Taz is about 9 years old...Golden Retriever/Collie mix....he he and his sister Mystique have been with us since they were puppies. We tried to make them indoor dogs, but with their thick skin and coats, they wanted to be outside, so they have been.
They live off of our back porch, have their own large run out back...
Lately I have noticed subtle changes in Taz, so I asked my husband to just watch him when he was with them...he said he seemed fine and did not see anything wrong.
Monday I was out back doing some work and the dogs were at their fence. I dropped the rake and it landed right in front of where Taz was standing on the other side of their fence...he did not flinch...I told my husband to watch him again...
I had to work yesterday, but hubby was off...he was out back raking and cleaning more, and watching Taz...he said at one point, he actually put the rake handle up to the fence in front of Taz, after watching him a while...and Taz did not blink, although he was almost touching his nose with it....
Lastnight we watched him come up to the porch from outside when we took food...he felt with his paw, took the step up, felt with the next paw, nosed around some, took the step up...and he did this the 4 steps up to the porch.
We took him in today...he has cataracts in both eyes :*( I never even noticed them before. I am usually the one to go feed them and spend time with them, but they are usually on the porch, or their yard is mostly shade, so the sunlight never hit his eyes for me to see anything out of the ordinary.
When I take out food and fresh water, he goes right to the dish and eats...he comes to the door to say hi to Ghost each night....he runs out back with Mysti, but I never noticed before that he has been running with his nose to her tail...
I guess it happened gradually enough, shadows and such, that he (and Mysti to help him along) has been able to adapt well enough that we did not notice those little subtle changes he was making.
We recently put the stairs up. along with a 4x4 porch for them to lay out on, but no rail as we figured they were wide enough (4 feet wide so they could lay on them if they wanted to) that none was needed....we will be adding a protective rail this weekend...
We cannot afford surgery for his eyes. And I know there are plenty of other blind animals in the world...so we are just going to let him continue to live and run with Mysti as long as he wants to...and make sure any sticks that fall after a storm are immediately picked up so he does not run into them.
Our next hurdle will be fall when we put the heavy steel door back on the porch. We take it off for summer as they lay half in and half out onto the porch, but winter the door goes back and there is a doggie door in it...we will need to work with him since his blindness has happened over this summer.
***I guess for clarification, I have porch mentioned 2 places....we have an enclosed back porch off of the kitchen, and then we also build a 4x4 porch, or deck, when we put the new stairs in.
Taz is Blind
Re: Taz is Blind
I just went out to feed them and spend evening time....Mysti was on the porch, Taz was in the yard....I called and he came up a few steps then back down again...it took a few of these but when he realized he made it to the top, he came RUNNING into the porch tail and body wagging for hugs and kisses...
I think I may try to figure out a way to fasten the food and water dishes down...he did knock them over in his excitement and not seeing them...
A friend of mine made a non-tippable set for his german shepherd...he got a 4x4 sheet of plywood and attached 2 dowel rods about a foot long to it....then painted and sealed the whole setup...
The food and water dishes are actually bundt pans that he stuck onto the dowel rods....
This would not be safe for Taz, for fear of poking his eye on a dowel rod, but I wonder if I made the rods shorter, JUST as long as the pans are high, if it would work
I think I may try to figure out a way to fasten the food and water dishes down...he did knock them over in his excitement and not seeing them...
A friend of mine made a non-tippable set for his german shepherd...he got a 4x4 sheet of plywood and attached 2 dowel rods about a foot long to it....then painted and sealed the whole setup...
The food and water dishes are actually bundt pans that he stuck onto the dowel rods....
This would not be safe for Taz, for fear of poking his eye on a dowel rod, but I wonder if I made the rods shorter, JUST as long as the pans are high, if it would work
Re: Taz is Blind
Does the vet have a visiting veterinary opthalmologist? If not, I wouldn't trust him to know for certain how progressed this could be. Only an opthalmologist could tell you how this has progressed, or what to expect without surgery at this point. Most vets utilize a visiting opthalmologist once a month or so at their clinics, or perhaps, the vet hospital in the city whom you have used, would set up an appointment with you.
When was Taz' bloodwork last checked? Have you ruled out diabetes? In many dogs, cataracts are a common occurance in diabetes.
The problem is, (without surgery) over time, lens-induced uveitis could occur which could cause glaucoma and/or retinal detachment, both being very very painful conditions. Also, luxation of the lens causes a lot of damage and pain. If this occurs, sugery to remove the lens or one or both eyes may be necessary. Inflammation is painful, no matter what the source, so lifetime anti-inflammatory eye drops might be prescribed. You will NOT be able to detect that Taz is painful, since any of the above could cause pain so severe, it like having migraines (think excessive increased pressure, inflammation that can't go away without medical treatment, plus migraine-like pain)
You will have to watch him like a hawk and make his environment completely safe. No obstacles, and ensure he knows how to escape winds, snow, storms, rain, falling branches etc, or anything that may startle him. Make sure his sleeping/lounging/safe area is EASILY accessible. Even though he may already have compensated for some of the vision loss, things will always remain somewhat confusing to him. You will also have to get regular eye checks for him to detect any serious problems like described above.
There are dog dishes that sit in a wood or plastic box-like container, you can get them most any pet store and online, they are just big bulky contained or elevated dishes for big dogs, if you get a big strong one, shouldn't have to worry about him tipping it over. Don't use any toxic woods or paints etc, it takes forever for those toxins to disperse. Plus, paint on wood always degrades and chips off.
When was Taz' bloodwork last checked? Have you ruled out diabetes? In many dogs, cataracts are a common occurance in diabetes.
