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[honeybun]

I had my little Bichon at the vets a few weeks ago for her boosters and health check.....she is 11

I told the vet that she is going a little bit deaf. She misses things now that she never did before. The vet looked at her and said she had two lovely cataracts.
I was told to watch her when she was out and about....and her world was changing.

Now I know it's daft but this really upsets me. She is still bouncy and a bit wild to be honest but I am noticing things that she can't do more and more.
She loves a doggy biscuit, but she has always had it thrown for her so she can chase it. Now when we throw it she can't find it....it's quite sad.
She stumbles a little bit with the steps in the garden.

My son had noticed but never told me....she has a blue bloom in both of her eyes.

I know she is "just" a dog but she is part of my family.

Has anyone cared for an older pet that has started to loose both hearing and sight.
Any hints and tips...I'm floundering a bit because it upsets me.

Hubby says it's no big deal...we just have to love her the same....I'm not coping quite the same as its just so sad.

Honeybun
X

[Limpy]

Aw heck HB.

Your hubby is right, you need to love her just the same, that's all she wants.
11 is a good age for any dog, especially a small one like a Bichon.
Lots of hugs for all of you    

[Kathleen]

Hello honeybun.

Of course you are upset but fortunately your pet has no awareness of the ageing process and therefore doesn't worry about it! Lucky her, I say. Us humans are all too aware of our changing bodies and we are capable of endlessly fretting about what the future may hold! A vet once told me that dogs are all about the sense of smell, hearing and even sight are less important which may explain why they are born with their eyes closed and their ears down.

I hope she continues to have a good life, she certainly sounds happy and that is the most any of us, dog or human, could wish for.

Take care.

K.

[honeybun]

She is still a happy little soul who makes me smile everyday.

It's just hard to see her struggle a bit and know it's not going to improve.

She is still the boss in here though  . She has us all wrapped around her little paw.


Honeybun
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[Cazikins]

Hi Honeybun,
Please don't worry too much.
When I was young we had a jack Russell that had cataracts & she eventually went blind. I didn't notice it till I was out taking her for a walk on the school playing fields. She was off the lead trotting behind me & when I turned round she had got caught up in the football goal net, she was fine & I untangled her ok.
The vet said that she would adapt to her surroundings better than humans DO - & she did.
When Mum had the ironing board up & the dog was asleep on the chair/settee, when she jumped down she use to knock into the board, we use to laugh because it was so funny & no harm was done.
She was 7 when she lost her sight & she lived till she was about 15 - she adapted to her surroundings & coped very well & went on to have a very happy dogs life.

Your little Bichon will be fine HB I'm sure.
Cazikins x

[honeybun]

Thank you Cazi, I think it's the double whammy that's getting to me as she is loosing her hearing too but I imagine that will be a much slower process.

Hubby is getting a bit deaf too so I've got the two of them to put up with 


Honeybun
X

[Cazikins]

And the next Jack Russell we had went deaf.... & she was so much happier on November 5th 

And she lived to 17.

My JR is now 10 & getting wobbly. She tiddles in her sleep & also when she gets excited (due to getting neutered/spayed - she was the 1 in 10 that they warned us about regarding side effects etc), but she is happy & we love her just the same... the carpet & floors get cleaned a lot more than most homes do though, but we get by .
Cazi x

[honeybun]

My little dog...her name is Jazz had that problem and we got some great medication from the vet that helps tighten up the lax muscles that cause the dribbling. It's called Propalin syrup. I put a tiny drop in with her food once a day and the problem is solved. It costs around £17 but lasts for months as you use so little. It stops them getting sore.
Jazz has been on this for about four years as she kept getting struvite crystals in her bladder and it left a bit of a weakness.
No more damp dog beds or carpets, it's brilliant stuff.
Maybe ask your vet about it....it's prescription only.

It's amazing just how much we get to love our pets....deaf, blind or dribbley.

Much like men really.


Honeybun
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[Maryjane]

My Westie is twelve, and also in the "winter" months of his life......my daughter is a vet and under no circumstances will let me go "beyond " what is right for Bertie.......she is a large animal vet.....so is a different mind set to small animal vets.....however she says so long as he is happy/eating/no signs of stress from the condition/s then all is good......he still walks three miles a day but at a slower pace.....his problems is an arthritic shoulder.....and my own vet has him on 2 x tramadol a day and 1 x gabapentin.....these drugs work very well in dogs and he has absolutely no side effects from them.......my vet says we don't look for things when they get to these afe we just manage the symptons.....if we look we will always find.....when the time comes he will be put down at home, and I have found a local family run crematorium for pets where they collect and return in 24 hours and are a member of a certain organisation.......what we all have to remeber is its better a month early than a day to late.

