My Greyhound Space

Posts Tagged ‘blind dogs’

Our greyhound Pingu is only five and a half years old but he is going blind due to PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy). His night sight was the first to go, and in low light conditions his eyes are almost totally black, his pupils are so dilated. So most of the time now indoors he is actually near as damn it, blind. In sunny weather outside he can see a bit though, unless he is bluffing. His close sight is gone though, but he can see some distance.

It's sad to watch him deteriorate but there is nothing anyone can do so we have to accept it. Most of the time he is his usual jolly, sweet self, but sometimes one senses he is a little less certain of himself than he used to be, and gets a little more hesitant every day. He has always been a needy dog who whinges and whines for contact and cuddles, who knows how long this condition has been upon him?

On walks I am very careful now to steer him around things, but he is still able to do it for himself, albeit at the last minute sometimes he veers around an obstacle! I have to watch out for him all the time and he is happy by my side with plenty of talking and patting. The good news is that greyhounds are so compliant they are easy to steer and guide on the lead, so I don't anticipate any problems there.

He was wearing a hat sometimes to keep the worst of the sun out of his eyes and prevent (secondary) cataract formation, but now he can see so little it seems pointless anyway. By next summer when the sun blazes all his sight will probably be gone.

This all sounds so sad, and there's no getting away from the fact none of us would wish it thus, but Pingu is still a greyt pet and enjoys meeting people and sticking his nose into everything and everyone to check them out! He enjoys his walks, his meals and treats, and adores cuddles. All in all, still a happy dog.

It seems our Pingu is coping quite well with his failing eyesight, but there are signs that he is still getting used to his situation.  Sometimes, when out in town, he seems to be a bit freaked out when he sees other dogs. If the other dog is a bit "lively" it seems to confuse him and so he barks at it, albeit in a half hearted way.  There's no malice, it's more like "What the hell's going on?"  It hasn't been too much of a problem though.

He falters when he enters the house when the light is bright outside and takes a few moments to adjust to the change in light level, again, he copes in his own way.

The most heartening, and in some ways the most frightening, thing is his running about in the garden.  He's always been keen on running like a maniac and that desire hasn't diminished as his eyesight worsens. To see him in failing light, or hear him in pitch darkness is astonishing.  He travels around the back garden, along the side of the house and does a lap of the front garden before repeating the circuit several times.  It's an amazing testimony to a dogs sensing abilities other than eyesight.  He's either relying on scent, or memory.  As we've only been in the house since August, it seems it's the good old "dogs nose" that gets him around.

So far, our other Greyhound, Slinky, doesn't seem to be taking advantage of his superior eyesight and they remain very close friends.