The problem is, (without surgery) over time, lens-induced uveitis could occur which could cause glaucoma and/or retinal detachment, both being very very painful conditions. Also, luxation of the lens causes a lot of damage and pain. If this occurs, sugery to remove the lens or one or both eyes may be necessary. Inflammation is painful, no matter what the source, so lifetime anti-inflammatory eye drops might be prescribed. You will NOT be able to detect that Taz is painful, since any of the above could cause pain so severe, it like having migraines (think excessive increased pressure, inflammation that can't go away without medical treatment, plus migraine-like pain)
You will have to watch him like a hawk and make his environment completely safe. No obstacles, and ensure he knows how to escape winds, snow, storms, rain, falling branches etc, or anything that may startle him. Make sure his sleeping/lounging/safe area is EASILY accessible. Even though he may already have compensated for some of the vision loss, things will always remain somewhat confusing to him. You will also have to get regular eye checks for him to detect any serious problems like described above.
There are dog dishes that sit in a wood or plastic box-like container, you can get them most any pet store and online, they are just big bulky contained or elevated dishes for big dogs, if you get a big strong one, shouldn't have to worry about him tipping it over. Don't use any toxic woods or paints etc, it takes forever for those toxins to disperse. Plus, paint on wood always degrades and chips off.
..........Traci
Re: Taz is Blind
oh I did not even think about it causing headaches for him 
Our local vet does not have an ophthalmologist come around, but I will see about getting him in at the hospital in the city for more testing and see what needs done. If I need to give drops or some sort of meds to keep him from pain, I definitely want to do that!
The yard that he and Mysti run in is flat ground, but there are trees so as mentioned, we will need to go out after storms to pick up any fallen branches. Otherwise, it is safe as far as obstacles go. The porch has nothing else on it but a freezer, their bedding and dishes, so all is good there too. We just want to get safety rails up for him.
We considered switching Taz and Mysti with Aquirt and Ceileigh, in the other run, because that shed is at ground level, but it would be totally unfamiliar to Taz, and he would need to learn his way around, and I think he would be more scared than staying where he is comfortable and has learned his way around.
And if for whatever reason, he (and Mysti) cannot get up the steps into the porch, they are open underneath, and it is also open under the porch, sort of - a set of boards is fallen away, so they go down there alot anyways in summer since it is cooler laying on the ground there. So they would be protected from winds and storms either way.
Our local vet does not have an ophthalmologist come around, but I will see about getting him in at the hospital in the city for more testing and see what needs done. If I need to give drops or some sort of meds to keep him from pain, I definitely want to do that!
The yard that he and Mysti run in is flat ground, but there are trees so as mentioned, we will need to go out after storms to pick up any fallen branches. Otherwise, it is safe as far as obstacles go. The porch has nothing else on it but a freezer, their bedding and dishes, so all is good there too. We just want to get safety rails up for him.
We considered switching Taz and Mysti with Aquirt and Ceileigh, in the other run, because that shed is at ground level, but it would be totally unfamiliar to Taz, and he would need to learn his way around, and I think he would be more scared than staying where he is comfortable and has learned his way around.
And if for whatever reason, he (and Mysti) cannot get up the steps into the porch, they are open underneath, and it is also open under the porch, sort of - a set of boards is fallen away, so they go down there alot anyways in summer since it is cooler laying on the ground there. So they would be protected from winds and storms either way.
Re: Taz is Blind
Not headaches, but severe headaches, migraines. On a regular basis.
I don't want you to undermine this, it CAN be quite painful and debilitating. We humans can take pain meds, aspirin, etc, and let our loved ones know how we feel and how they can help....but pets can't tell us, won't show us, and can't do anything themselves to help the hurt.
I don't want you to undermine this, it CAN be quite painful and debilitating. We humans can take pain meds, aspirin, etc, and let our loved ones know how we feel and how they can help....but pets can't tell us, won't show us, and can't do anything themselves to help the hurt.
..........Traci
Re: Taz is Blind
oh believe me....I do understand severe, migraine headaches. Not undermining the situation at all...one just thinks cataracts with old age, etc....
Re: Taz is Blind
haven't read all the post but blindness in a dog or cat is really a nusiance once the get used to it...Have treated many ablind patient, even on house calls..the owner would stomp on the floor and the next thing you hear is the pitter popattering a feet someplace in the house...the pet will runin and sit in front ofg the owner or what ever site that may be available..And of course with the tail wagging...it takes a little while for them to get used tro it but once they are aclimated and you don;t change furniature or bushed or other obsticals they learn to do fine...As far as catqarqacs go they can be removed but I oulw only do it if both eyes were involved...but again as long as you don;t creAT MORE OBSTCALLSZ THEY DO FINE...aND OF COURSE THEY GET A LOT MORE SYNMPATHY WHEN THEY HAVE THIS SORE OF PROBLEM..hAN;T READ ABOUT THE OTHALITIST RESPONSE BUT RARELY CATERACT(whoops capatal key again) is necessary if only one eye is involved....if total blindness oddurs give the peta lot more attention,,they l9ove it
Re: Taz is Blind
obviously last posting was not corrected or reviewed for mistakes....davet
Re: Taz is Blind
Thanks Davet!. Good to "see" you here. Don't worry about the typos. Experience and common sense more than make up for those! 
Re: Taz is Blind
Davet, just want to mention, Taz is an outdoor dog, so the obstacles would be a bit different than indoors.
I'm sure Tambrey won't be altering his environment, save for making more comfortable, but just wanted her to be able to address with the vet the pain aspect if those three conditions noted above occur.
I'm sure Tambrey won't be altering his environment, save for making more comfortable, but just wanted her to be able to address with the vet the pain aspect if those three conditions noted above occur.
..........Traci