@Scott ー Holly is actually underweight. Her diabetes made her lose a lot of weight. She wasn't fat to begin with either. She was always a healthy weight. She was abused as a pup and extremely malnourished so she was a little food aggressive but we always made sure to get her exercise. Also ty the rest for more tips.
I didn’t read any replies, but I’m an expert in the doggo field so... I’d recommend speaking to your dog in warm, soft tones. Work on scents because it’s what they rely on the most. Try not to rearrange furniture items. Most dogs I’ve dealt with who are blind will go in circles, or they will bump into their surroundings and gain a better understanding of, “oh hey- something is there” and eventually they learn to avoid it. I’d suggest using high value treats to get your pupper more comfortable with the transition. Being patient and taking it slow is what’s most important especially because this will mean she will have a harder time going on potty breaks and navigating around the house. There’s also a chance she will react to sudden touches or sounds. Be aware of that. It’s a new and alarming experience for her. I find approaching pups who are blind with soft voices from afar helps immensely. I talk to them when I’m far away and I continue to do so until I let them sniff me and then gently pet them. But I deal with very aggressive, previously abused, scared dogs. This is your baby, so you probably won’t have to practice as much caution as I do.
Oh ripperoni I didn’t see the request to lock LOL my bad anyway good luck with your pup. She’s very berry lucky she’s got someone so caring and concerned lookin out for her.
Yeah I've noticed the sudden movements with dogs I work with*, and I know one dog (Calvin, Westie/Maltese mix ー although he's going deaf now too) in particular loves that soft voice. She's my baby though yeah so she's gotten that soft baby-talk voice most of her life anyways. *Even those not blind or deaf, because sometimes I have to deal with nervous dogs, too. Caution is key for sure. Holly was a really nervous dog when we first adopted her because of her previous living situation.
We just had an American bulldog mix come in. She’s white and pink, so we suspect deafness. She’s extremely nervous and snappy around people, but we’re working on her and she’s slowly warming up. I love aggressive doggos so much. Good luck to you and your pupper.
Oof I’m late but my dog went blind after 14 years. It was hard, but he adjusted after a while. One thing we did was never adjust the furniture because he knew his way around the house from its current set up. He went blind because of his diabetes too and our vet told us that’s why most dogs do. Since Holly has diabetes, she’s probably gonna lose bladder control over time unless you give her insulin to regulate it and even after that her body’s gonna build a tolerance for it and she’s gonna keep having to up her dosage. I think once a dog goes blind because of diabetes, the quality of life really decreases and as hard as it was putting Smokey down, it was the best option for him, so be prepared for that. Butttt he was blind for two years and lived a somewhat normal life before the deterioration started so you have time.
Yeah. I know it's inevitable that she'll be to be put to sleep but I'm hoping she can have at least another year. As long as she's happy though. She's still quite playful and tries to play fetch even though it's hard for her to see the ball if it goes too far.