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We have two Italian Greyhounds. The older, a 16-year-old neutered female, is nearly blind from cataracts (can only see shadows) and almost completely deaf (responds to loud noises with one ear). She is otherwise healthy having recently had some teeth removed with the vet commenting on the great shape she is otherwise in. She has always slept in the bed with us at night, however, with her lack of eyesight, she cannot judge the edge of the bed and has fallen off so we stopped that practice. She now sleeps on the ground floor of the house in her own bed on the floor. In fact, she spends 24 hours a day in that bed except to eat and when she goes out.
The problem is that at night she will awaken every two hours and begin to bark making it necessary for me to come down to her. I usually will take her out, but often she will just stand there barking until I bring her back in, so I do not think it is a bathroom issue. I think she realizes she is alone and that is what causes the barking. We have tried leaving lights on all night, or the TV, we even got her a heartbeat pillow, but still she will get up and bark every two hours at night. During the day, she will sleep all day without the barking.
The only thing I have found is if I sleep on the couch in the same room she will not get up. What I do not understand is that she cannot see or hear me sleeping in the room yet my being in the room seems to prevent her from waking.
If someone can explain to me how she knows if I am or am not in the room when she cannot see or hear me? It is uncanny. If I am sleeping silently in the room she is fine, but as soon as I leave the room, she is awake and barking within two hours. Better still can someone tell me how to deal with this issue. She is afraid to walk on a lead any more so ‘taking her for a walk before bed’ is not an option. We have tried several different feeding schedules (I make all their food) with no success. Now she is fed in the morning and in the evening. She is not on any medication. It is truly bewildering. Any help would be appreciated.
I have a question of my own, My mom’s dog has been pacing since 2 am. She’s probably 12 years old, has arthritis, partially blind, totally deaf. She keeps running into everything, and falling down, most likely from the arthritis, Any ideas what it might be besides old age? I recommended to put her in a smaller room or kennel so she calms down, but I don’t have any other ideas. Update, she’s walking in big circles around the room, so probably vestibular disease? No nystagmus, head tilt, or ear infection. I told her to check with her vet and get something to relax her.
Hello,
I think your dog needs to see your vet ASAP. It could be many many things. Too many to guess. I think that an exam, bloodwork, urinalysis and blood pressure are all indicated. After all of these are addressed y’all aboit cognitive dysfunction assessment.
I recently began fostering a 15-year-old blind (and we think mostly deaf) dog. He seems to get around alright and walks on a leash (though you do have to guide him so he doesn’t collide with walls and things), but how can I get him to get to know the layout of my house? When he walked in for the first time, he took a few steps, nudged a wall, then plopped down where he was and doesn’t seen to want to move from there. Obviously we’d like him to be able to get around to some extent on his own (at least enough to drink/eat and not run into furniture), but he doesn’t seem to want to move. When I went to the next room and I wanted to keep an eye on him, I just picked him up and moved him with me. Is there a good way to be doing this? Should I keep him leashed at first to bring/show him around? Help!
Hello Anna,
Thank You for the question, and more importantly, A BIG GIANT THANK-YOU for fostering a pet. Especially for fostering an older pet. Without people like you many rescues, and many rescued animals would never have a second chance at finding a loving home. It takes a very special person with a very big and generous heart to take a pup in need of so much assistance. I applaud you for not only being courageous enough to foster him, but also for seeking help in understanding how to best care for him.
Because I am a veterinarian I would recommend that you first address and understand all of his medical and health issues. Your veterinarian can help you assess the degree and cause of blindness (sometimes it is due to a treatable disease and therefore the blindness can be corrected), and the ears should be examined also. In an older dog I would check for glaucoma, infection, retinal damage, and any other age related changes like osteoarthritis, joint disease, etc. A thorough examination will help you understand his needs both now and in the future.
