I kept her in a couple rooms until she mapped them out and gained some
confidence, then I expanded her space. It took a while, but eventually she could run up and down the
stairs faster than me.......yes I said RUN. If you have stairs you can place a textured rug or something
to let Holly know the step is there.
Bumping into things is how she is going to map out her surroundings. I know you are feeling every bump
she makes. Soon you will notice the bumps not being so hard because she knows the wall or object is there
and she is expecting the bump. The bumps will become more for directional purposes. I used bubble wrap
to help cushion the bumps. But you can use anything, like pool noodles or pipe insulation.
Different textured rugs help define space. If I were to do it again, I would try the clear plastic runners with
the points on the bottom, but I'd face the points up so the dogs feels something really uncomfortable. I'd put
those in area's that I don't want the dog to go into. Right now I do that for my furniture and my sighted dogs
stay away from that stuff.
It will take a while for her other senses to kick in. Once her nose kicks in, watch out!
If Holly is a small dog, be careful after you pick her up as she won't know where she is when you put her
down. Try to find a consistent place or place her near a landmark she will be familiar with. Like her
water bowl.
I know it's really scary right now, but it does get better,
Dogs adjusting to blindness



I have noticed that all dogs handle blindness differently. Cody was diagnosed with glaucoma when he was only 2 which started a downward spiral to complete blindness when he was around 8 yrs. Since he became totally blind over a period of 6 yrs., he handled it very well. Presently he is 12 years old, and his blindness doesn't slow him down a bit.\\



On the other hand, Annie, his sister, became totally blind over a period of several days due to glaucoma. She was an alpha dog before, and her blindness left her cowering in a corner. When I tried to get her to go out for walks, she was very afraid. Bumping into anything brought squeals of fright. With a lot of patience and just taking "baby steps" forward, Annie adapted slowly to her blindness. She still would rather lie around all day in her corner, but I get her up and take her out and she seems to enjoy it, but only if it's a short walk. She lets me know when she's ready to turn around and head back to the house. I'm proud of her though, because she can make her way back to the house just as well as a sighted dog could.



She couldn't understand why suddenly everything was black in her world and she was very confused.

Unlike Scotty, my dogs never got to where they wouldn't eat, but if you know anything about Cockers, it seems they never turn down food and love to eat. Sometimes "not eating" can be a sign of fear. I just adopted another Cocker who refused to eat at first, but now is fine.

I would suggest that you just take "baby steps" with Scotty, and don't rush him into doing anything that he's not comfortable with at this stage. He needs to have a safe corner or place where he can go to feel safe. It's important that he knows that you're not afraid or feeling anxious. Dogs can pick up on those things, and it frightens them. I'm not a vet, but I don't think Scotty's in physical pain. It takes awhile to adapt to blindness, although with some time, it's amazing how well dogs actually do adapt.



Why do I find it so hard to help Scotty with his new blindless situation? One moment he seems fine, then the next he won't eat,lays around all day, not interested in anything. I can tell by assisting him up the dog ramp, that he has lost even more weight. I would love to get a book on re-training your dog from sighted to unsighted. That may give me a better understanding to his condition, and what I can and can not do to help him in his untimely situation. I read the posts here and am amazed how most of our furry friends seem to adapt so well. Somedays he can go down the dog ramp with no assistance, otherdays, its harder then expected. Last nigth he wouldn't eat no matter how hard I tried. He has to eat. Maybe I should ask my vet on a food that will enable him to gain weight. I bring out a freshly cleaned toy that has a squeaker in it, and squeak it and he gets all excited. I mop my floors that are vinyl afer I had all my carpets ripped out in my RV so I
wouldn't have to have a carpet cleaning company come in weekly. Some days he will walk around the coach on his lead with no problems, other days, he stands there doesn't move, and seems very confused. I am so afraid there is something more wrong with him and I can't afford the prices of vet care. The other vet that put him on medications for thyroid wants almost 300.00 dollars to do another urinaty test. I can't afford that. I have very limited income. Im also hoping to move from where I currently live, but what will happen then? I get so annoyed that so many people in the area I reside have burnt their vets that now the vets won't except payments. Everything up front. I dont know if Scotty is in pain, or has a different issue going on, and I am so worried about his condition. I do put Misty and him in my bathroom at night in the rear of the coach where my bedroom is with blankets and Scotty's toys to give him some kind of awareness. I put up a baby
gate between the kitchen and the bathroom so he won't go bump in the night. Misty sleeps next to him. How do you all do it? And what could I be doing wrong?
Thanks, Susan, Scotty and Misty



Try to make notes about conditions when Scotty is less interactive. Was it raining, or threatening to rain, etc.

