Rebecca

Rio the Blind Samoyed Dog

March 5, 2016 Rebecca Blind Dog Stories

Below you’ll find the story of Cheryl, her partner, and their blind Samoyed, Rio. You’ll read about the roller coaster ride they were on with Rio’s unrelenting glaucoma. You’ll learn that people don’t always react in the same way to a dog’s blindness. And you’ll find a story of inspiration. Because you know what? Blind dogs are pretty darn amazing.

Here’s Rio’s story in Cheryl’s own words:

The Roller Coaster Begins…

In mid-March 2014, our Samoyed, Rio came in from playing in the yard and we noticed that she was squinting her left eye a bit. I checked for scratches, ulcers and foreign objects, but there was nothing obvious.

By that evening, when it still clearly bothered her, we took her to the emergency clinic. By then, it was a bit red but the vet found nothing, so she prescribed antibiotic drops and sent us home.

That night, Rio was clearly in pain and distress, pacing and not settling, despite seeming exhausted. We knew something was terribly wrong.

In the morning, we took her to our regular vet, who asked whether the emergency vet had done a pressure test. We said ‘no’, so he proceeded to do one and immediately diagnosed glaucoma. He prescribed drops and rushed us out the door to the pharmacy. The roller coaster had started.

Canine Glaucoma, The Nasty Beast…

We gave her the drops and got on the internet, to learn about glaucoma (a vastly-different disease from the human form), which is very painful and, inevitably, results in blindness. We didn’t want to wait the suggested week, to have a follow-up pressure test done, so we requested an emergency referral to an ophthalmologist, several hours away, including a ferry trip.

The specialist had equipment which allowed her to determine that Rio had primary glaucoma, meaning it was hereditary and that her other eye would develop it, too.

It was all happening very fast and we wanted to do everything we could to keep her vision, for as long as possible. We were told that there had been no damage to her optic nerve, so she was a prime candidate for laser ablation surgery, to kill most of the cells that produce the fluid that was building up and causing pressure. Two days later, we were a long way from home, at a different clinic (equipped to do the laser), and she was in surgery.

The surgery only worked for two months, before her pressure started to rise, again, so her painful eye had to go. We decided to have an evisceration done, meaning the contents of her eye were removed and a silicone ball was inserted inside the shell, so back we went to the first ophthalmologist.

Blind-Proofing and Training Begins…

As Rio recovered, we started teaching her new words, to guide her. We didn’t know how much time we had, before her other eye would develop glaucoma, and we wanted to prepare. We added a railing to the low deck, made sure there were no low branches that could poke her eyes and we stopped turning the outside light on, at night, so she could get used to the darkness.

Inside, we made sure we didn’t leave stuff lying around, doors partway closed, the dishwasher door open, or drawers pulled out…even briefly.

Rio knew the house and yard, so I honestly wasn’t worried about how she would get around. I once had an older dog develop age-related cataracts and after witnessing how well he adjusted to very limited sight, I had faith that Rio would be fine. My partner (who had her from puppyhood) was having more trouble with it, as it was happening at an already-stressful time. The lack of any control over the eventual outcome was pretty tough to bear.

Here’s The Hardest Part Of Dealing With Canine Glaucoma…

The hardest part was seeing Rio in pain…or wondering if she was. It was worrying about whether she would have a pressure spike, or if she would suddenly be in the position of needing surgery, on a weekend, when the ophthalmologist was closed (and several hours away).

Everybody deals with these things differently; I don’t recall ever feeling like crying for Rio, but my partner was heartbroken and, initially, was a bit distant from her. Post-surgery, the site isn’t pretty, so that added another element. It was extremely difficult to see the hurt and sadness about it, but I felt that time would eventually heal that.

I medicated Rio, cleaned her surgery site, bonded with her over warm compresses and later encouraged my partner to sit with her, hold the compress and just be with and love her.

And Finally, Relief That It’s Over…

Five months after Rio’s first evisceration, the pressure in her remaining eye was uncontrollable and the same surgery was done. By that time, there was actually some sense of relief that it was over. The stress had been exhausting; we could now move forward and embrace our new ‘normal’. Throughout the whole thing, we kept reminding ourselves that we were so grateful it was not life-threatening and we were now on the other side of it.