Next I would recommend that you think about his world from his perspective. He is likely unsure and a bit afraid of his new environment so it is logical for him to just sit still when he encounters an obstacle. Can you imagine being blind in a new place? I know I would be afraid of falling, and bumping into things. So I would first set him up in a small area of a very safe place. I would make that place a place where you intend him to spend most of his time. Be very careful of any sharp edges, like chair or table legs, and I would spend as much time with him in this place as possible. So that he can build a mental picture of the layout of his new environment with your encouragement, support, and guidance.
Once he is comfortable there I would very calmly, slowly, and gradually open him up to other very small areas of the house. But remember once he is comfortable navigating around one area you can’t change the floor plan. So the furniture should stay in its original location to keep him from getting lost and confused again.
Most blind pets are very quick learners once they are comfortable on their environment. If your dog has been through many households he may just be so confused that he has given up trying to learn his territory. Or maybe he has other impairments that make him reluctant to be adventurous?
My best piece of advice is to be very calm, gentle, and patient.
I wish you the very best of luck!
Sincerely,
Krista
Hi Anna.
Blind dogs are able to use other sense to make their way around. This includes the sense of touch (their paw pads are actually very sensitive and "read" the terrain for them, as well as their whiskers), their sense of smell and even their hearing.
What you can do is to "map out" the place for him using different textures, smells and sounds. For example, if you had different texture flooring in each room, he’ll know by that which room is which. It might also help to "line" the walls and doors with different textured strip, which would indicate obstacles or dangers, similarly to the rumble strips on some roads.
According to Dr. Coren, they can use the sounds of a clock, for example, to also know where they are, as well as different smells, such as different potpourri.
Of course, you do want to block stairs where he might fall down, though with some practice, a texture change would make this possible for him too.
To further assist him from bumping into things, you could consider something like the Halo Vest
http://www.globalanimal.org/2012/11/13/dog-cone-alternative-halo-vest-guides-blind-pets/85350/
Ok so my mom passed away almost 3 months ago and I now take care FULL TIME of her 14 year old shin tzu who knows me very well. He is completely blind and deaf. My issue is that I cannot leave his side for more then 10 minutes or he will start panting and crying like really crying, witch I’ve never heard him do in his entire life. I don’t know what to do ???? I can’t go anywhere or even clean the house because he starts to freak out. I’ve though about maybe having him put down but I don’t because he still does what I call his happy mode, after he eats he does this thing where he rubs his head into the bed kinda under the pillow and I engage with him using my hand. It only lasts for a couple minutes or so but he does this about 2 or 3 times a day. And I feel like that shows some signs of still having a good quality of life. But oh my god he is driving me crazy with not being able to be alone. HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE TELL ME WHAT SHOULD I DO ????????
Hi Angie,
I am sorry to hear that you and the dog are having a tough time.
If you think the dog is still having a good quality of life then there are some things you could try.
-Treat puzzles such as Kong. The dog can still smell so get something like a Kong and fill it with treats the dog enjoys. You can even fill it with his food. Let him smell it and see if that takes his attention off of you. They make these toys for senior pets too so it won’t be to hard on his teeth.
-Dirty laundry. Leave a shirt or something that you have worn that has your scent on it near the dog
and see if that calms his nerves
-All natural calming aides. You can find these at almost any pet shop. They are drug free and usually contain chamomile.
It is important to remember that dogs mourn the loss of loved ones in a similar way that we do. This has been shown time and time again. Maybe the dog is really missing your mom?
Also, because he is blind and deaf he is probably even more confused. Continue to be patient.
If you think the dog’s quality of life is suffering due to his health then of course consult with your vet. Additionally, it maybe a good idea to have your vet check him out as he could be in pain.
Best of luck!
Margot Ahlquist (http://www.pawstotalk.com)
Hello,
You have a greyhound. Emphasis on “hound”. She can lose her hearing and sight completely but that nose of hers is a secret weapon. I would guess she knows you are there by all of her sense most importantly her nose. I would either move downstairs or use a gated play pen upstairs for her. It’s safe. She’s with you and it might be a solution. Keep us posted. Also look into cognitive dysfunction in older dogs. There are lots of tips and helpful supplements that might help. Good luck. Keep us posted.
Thank you for the advice