I have had in my time 6 horses PTS , I was very sad.....but when it comes to Bertie I will be heart broken......my daughter gets married this August and he has his bow tie.....and the border terrier has her flower collar.

Regards leaking bladders my border terrier has this problem....since she was three.....it is far more common than we realise in bitches.....she is also on the Propalin .....and a nappy at bed time she is fine during the day.....dogs are a member of our families.....also great therapy when feeling blue.

[Dorothy]

Honeybun, so sorry to hear you have had this news, but remember it is more upsetting for you than your dog.  She is living in the present; dogs don't compare 'now' with what they could do in the past nor do they worry about what might happen in the future as we humans do.  Also, they have such an amazing sense of smell & this compensates a lot for loss of sight and hearing. 

My old dog was almost completely blind and deaf for the last 2 years of her life.  She slowed down a lot, as she had to find her way about by sniffing rather than sight or sound, but her tail was wagging right to the end.  All I did was to take her mostly on the same familiar walks so she could find her way about easily.  It's not boring for them, as even doing the same walk each day there are always new SMELLS!  If we went anywhere new, I watched her extra carefully or kept her on a long lead, as obviously I had no way of attracting her attention if she wandered off.

The other thing I found was that she would become restless sometimes as she didn't know if I was in the room or not.  Before she lost all hearing, I started giving her a special 'goodbye' touch on her head and say goodbye when I left the room - this meant that even when sight and hearing had gone, I could 'say' goodbye and she would know I was leaving.  Coming back, she usually sensed the vibration from footsteps, but if she was asleep, I would put my hand in front of her nose so that my scent made her realise I was back.  I would also often sit with her leaning against me or sitting on me, as physical contact became more important as sight & hearing failed.

So basically, focus on scent and touch rather than sight and hearing - think about linking 'words' she understands to touch, so that you can communicate if sight & hearing go completely - be prepared to be her eyes and ears in situations where lack of these senses could endanger her.  Think of ways you can enjoy doing the same things differently - e.g. use some smelly treats to play 'hunt the treat' by scenting it.  And keep enjoying her company.  With a caring owner, there is no reason why a completely blind and deaf dog can't have many happy years of life.   

[honeybun]

Thank you all, its really very much appreciated to read these stories.

She is happy, eating well and still her cheeky self. And yes she is blissfully unaware of any changes in her life.
She has two adoring people to look after her every need, so I guess I take it as it comes and just enjoy our last year's (hopefully) together.


Honeyb
x

[Dorothy]

HB, you may even find that slowing down to keep pace with her brings a new appreciation of the world.  One of my most precious memories of my girlie is taking her for a walk through some bluebells.  She spent about 2 minutes delicately sniffing each bell on one stem and then following the stem and leaves with her nose.  She could only sense sunlight and shade by this point, yet she was obviously appreciating it all so much.  It made me look more closely at the living things around me and appreciate them more. 

[CLKD]

It is our acceptance of their ageing that is hard  …….. we had a Lab on the farm that aged slowly becoming blind - if she found herself the wrong side of the gate she would wait sometimes for hours; patiently until someone let her into the house  .  The Vet told us not to move furniture as they may maintain shadow sight, also their sense of smell is usually the final sense to be lost. 

I used to roll dried dog food for mine so that she would track it along the carpet, however, she was a working spaniel so relied on her nose.  When she was old she slept deeply so I would 'huff' my breath in front of her face which woke her gently, otherwise she would jump and that made me feel so guilty  .

However, she went senile ………..  another raft of problems.

[CLKD]

How's the wee  ………. coping?

[babyjane]

I have only just found this thread. 

My old boss had a lovely dog who went blind with cataracts.  The vet stressed try not to move things in the home if you can avoid doing so.  He learned his way around based on where things were and did not bump himself much unless something was moved from where he was used to it being.   He lived for 5 years after he became blind and did well up to the final few months.

My dog is 11 and a half and, so far, is doing very well apart from some arthritis in his back.  He has a lot of supplements, omega oil, probiotics, digestive enzymes and glucosamine.  He also has laser therapy on his back because he cannot take oral pain medication.  Gabapentin put him in hospital on a drip!  He is an expensive, high maintenance dog and I love him so much.  I go without things for me to afford to keep him as well as possible.

You just have to love them and look after them as best you can.