In the sixteen months since, Rio has amazed us. It took some recovery time, a complication and infection, but with those and, most-importantly, the pain out of the way, she eventually played again, loves her toys, is as stubborn and determined as she ever was and is phenomenal at mapping and navigating. We have since adopted a cat, moved to a larger house (with a complicated yard) and often feel that not much is different.

New habits have become the norm, such as protectively placing a hand over the corner of a cupboard door, as it’s opened, or sub-consciously raising a leg up to stop her from walking into the cat, telling her “careful”, or reaching down to gently redirect her…they’re largely second-nature, now.

…and sometimes, we forget she’s blind and we let her walk into a tree. It happens, but Rio shakes it off and moves on. I believe THAT is something we could all learn from our dogs!

Wise Words To Those With Blind Dogs…

If your dog is blind (or is going blind) please know that, to a dog, it is not the end of the world, as we might feel if we lost our vision. It’s ok to grieve, to cry, to be angry… It’s also incredibly important to not have our grief hold them back and make them think that something is wrong. Do it away from them, patiently encourage them to do the things they love and let them show you how amazingly-resilient they are. Act “as if” everything is ok and soon, it won’t even be an act. Be prepared for your dog to adjust more quickly than you do!

Millie, The Little Blind Dog With PRA

January 16, 2016 Rebecca Blind Dog Stories

Millie was about seven years old when her mom, Nikki Geddis, and other family members realized something wasn’t quite right. Millie seemed to be having trouble seeing.

Perhaps the worst part is that some of Nikki’s friends and family thought they were crazy for spending so much money on Millie, because “she’s just a dog.” Of course Nikki viewed Millie as a member of the family, so she was going to do whatever she could to help Millie.

Here’s Millie’s story in Nikki’s own words…

Millie is now 10 years old. We started to notice signs when she was about 7 that things weren’t right. I noticed at night she was having trouble finding the edge of the deck to go on the lawn for wees. Then she stayed at my in-laws for a weekend, and my mother-in-law noticed Millie was having trouble finding the kennel at night when it was time for bed. We also noticed her eyes glowed green.

I took her to my local vet who said her pupils were extremely dilated and he suspected PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), but he wanted it confirmed by an ophthalmologist.

Millie as a young dog — Nikki, Millie and baby Liam

We made an appointment and traveled 2 hours (Millie’s longest ever car ride!) to Christchurch where the ophthalmologist was. We had some negative response from family and friends who thought we were crazy traveling that far and spending lots of money on “just a dog”.

At the ophthalmologist he confirmed PRA. He said it was already quite far along, but he was surprised how well she was doing navigating strange places. He gave us some pointers. Once we got home, I started researching on the net and found the Blind Dogs page.

We really haven’t done a lot differently. Millie is very independent and doesn’t like being mollycoddled! We still go on walks. I was lucky enough to win a Julius K9 harness which is helpful for guiding her on walks.

She has our house and yard mapped. We try not to leave toys and so on lying around, but if there are obstacles she just tries different ways to get around… she doesn’t sit and cry.

Millie when she was a puppy. — Baby Millie

She still has her sense of adventure and has gotten herself in a spot of bother. Once she followed a scent under a shed on the in-laws farm, but then couldn’t find her way out. It took us an hour to dig her out! On another occasion she got stuck under a woodpile and my father-in-law had to shift the woodpile to get her out. I’m not sure they want her back!

I asked Nikki, “What would you tell someone whose dog is going blind?” Here are her wise words…

If your dog is going blind my response would be to stay positive, dogs are resilient creatures and will adapt to change. Love them and support them but don’t do things for them, they will learn. It is not the end of the world if your dog goes blind, just the start of a new chapter in their life.

Daya the Blind Dog

January 10, 2016 Rebecca Blind Dog Stories

Lora knew something was wrong with her dog when Daya started bumping into walls. Daya was 12 years old at the time, and she had developed cataracts.

