How to help a blind and deaf dog adjust?
Junior Renner
2025-06-23 10:15:30
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: 14
I work from home so I get to spend the day with him. He is now on medication for his kidneys and he eats kidney support dog food and I also give him supplements for his kidneys and eyes in hopes to preserve his vision of whatever shadows/shapes he can make out. I was able to manage to afford to get most of his teeth extracted because I knew he was in severe pain from it. He has cataracts and also is mostly deaf too. I just want him to live out whatever time he has left feeling safe, happy, and loved.
Landen Will
2025-06-13 10:39:25
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: 16
To keep things simple, let’s suppose your dog is “only” blind, or has diminishing sight. In practical terms, for helping your dog with failing sight to navigate around the home, there are plenty of things to try: Have strong contrasting colours, different patterns on the floor, wherever you can Dark and white carpet or mats, or bold design, obvious definition shapes and colours, as opposed to all one colour mats or carpet. Different textures and thickness… carpet, rugs at beginning of rooms, so dogs know when they enter one or another, also at top and bottom of stairs, and Aromatherapy… have different scents in each room, or at doorways, so your dog knows when he is entering a different place.
Use a harness rather than a collar, as you will need to guide them more, and don’t want to be pulling on the neck to guide them up and down steps, on and off footpaths. Keep on short lead, keep close to you so they can smell, feel your leg, brush against you. Use sound to navigate… your voice, snap fingers, clicker, whistle, call their name.
Exercise is also important, walking, socialising, lots of smells, outings, will stimulate your dog’s brain, her balance, help keep her agile, alert and interested, will keep the weight down and remind her she is still part of the family… she’s the same dog, just with poorer vision. Don’t give too many treats because you feel like spoiling your friend… rather, keep the treats to delicious, low fat such as chicken cubes or jerky, and make your dog work for the treats by hiding them and teach him to hunt for the treats.
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