sad and worries us, the truth is that humans usually make a mountain out of a grain of sand 🙂.
The sense of sight in dogs is not as important as it is in humans; in fact, do you know which sense they use the most? The sense of smell. Therefore, if one loses the ability to see, nothing has to happen to him since he will be able to lead a normal life.
Why can you go blind?
There are several reasons why a dog can go blind:
For sickness
Like toxoplasmosis, leishmaniasis or babesiosis, among others. It can also be a symptom of chronic kidney disease, caused by a deficiency in metabolism. All of them usually cause uveitis, which is the inflammation of the eye, which turns blue or bluish.
By cataracts
All the Cataracts They are a very common pathology in certain breeds, such as the Golden Retriever, the Cocker Spaniel or the Yorkshire Terrier, although it can also appear in mongrels. Keep in mind that will not appear suddenlyIf not, they will develop little by little. As you do so, one or both eyes will turn white.
They do not cause pain, but they do discomfort. In addition, you have to know that there are different types, so a veterinarian will tell us if they can be removed or not.
Due to a question of genes or disease transmission
Sometimes puppies are born blind due to a malformation or because their mother transmitted a disease to them, such as diabetes.
What are the symptoms of blindness in dogs?
To know if our dog is going blind or if he has already been born that way, we will have to observe if it shows any of these symptoms:
- Your eyes will have blurry, swollen, or discolored eyes.
- Tears constantly.
- It collides with furniture and other objects.
- He has stopped jumping.
- He prefers to stay in safe areas known to him.
If we observe that the eyes of our furry have some of these changes, we must take him to the vet as soon as possible.
How is blindness treated?
Once we take him to the vet, he will tell us if it can be treated or not, since there are different degrees of blindness. For example, if what you have are cataracts but they have been detected in time, with an operation they can be removed; but if it has been due to a malformation, the animal will have to live with it throughout its life.
What are the care of a blind dog?
Caring for a blind dog is no different than caring for a dog that can see. However, Yes, we will have to take some measures to avoid accidents, both inside and outside the house:
At home
- Put a net - or some obstacle - to prevent him from climbing the stairs.
- Keep the doors closed at all times, even the one that leads to the balcony.
- Do not move your feeder, drinker or bed, unless it is on the top floor, in which case we will lower them and guide you with treats to them.
- Keep away from him anything that could be dangerous to him.
Abroad
- We will always take him for a walk on a leash.
- We will guide you so that you do not collide with objects.
- We will transmit security to him at all times, speaking to him from time to time and praising him when he behaves well.
- When we or others go to pet him, we will talk to him first to avoid startling him.
Thus, little by little we can return to normal life 🙂.