Blind dog care

 If our dog becomes blind with age or due to an illness, then it must be borne in mind that the animal will need certain special attention to be able to get used to its new reality.

A puppy who is born blind will experience this more naturally than a dog who has lost its sight. Unlike humans, dogs, despite having this disability, can live better by adapting their senses of hearing and smell (this sense is much stronger than that of humans).

Your brain will compensate for the loss of vision by improving your other senses. Keep reading this dog57 article to learn all about caring for blind dogs.

cane for blind dogs

First of all, we want to talk to you about one of the innovations for blind dogs that the market offers us, and in fact, we can make ourselves at home if we can not afford to buy a tool designed by a professional. Its benefit is similar to that of a stick for the blind and helps prevent your dog from bumping into furniture in the house, especially at a time of getting used to it.

home care

If you decide to adopt a blind dog, you must make things easier for him when he arrives. If you have a large and spacious house, it will be necessary to have a small space in the beginning and to expand the space little by little. In this way and with a gradual process of adaptation, the dog will feel more comfortable.

Upon reaching the house, we will guide you slowly with a chain, trying to prevent you from bumping into different objects. Let him smell the different areas of the house. It is important to remove or cover (at least temporarily) things that could hurt you, such as very sharp corners, and protect you from stairs. And we'll leave nothing in the middle of the lane.

On the other hand, if your dog gradually loses his eyesight even though he is used to his house, blindness can cause him to be in a desperate situation if you change the location of furniture and objects. For this reason, the order is an essential tool for you to relax and understand the layout of the house.

Don't scare him or touch him without warning, the more you interact with him, say his name and approach him gently so you don't startle him. In general, although always careful, we continue to talk about a dog that   needs basic care.

Precautions while walking

While walking it is equally or more important for the dog to feel safe and comfortable with us the owners, which is why it is so important to make it clear to others that our dog is blind before they touch it, and the dog can be startled .

Orient him properly so he doesn't bump into objects on the street and take precautions when letting him interact with dogs and other people. Remember that he does not see anyone approaching him and that his ability to respond is slower but more defensive. If you expose him to certain situations, it will create great anxiety.

It will also be necessary to use a leash or belt while walking unless it is in a known and safe area where you can guide it with your voice. This way the animal will exercise safely and always under our supervision.

Try to convey security and reassurance while walking, talk to him from time to time, congratulate him when he behaves correctly, and play with him from time to time (we will inform him in advance in our voice).

Keep him away from potential dangers such as stairs, swimming pools, or aggressive dogs, you are his guide and therefore you must prevent him from approaching places that may endanger his safety.

Activities to boost your happiness

We must encourage the development of all the other senses of the dog, and for this, it is very useful to help him from our hands to know different things, pets, and people, always with caution. It is so important for him to pick up on different stimuli and continue to associate with everything he is going to do before he loses blindness, separating them will only breed a sad and unconfident dog.

In addition, you should not stop going on trips and doing activities with him like an old dog, as well as offering him toys and prizes. We recommend using sound toys such as balls with bells inside or rubber toys that make noise.

Keep in mind that toys that make noise can scare them, which is why it is important to be present and even imbue them with your scent so that they feel confident.

dog guide

A very successful option for improving the quality of life of blind dogs is the company of other dogs, in addition to fostering a very special relationship, your other pet will help them and protect them from any danger.

A very poignant case is that of Lily and Madison. Lily had a serious eye problem that caused her to be removed and faced with the possibility of having to put her on the floor, the shelter developed an experiment with another dog, Maddison, who would start as a guide dog.

Bringing the Danes together worked better than they thought, and the two became inseparable. After their story was brought to the media, 200 people have offered to adopt these two friends, both of whom are currently enjoying living in a home with a wonderful family.