A lot of dog owners think it’s the end when their dog goes blind. They can’t imagine that a blind dog would have a good quality of life. But Lora knew better. She picked up her little girl, rocked her, reassured her that everything would be okay, and promised to take care of her. Lora didn’t break that promise.

Fast forward three years, and Daya is doing great. Lora helps Daya whenever possible. For example, Lora trained Daya on words like “be careful,” to warn Daya of objects or dangers in her path. Lora also physically helps Daya with some tasks, such as getting off the couch.

Here’s what Lora says to people whose dogs are going blind…

If you think your dog is going blind don’t panic! With love and patience they will be fine. Just try to be there for them. Blind dogs adapt much better than you think! They still have lots of potential. Never surrender!

If you’d like to get to know more about Daya, stop by the Sashi’s Assembly of Blind Dogs page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AssemblyOfDog/ and look for her mom, Lora. Be sure to say hi when you see her! 🙂

Beavis the Blind Pekingese

December 18, 2015 Rebecca Blind Dog Stories

Beavis the Pekingese is a jerk.

At least that’s what his parents would tell you. They’re kidding, of course. (Sort of. Not really.) But what do you expect when you have a dog with a huge personality that’s only rivaled by his adorableness?

If you see Beavis out on the street, you’d be struck by his adorable waddle, his seeming inability to pick a spot to pee in less than 10 minutes, and his insistence on choosing the direction of the walk.

Sounds like a pretty typical dog, right?

He is. But what’s so striking is that this waddling, confident, independent little guy is completely blind.

Check out his amazing story in an interview with him mom, Lorina…

Tell me a little bit about Beavis’ background.

We adopted Beavis from a Pekingese rescue group in 2006. He had been found stray in NYC with his eye too badly damaged to save. At the time, I was a vet tech, and have a habit of picking up “misfit” pets, so missing an eye just tugged at my heartstrings.

What caused his blindness and how did it progress?

Honestly, I don’t know exactly. I know he has glaucoma and a displaced lens, but the first time I took him to the vet for his eyesight, his eye pressure was good. But when we went to an ophthalmologist, his pressure was high and the vet said that his displaced lens wasn’t causing the problems. He also has a couple of corneal abrasions. If they don’t heal, I think his eye has to come out. 🙁

What signs and symptoms clued you in that something was wrong?

In retrospect, leading up to this, he was much more reluctant to use the steps on the back porch. I attributed it to him getting older, and usually carried him up the steps.

When it first happened, I got up in the middle of the night, and found he’d pooped and peed on the floor, which is not like him, and he still seemed restless… pacing around and panting. I took him outside and he stumbled down the steps on the back porch. It took a while for me to realize he couldn’t see. But it really happened immediately. Earlier that day, he was fine.

What are some of the ways you and Beavis adapted to his blindness? In other words, what are your favorite tips for managing blind dogs?

Go back to training and get lots of exercise. I treat him like he’s a new puppy. I’m retraining him basic commands like “go to bed,” and more fun tricks like jumping through a hoop. (And yes, he can do it, even blind!) Since more training means more treats, and since he’s not able to be as active on his own (can’t run around the yard, doesn’t entertain himself playing with toys like he used to), to keep him from getting too chubby, we’re going for a lot more walks.

I’ve also sewn bells onto some of his toys, so he can hear them. I used a utility knife to cut a thin slit in a tennis ball and slipped a bell in one of them, too. (This works better on actual tennis balls, not dog tennis balls, since they’re thinner. Beavis isn’t much of a chewer, so he doesn’t need a heavy duty ball.)

What would you tell someone whose dog is going blind?

Look for the positive. In some ways, Beavis is easier blind. He’s always been a bit of a jerk. He’s very territorial, and doesn’t like strangers or other dogs. Now that he can’t see them, he’s much less reactive. It’s nice not having him bark and growl at everyone he sees. 😉

Going through this with him made me appreciate just how tough that little guy is. It’s not slowing him down. He’s still the same dog, just with a few more special needs. He still loves to play with a soccer ball, and run in a field. It’s made me fall in love with him all over again.

To learn more about this adorable little guy, you can follow him on his Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/Beavis-the-Pekingese-245114792227230/. Check him out!

