Posted on 08/07/2012 3:48:40 PM PDT by TurboZamboni
Okay, I am crying all over my keyboard now. This is the most touching, tender, loving photos I have ever seen.
Doglover ping.
I’m puttin my dear 16 year old BC down tomorrow, dit. It’s ok.
We can handle it.
My little Yorkie spends a lot of her time on my recliner with me. When I see her sleeping there, I think of her knowing she is loved and cared for. She is sleeping without worry.
And, I think of dogs that don’t have good masters - a dog’s life is in our hands. Dog’s are not “things” - they are thinking creatures who respond to those around them.
I had another Yorkie for 17 years and it was hard when she died of cancer.
I could handle it easier if Hoot was 16 instead of 4 1/2.
I was hoping he would adjust to blindness. The vet said that the optic nerve is only 1/2” from his brain and may be putting pressure on it. I just want to do the right thing for him and seeing an active JRT sleep for 23 1/2 hours a day is just killing me.
But yes, you are right we can handle it.
X 2 on Vestibular Syndrome. There’s also an excellent book called Living With Blind Dogs by Caroline Levin (or Levine) with very helpful information. I understand, though. It helps if you can be right with them most of the time. If not, it can be very hard for them.
Thank you for sharing that photo, TurboZ. I lost it, too, but I love seeing people who are that devoted to their critters. Touching is the right description. It is beautiful.
Thank you, my freeper friends know everything! :)
Critters almost seem to be fuzzy angels sent to train us and to be dirtbag detectors. When you see someone who treats their pets like crap, you can bank on them being substandard in the human department.
You’ll notice that often your own can sense the heart of strangers too. A long time ago, dog, horse and cat threw their lot in with humanity (Cat said “ahhh, maybe I’ll do evenings if the fire is good”... lol) and they (even cat) are allies and companions to be treated justly.
lol Oh, I only know enough to get myself in a mess. One of my babies is blind from birth (& she is somethin’!), so I know a little about blind dogs but sadly not so much that can help in your situation. If there are Jack Russell forums (I imagine there are. Or maybe dogster.com), there could be some support & good ideas there, too. A month isn’t very long, really. I have a friend whose Eskie lost at least one eye to glaucoma & by now, he may be blind. I’ll email her & holler at you if she has any suggestions. God Bless you both!
OMG!
this is soooo touching..thanks for posting. thanks!
(((D n Hoot)))
I’ve had a bunch of cats - ferals that were thrown out in the neighborhood and two batches of kittens that happened before we could catch and neuter them all.
Now what with deaths and giving away, we’re down to three, and two are mostly blind. At least one other who died (the grandsire) became totally blind. Vet said it’s a sort of blindness (can’t remember the name) that is rare and genetic, both parents have to have the gene.
All of them were scared and nervous when the blindness first started, but they gradually got used to it. We have to keep surroundings the same as much as we can, protect them from bumping into things in various ways, help them out when needed. We take them for walks (we have 5 fenced acres) so they don’t get scared and they enjoy life. It took a while for each to get used to not seeing very well, I think they see in the distance a bit, or sometimes movements. I think gradually going blind is easier, but I bet that your dog will be able to adjust, if you can adjust. Your acceptance and love will do wonders for him, I am sure.
I remember 1 time taking her uptown to a city park with a pond. It was about 90 degrees out that day.
We walked uptown and I unhooked her leash and threw her ball out into the pond for her. We played fetch for awhile, then she just wanted to swim.
I remember her coming out of the water one time, with this questioning look on her face. I told her she didn't have to come out yet, and that she could swim longer. She turned around, splashing into the water and just swam for another 15 minutes.
When she came out, she was ready to go home. She was 11 and arthritis had set in. We walked about 1/4 of a mile, but the arthritis was bothering her. I carried her home about 1/2 mile.
She passed a few months later.
She had heart failure, and came into the kitchen, shaking, and leaned up against me. I took her to the vet and he ran tests, told me he'd call me in a couple of hours.
When he did call, he told me to hurry, as he didn't think she'd last much longer.
10 minutes later I was there, but she was already gone.
Never had the chance to say goodbye. But I remember holding her and crying.
As I sit here typing this with tears in my eyes, my current Irish Setter, Molly, is by my hand nudging it with her head, climbing up the chair, wanting hugs. Licking the tears off my cheek.
She's 7 years old and healthy, but someday that time will come...
Till then, she'll be my clown. My pest. And my hugger.
It’s so tender and real, its beauty is almost painful.
I love this man for doing what he does for his faithful friend of so many years.
Made me bawl.
My dog is deaf and blind...give your dog time to adjust to blindness...she was better learning with her blindness that her adjustment to being deaf...my gal is old but had learned to walk the walls in getting from one room to another, also finds doorways that way. Its been about a year, she went blind with a rare eye problem called SARDS. It can cause blindness within 12 hours or up to a couple of weeks. She lost her sight in 3 days....I made her a promise if she kept eating and wagging her tail, we’d take it one day at a time...When I put her on the chain to do her business she had no problem...they learn to use their smell to find things...she does bump into things from time to time but it doesn’t bother her that much....we go for short walks around the property, no more walks along the side of the road. she likes her walks.....She has been deaf for almost 2 years and blind since last fall...she wags her tail and I have to put her on a diet, she is getting fat as a pig......take one day at a time....
I was in a panic when she went blind, the only problem is I cannot rearrange furniture anymore. She even finds her favorite big chair she sleep on....but you do have to be care full of falling over her, give it time...she is scared also...
What a beautiful photo!
Did your dog sleep all the time when she first lost her sight? He growls at me when I get him up to go outside.
If she is having an inner ear problem like some of the freepers have suggested, it also causes nausea. Try giving her a dramamine (from drug store) its safe for dogs and is she is having problems from an inner ear inflamation, that would also cause her to lose her appetite. A rescue I had developed and inner ear problem and they even have a hard time walking, will fall etc, balance is in the inner ear. My dog spent the night at the vets and had an IV I took her home the next day, she was also staggering before I got her to the vet.....its not serious, but needs attention..
I am taking him to the vet tomorrow. Thank you all for your suggestions and your kind support.
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