If our dog has gone blind with age or due to illness, it must be taken into account that the animal will need certain special attention so that it can get used to its new reality.
A puppy that is born blind will experience it more naturally than a dog that has gradually lost its sight. Unlike humans, dogs, despite having this disability, can survive better by adapting their senses of hearing and smell (this sense is much more powerful than that of humans).
Your brain will compensate for the loss of vision by enhancing your other senses. Keep reading this article on our site to find out everything about care for blind dogs.
Cane for blind dogs
To begin with, we want to talk to you about one of the innovations for blind dogs that the market offers us and that, in fact, we can make ourselves at home if we can't afford a professionally designed tool. Its usefulness is similar to that of a cane for blind people and helps to prevent the dog from hitting with household furniture, especially during the time of habituation.
Home care
If you have decided to adopt a blind dog, it is very important that you make things easier for him when he arrives. If you have a large and spacious house, it will be essential that you initially have a small area and that little by little you expand the space In this way and with a process gradual adaptation your dog will feel more comfortable.
Upon arrival at the home we will guide you slowly with a leash, trying to prevent it from bumping into various objects. Let him smell to identify the different areas of the home. It is important to remove or cover (at least temporarily) objects that can hurt you, such as very sharp corners and protect you from stairs. Nor will we leave an object in the middle of a corridor.
If, on the other hand, your dog has progressively lost his sight even though he is used to his home, blindness can cause him a desperate situation if you change the location of furniture and objects. For this reason, order is a fundamental tool so that you feel relaxed and understand the layout of the home.
Do not scare him or touch him without warning, whenever you are going to interact with him say his name and approach him gently so as not to startle him. In general, although always with more caution, we continue to talk about a dog that needs basic care
Precautions during the ride
During the walk it is just as or more important that the dog feels safe and comfortable with us, its owners, for this reason it is very important that we explain to other people that our dog is blind before being touched, the dog might startle.
Guide him properly so that he doesn't collide with objects on the street and take precautions when letting him interact with other dogs and people. Remember that he does not see who is approaching him and his ability to react is slower but more defensive. If you expose him to certain situations you will create great anxiety.
It will also be essential to use the leash or harness during the walk, except if it is in a known and safe area where you can Guide him with your voice. In this way the animal will exercise safely and always under our supervision.
Try to convey security and tranquility during the walk, talk to him from time to time, congratulate him when he behaves correctly and pet him from time to time (we will notify him beforehand with our voice).
Keep him away from possible dangers such as stairs, swimming pools or aggressive dogs, you are his guide and as such you must prevent him from being near places that may endanger your well-being.
Activities to promote your happiness
We must encourage the development of all the other senses of the dog, that is why it is very beneficial that, from our hand, we help him to know different objects, pets and people, always with caution. It is very important that he captures different stimuli and that he continues to relate with everything he would do before losing his blindness, moving him away will only generate a sad and distrustful dog.
You should also not stop going on excursions and practicing activities with him as if it were an old dog, as well as offering him toys and prizes. We recommend using sound toys such as balls with rattles inside or rubber toys that emit noise.
Consider that toys that make noise can scare them, for this reason it is important that you are present and even impregnate them with your scent so that they feel confident.
Guide dog
A very successful option to improve the quality of life of blind dogs is the company of other dogs since, in addition to promoting a very special relationship, your other pet will help him and protect him from any danger.
A very moving case is that of Lily and Maddison Lily had a serious problem with her eyes that caused them to be removed and before the possibility of having to put her down, the shelter developed an experiment with another dog, Maddison, who would begin to act as a guide dog. Indeed, bringing both Danes together worked better than they thought, both became inseparable. After their story jumped into the media, 200 people offered to adopt these two friends and currently they both enjoy living in a home with a wonderful family.