The blind dog who saved a drowning girl

October 18, 2015 Rebecca Blind Dog Stories

You may remember hearing about this story, as it was so popular at the time that it made it into People magazine and other national media. Here’s the story of Norman the blind dog who saved a drowning girl…

Jake the Blind Rescue Dog

October 16, 2015 Rebecca Blind Dog Stories

Here’s the story of a blind dog found wandering the streets in Southern California. The owners actually came into the shelter to claim the dog, but they refused to pay the $20 fee.

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending for Jake. Check it out…

Chica the blind border collie

October 14, 2015 Rebecca Blind Dog Stories

When I first realized my dog Sashi had a good chance of going completely blind and losing her other eye, I started researching blind dogs. Somewhere along the line I ran into the following video about a blind border collie named Chica. This is the exact video that made me realize everything was going to be okay.

If you have a dog who’s newly blind or going blind, take two minutes to watch this video–it may just help you the way it helped me…

Two Remarkable Dogs With PRA and The Woman Who Saved Them…

October 11, 2015 Rebecca Blind Dog Stories

Kasey Owen is the type of person who saves bugs that have fallen into water troughs, or any other living being that’s struggling. That’s who she is. And it’s a great way to explain how she ended up with two beautiful and very special blind dogs…

First There Was Cowboy…

It all started when Kasey unexpectedly lost one of her basset hounds to a burst tumor. She visited the Brightside Animal Center’s shelter a few times, where a pair of bassets caught her eye.

There was a catch, though: these two basset hounds, Candy and Cowboy, had to be adopted together. That’s because Candy was blind, and Cowboy served as her eyes.

Kasey fell in love with these dogs. But she worried about Candy. After all, any dog that lived with Kasey would be around horses, and she thought a blind dog might be really scared in that sort of unfamiliar situation. In Kasey’s own words, she “chickened out” and decided not to adopt those two dogs.

Eventually someone else did adopt Candy and Cowboy together. However, one day Cowboy showed back up on the Brightside Animal Center’s website, this time alone. Kasey watched a video of this lovable goofball, and she knew she had to meet him. She made an appointment to see him. And she fell in love with him on the spot and decided to adopt him…

Cowboy’s Eyesight Begins to Falter…

Cowboy had spent six long months in the shelter, which had done a number on his immunity system. Here’s the story in Kasey’s own words…

Respiratory issues plagued Cowboy for the next four months. I spent about 4000 dollars all told, on Lung washes and emergency clinic stays and ex rays and heavy antibiotics.

They thought perhaps he had a congenital problem, so they scoped him and wanted to do MRIs, but I felt like it was his immune system, so that’s what I focused on. I took him to a holistic vet who gave us Chinese herbs that we still use today.

All the while, I noticed he was blind at night because he ran into parked cars and his eyes glowed a beautiful blue in the light at night. This was however not his biggest problem so I let it go for a while to focus on his other issues.

When he was feeling better, I looked up his symptoms on line and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is all that came up. I made an appointment with the Eye doctor, who I knew, because she had worked on a horse at the farm where I work. She diagnosed PRA, just like I thought.

It was devastating to hear, but I was also glad he was healthy and happy and we could deal with this now that he was getting over his other issues.

I bought bear bells for my shoes so he would know where I was. I took him to obedience classes and nose work classes. We adapted to his blindness together.

He went completely blind a year after he was diagnosed. The specialist thinks that Cowboy’s blindness was sped up by the heavy antibiotics he was on for so long.

Although I knew the day was coming when Cowboy would go completely blind, that first day was such a shock! I took him to the Dog Park and had to watch him struggle and turn in circles and bark like he was crazy. A lady at the park put her hand in front of her dog as if to protect her, and I just lost it and started to cry.

Yet Cowboy never seemed depressed, and he is still fearless and goes forward into the unknown with such confidence.

It’s true what they say: blind dogs often adapt faster than their humans.

Then Came Dillon…

Skip ahead to 2015, and Cowboy and I were at a nose work class. Our instructor works in the training department of the Brightside animal shelter, and she told me there was a dog there that had PRA and was going to be put to sleep on Thursday. I was surprised because it’s a no kill shelter, but he had been there four months and no one wanted a blind dog. They sent an email to the staff that he would be put to sleep.

