Blind dogs and cats can live as happy pets if one follows a few simple guidelines to make life easier for them. Animal's senses of hearing and smell are so much better than ours that when an animal is in a familiar environment it is often hard to tell that it is blind. Here are some hints and precautions to make their lives easier and safer.
1. Avoid changing your pet's environment. But, if you do move furniture or move into a new house, you may find it takes several weeks for your pet to memorize and familiarize itself with the new surroundings.
2. Teach your pet to walk on a harness or lead so that it can be exercised safely. Start using more voice commands to help he or she know when to slow down or be careful.
3. Fence in a small area of yard for them and keep the environment constant.
4. If you have a pool, you may want to fence it in so your pet cannot fall into it. Otherwise, blind pets should not be left unattended around pools. Filling the pool more will make it easier for them to climb out if they do fall in.
5. Encourage them to use their other senses to compensate for vision loss.
a. Buy toys that are noisy (that have a ring or a rattle) or ones that have a recognizable odor.
b. Apply perfume on legs of furniture or the edges of stairs to help them know where these objects are located.
c. Get another companion animal that your blind pet can follow around, using its senses of hearing and smell.
6. If your dog or cat is blind due to cataracts, it is a good idea to observe their eyes daily for changes that could indicate the onset of glaucoma or uveitis (inflammation), conditions which can be very painful for your pet. These changes might include reddening of the white of the eye, an increase in the size of the eye, pawing at or rubbing the eyes and change in position of the cataract.
7. Encourage exercise, whether in a fenced yard or on a leash, to prevent excessive weight gain.
8. Do not change the placement of the bowls of food and water, if you do, try to help them learn where the new place is.
9. Some behavior changes (aggression, depression, fear, etc.) can be observed with sudden blindness. Try to avoid stressing or scaring the pet. Inform the family members (especially children) of the new condition and educate them to alert the pet with soothing words or sounds before petting or grabbing the animal. ^ top of page LINKS ABOUT BLIND PETS
BlindDogs.com This is good site to start at. Gives ideas on living with blind dogs and lots of good links.
PetCareBooks.com This site offers some excellent books and videos about living with blind dogs and inspirational stories.
PepeDog.com These owners have designed and are marketing a hoop on a harness that can be used to help blind dogs move around more confidently in familiar and even unfamiliar environments.
Angel Vest Another site marketing a vest with a hoop that can be used to help blind dogs move around more confidently in familiar and even unfamiliar environments.
Doggles These are basically sunglasses that have been designed for dogs. They can protect the eyes from trauma, reduce glare, or relieve light sensitivity.
Valian Trust This is a story of a blind horse that performs Dressage with his owner.
BlindDog.info Readers share personal experiences about eye removal.
LINKS ABOUT EXOTIC ANIMALS
National Geographic Reindeer Change Their Eyes for Summer and Winter, Study Finds
EYE PROBLEMS IN EXOTIC ANIMALS
