My Buddy is blind!

[cassiesmom]

Wow, I am not sure what to say. I am so sorry. Here is a candle for Buddy.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/...g&cid=18753639

Thinking of you,
Elyse

[chocolatepuppy]

I'm so sorry! Blind dogs can adjust very well. My neighbors dog went blind and did well getting around.

[Karen]

He'll be in our prayers, I know some spaniels are prone to this. Just keep your furniture in the same places, or lead him around if you decide to move things, and he should adjust just fine!

[lolli94]

Thank you all! Yes he does very well already...it's only if something is out of place that he runs into it. The vet called me last night and said he tested negative for diabetes and whatever the other test was...I can't remember the name, so it's probably Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), which is a hereditary problem in Springers. I'm going to talk to a specialist, but it's probably permanent, and I probably couln't afford to fix it even if it was fixable, so I guess he'll just always be blind. He is still a sweet, happy boy though

[Karen]

He is still a sweet, happy boy though

And that is what matters! Balls that make noise when they bounce, and life will be good!

[Taz_Zoee]

I am so sorry to hear about Buddy. Glad to hear he is still the happy dog he always has been. That means he will continue to lead a happy healthy life regardless of his sight.

[lolli94]

Thank you all for the encouragement! I found this article online...

"It is also important to realize that it is OK to grieve about your pet's vision loss, but you must not put your sad feelings in your dog's head—they aren't really there! Your dog is not suffering. They adjust well to their vision loss, and it is by far hardest to deal with on the owner's side. Your dog's job description has not changed. Your blind dog is happy as long as its routine is stable. From your dog's point of view, life continues to be great-- you are there as always, and they just need to use their other keen senses a bit more to get the same information they used to view."

And I think that describes the situation perfectly. He will still always be my beloved silly boy... but I do miss those hi-fives he used to give me. He always obeyed me because of the hand signal, not my voice command. Hi-five was our favorite trick. And looking back, I remember how in the last several months he started sitting up on his hind legs and using both front paws...maybe because he couldn't see my hand very well? Now he completely ignores my hand. Anyway...enough of my rambling; I'm thankful I still have him.