Dillon was definitely a staff favorite, and they were all very upset. I thought of reaching out to friends and anyone I knew in rescue to try to save him, but I quickly realized that his best and possibly only hope was me. So I made an appointment to see Dillon with Cowboy, Sam (my other basset hound) and Belle (my poodle).

My mother was in assisted living facility in town. I knew she was going to freak out that I was looking at another dog, so I had not told her yet. I had an appointment for 10:00am Friday morning to meet Dillon. The shelter agreed not to put him down so I could meet him. At about 8:15 that morning my mother’s caregiver called to tell me that my mother had passed away peacefully.

I processed the news and hurried over to the assisted living home to deal with everything. After I finished there, I decided to still go and see Dillon.

It Wasn’t Exactly Love At First Sight For Everyone…

Dillon was rambunctious and full of energy. Belle and Sam didn’t care one way or another. But Cowboy hated him.

Because I felt like Dillon’s only chance at survival, I was determined this would work. I asked my mother for her help too. I’m a saver, I save bugs in water troughs and anything that seems to be struggling, because that’s who I am. Have always been this way.

I couldn’t let everyone down, but no sane person would have watched these two dogs and thought, “Oh yes this will work let’s do this”. Only me.

So I took the three dogs home while Dillon got a bath, and I brought Cowboy with me when I went back to pick up Dillon. On the way home they tried to fight, but Cowboy was tied in the front. I walked them when we got home, and they were marginally okay together in the house.

Two nights later they had their first fight: the entire pack, with three ending in sutures and drains. This wouldn’t be their only fight.

The behaviorist at the shelter felt like Dillon should be an only dog, and because of his eyesight he should not be around children. She was consulted after one of the fights, and she suggested that Dillon be tied up in the house at all times when he and Cowboy are together. Her other suggestion was that Dillon should be rehomed to a single-dog home.

I didn’t accept that advice.I knew I could make this work, because the boys were growing fond of one another.

Dillon loves being part of a pack, he loves children, he loves Cowboy. It’s true…

Dillon was never the instigator, it was always Cowboy, or so it seemed. Cowboy got the better of Dillon in almost every fight. Cowboy is a brutal fighter. I just don’t know if Dillon’s heart is really in it when he’s fighting and that’s why Cowboy wins. Of course there is no winner!

Dillon never started a fight that I could see, but sometimes subtleties are hard to see, so no one gets punished. They punish themselves enough.

I really just believed it could work and it has. It’s been challenging and exciting and frustrating and scary. When I walk all four dogs people stare at us and ask me if they are all mine. We are a spectacle, but it’s fun, and people know us. They are all so good most of the time.

And I feel lucky to have these dogs in my life. I am a proud mamma.

Cowboy and Dillon are so alike, and it’s really strange how they do the same behaviors. They like to lick water off of people, dogs, each other. They always end up on the same bed at work even though there are enough beds to go around. They really seem to be the best of friends… unless of course they are fighting, but the fights are getting fewer and farther between. They are almost like litter mates the way they touch each other. Even after a fight, if I walk them together they recover quickly.

Dillon still sees a little bit, and he loves to run and play with his frisbee. If he sees a Chuckit, it’s game on. He’s always courteous to the other dogs, and people really like playing with him. When they find out he’s going blind they really watch out for him, and I can see them explaining to other people his situation.

I have to stand way back at the dog park because Cowboy can’t deal with the other dogs, and people are so sweet to let Dillon play with them. I always thank them profusely for letting him play. He is just so happy, they really enjoy his enthusiasm. He makes me proud. He is sooo special, so loyal, and so smart. If I can’t find him, it’s because he is standing so close to me I just didn’t look straight down at him.

I always say that I have two blind dogs because one was so easy. They teach me more than I can teach them. They may run into a few things, but they are determined and nothing stops them.

Now most evenings you’ll find Kasey pinned to the couch by two rather large lap dogs…

And you know what? She wouldn’t have it any other way.

The B Boys — Ted and Zigge

June 28, 2015 Rebecca Blind Dog Stories

Imagine this…

A beautiful, energetic border collie. You can just picture him, right? So vibrant and full of life. So intelligent. So inquisitive and ready to work.

Now imagine this beautiful dog chained up on a farm… 24 hours a day, seven days a week… for two long years.

Absolutely heartbreaking. Worse yet, this beautiful dog is blind. And to make matters even worse, this dog was living in Ireland and in danger of being “put down,” partly due to his blindness.

Enter Caisa Högberg, a Swedish woman who works with a rescue agency that brings rescued dogs from Ireland to Sweden. They knew Ted had zero chance of survival if he stayed in Ireland, so they asked Caisa if she could foster Ted. Naturally she said “yes” without hesitation. Take a look at this cute face:

Caisa had no experience with blind dogs, but this didn’t deter her. She learned what she could online and elsewhere, and she and Ted learned the rest together. In just two short days Ted had stepped into her family and her heart, and Caisa adopted him.

Ted was a fast learner, as he became house-trained and learned his other house manners in just a couple days. What a turnaround from a dog that had been chained up for most of his life!

Fast forward two years, and Caisa got a second call about another border collie who was in much the same predicament as Ted had been: in Ireland, blind, and with very little chance of surviving if they didn’t bring him to Sweden.

Caisa didn’t even have to think about it — she said “Yes” to bringing Zigge the border collie into her home and heart right alongside Ted.

Zigge was young (less than a year old) and had plenty to learn. He found the stairs to be a challenge. And who wouldn’t? As Caisa says, “The ground just disappears.” But with patience and practice, Zigge soon mastered the stairs and now goes up and down with confidence.

Today Zigge and Ted have completely different lives than they did back in Ireland. Where as once they were chained and miserable, today they get to run as free as the wind in open fields and everywhere else…

And recently Zigge and Ted have started playing with each other — jumping, nipping, bowing, barking and frolicking like puppies. You wouldn’t even know the “B Boys” were blind if you saw them out playing like this:

Here’s what Caisa advises those whose dogs are going blind:

“Life does NOT end for your dog if he can’t see. With time and a little patience and lots of love, they are just fine. Dogs live in the moment… let that moment be full of happiness!”

To see more photos and videos of Ted and Zigge and to follow their awesome adventures, check out “The B Boys” Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/thebboysswe.

The Story of Delilah and Her Rick

June 23, 2015 Rebecca Blind Dog Stories

“It’s time to toughen up, buttercup.”

That’s the thought that ran through Rick Vigil’s head one day as he gazed at his lovely blind chihuahua, Delilah. Up until that point, he’d been grieving Delilah’s loss of sight, and helping her with her “disability” by waiting on her hand and foot. Except at that moment he realized that if he and Delilah were going to return to their normal life, things were going to have to be a bit different.

Here is their story in Rick’s own words…

Delilah Stole His Heart (Watch Out, She’ll Steal Yours Too)…

It all started with a referral from a friend to see some Chihuahua pups that belonged to a friend. I rode with a cousin and we met another cousin there to see the pups.

I picked up a black and brown pup and played with him a minute. But then out of the box came this white and blue little girl. One of my cousins picked her up since I was holding a tan girl at this point. I traded with my cousin and looked into her gray eyes. This little girl pup tried to go up my arm. I brought her up close to my face and she gave me a few licks and then tried to go down into my shirt.

The owner handed me another tan and white pup, so I handed the white and blue girl to my cousin. After a few seconds my cousin handed her back to me and said she was clawing him and biting him. I naturally took her back and she was just full of life. I handed her to my other cousin just to have her handed right back to me.

Then the owner told me about the smallest pup of all, so I set the white and blue female back in the box. But before I could get the runt to even look me in the eyes, the white and blue female had gotten out of the box and was crawling up my leg. Then my two cousins and the owner said at the same time, “Looks like she wants to go home with you.”

Well the rest is history. That was June 1^st, 2009, and Delilah was exactly two months old.

Fast Forward to 2015 — SARDS Strikes and Delilah Goes Blind Virtually Overnight…

Two weeks before Delilah’s 6th birthday we got up as normal and went outside so Delilah could roam in her garden, but she didn’t want to roam around. I called her to the door and she followed inside. I placed her in my mom’s bed where she loves to lay on her legs. Mom tried to give her a treat and Delilah didn’t turn her head and get the treat as usual. She just stared off into space.

Mom asked me if I noticed anything wrong with Delilah. I thought she acted weird outside.

Next, I tried to coax Delilah down the doggie steps from mom’s bed. She didn’t budge. I carried her upstairs and we sat on my bed. I tried all kinds of things like swatting a fly, moving my hand right beside her face, placing a treat close to her, and shining a flashlight in her eyes to see if her pupils would dilate.

Nothing. There was no reaction to anything.

I called the vet’s office and set up an appointment for the next day. The Vet examined her and came to the conclusion she had SARDS, which is Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome.

The doctor asked me how Delilah’s appetite was. I said veracious, and that she had been drinking a lot of water. The Vet told me those are common side effects from SARDS along with weight gain.

The Vet did a full blood workup, and the results came back a week later as just fine. But Delilah was irreversibly blind from SARDS.

I was in shock — I have had dogs all my life and never heard of this.

When we got home from the Vet is when it hit me — my little Delilah will never see my face again. She will not bark at the strangers. We would never play her favorite game of keep-away again. She will never see the daylight ever. She will never see her garden again.

That night I held Delilah as I always have and I cried. I was terrified for her. I did everything I could to protect her and help her, such as putting cushions and bubble wrap on all areas she might bump. I got online and even bought some drops for her as well as ordering her an Optivizor. I was determined to do everything I could for her. I even carried her everywhere. I had pity for her.

I kept thinking about all of the silly playing we did in the past. I went through my computer and we watched all the videos together of us playing. I was heartbroken. It is very hard to even write about this now.

“Daddy got you girl, no worries…”

Watching Delilah stumble and bump into things just tore me up inside. I watched her as she froze and shook with fear. I would grab her up hug her and say “Daddy got you girl, no worries.”

Delilah would scooch up beside me and sit pretty and lay her head on my chest. She would turn her head up and with her black eyes looked in my direction. I know she was scared. I felt like she was looking at me and saying “Daddy I need you now more than ever. Help me.”

To help Delilah I put cardboard sides on her steps along with a barrier on the foot of the bed. We cushioned everywhere she could bump into. We finally came to the understanding that we needed to let her figure out things on her own because I may not be there for her every moment.

Soon after, I joined the the Facebook Group “Blind Dogs.” I learned so much from the stories and I got so excited and motivated when I started watching videos of what blind dogs can do. I started working on commands like ‘touch,’ ‘back up,’ ‘right,’ ‘left’ and the most important one, ‘stop.’ I started treating Delilah like I did before, no more pity party. We are gonna be like those dogs in the videos. It was time to toughen up buttercup.

And Delilah adapted beautifully to her blindness…

One day I was sitting outside in my glider chair that built by hand. After about five minutes Delilah got up and walked across the adjoining table and got into the other glider. She laid down with the sun shining on her like she used to last year.

Out of the blue she knew where she was and she was doing her own thing again. Delilah had not been on the gliders since last year. That is when I knew we, especially Delilah, were gonna be just fine.

As I write this, it has only been a little over three months since Delilah lost her sight. And yet today again at the grocery store a guy collecting the buggies in the parking lot couldn’t believe Delilah is blind.

After putting the groceries in the trunk, I took Delilah out of her bag and set her on the ground. I had to hang on cause she took off. I barely had time to close the trunk. Delilah hustled double time straight to the side of the building where they have grass. There was no slowing down. Delilah was back.

Here’s a video of Delilah courageously forging ahead at the park three months after she became blind:

So my advice to those who have a dog that has recently lost their vision is this…

Let your dog go do their thing at their own pace, and hang on because it is an amazing journey that they will take you on. You will be amazed everyday at how fast your fur babies will adapt.

To see more photos and videos of Delilah and her Rick as they continue on their amazing journey together, visit them at Delilah’s Closet on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DelilahandherRick.

Assembly of Dog

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