I have a blind friend who has said that he has more difficulty hearing traffic when it rains as the rain changes sounds.

I am wondering if there are some environmental factors which you might not be aware of, but which change things for Scotty, such as how sounds behave. And we all have "good" days and "bad" days too.

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get yourself to the nearest pet store and purchase a gentle leader, or halti, collar. he won't be all over the place after that! they work like a horse bridle; there's no pain, just YOU are the control and not him when it's on.

've just come from the eye specialist who said that he has advanced retinal degeneration. No idea at this point what the cause was (hereditary or trauma)...but there's nothing to be done for it. No glaucoma or other issues. He does seem well adjusted to it, so it would appear he has been blind for some time. She estimates he is young...maybe 2. He is a small German shorthaired pointer mix.

Anyway, he is new to us.... and we are new to the blind dog thing. I have two other rescue pointers, a senior and a huge clumsy oaf of a boy.

So far it's going well. I have been working on teaching him a few commands, with mixed success. He is crate trained already and gets around the house well. Loves children.

My one issue is leash walking. He is just all over and has no idea which way to go, can't seem to figure out how to just walk with everyone else. I think I've successfully taught him "step" so he knows when there is a step up... but otherwise I'm not even sure where to start. Any tips here would be appreciated.

Also, has anyone done an obedience class with a blind dog? I have teenage children who would enjoy this but wonder if a different approach is necessary for the sightless dog or if a class is good.



----------------------



That has been my challenge with Arthur as well. He is 7 months old and blind from birth. I am going to try a rigid leash. I bought an inexpensive length of thin dowling and will staple gun an old leash to the dowel. This should keep him closer to me. I also have some bells on my left shoe so that Arthur can zone in on my left side.

We did puppy pre-school classes. They knew that I was bringing a blind puppy and did identify they had not trainned a blind dog before. When the traditional training instructions were not applicable to a blind dog, they just looked at me and shrugged their shoulders. I was disappointed and thought they should have been more proactive. I learnt more tips from this group.

I would still say go to classes. The interaction with other dogs will be good for him, but expect to find your own solutions for things like "heel" and "come". Both of these commands involve showing the dog a treat. Arthur has a great recall, one of the best in his class. Initially I used his favourite squeaky toy instead of showing the treat. Now he is down to coming on the verbal command (I snap my fingers for him to find me. I was tapping my foot with the bells, but realized there may be times when I need him to come and won't have the bells on my shoe. I should always have my fingers with me, lol).

The other tip I have is to use treats with a higher "smell factor". I use Natural Bits Salmon (be prepared the salmon smell will knock you over and it brings the entire pack from the next room) or liver treats. Keep in mind that I am training a dachshund, so the smell has to travel further to get down to his level, lol.

Because Arthur is smaller, I use a Hug A Dog harness, which is like a jacket. This gives me better body control and he feels more secure.

Just to make you feel better, I had the same dog class problems with my deaf dogs.  The instructor kept looking at me and saying "she can't do this because she is deaf".  I would go home and brainstorm and come back the next week with that behavior mastered.You just have to watch your dog, use your brain and a little common sense.  Sounds like you have that in line with the solid recalls.  Just keep at it.  The socialization was our main goal anyway.

Jan and Shelby (Basset), Daisy (blind Basset)and Bull and Paxton (English Mastiffs)
Remember, help control the pet population,
Have your pet spayed or neutered.

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I still like the peanut butter on a wooden spoon as a target for walking.  I use it for sighted dogs that pull or lag behind and with the blind dog it lets him know where you want him.  If you freeze it before you use it, it takes a little longer to go away.  I have also used spray cheese.  You can carry a can with you and reload the spoon on the fly.

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You can also slide the leash through some PVC pipe, will do the same thing.
Karen
with Isis, Pete, and Mabel
www.BlindDogRescue. Org

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Do Blind dogs need another dog because they are Blind? And other questions and notesThursday, October 11, 2012

9:07 PM

I don't think that just because a dog is blind they need another dog around.

If he is a dog that needs other dogs, that's one thing.

As for smelly treats, try these:

http://www.naturalb alanceinc. com/product- category. aspx?ProductCate goryID=21& category= Premium+Food+ Roll+Formulas+

We used them in nose work class, and they worked well.

Karen

I ask because if he is newly blind, his nose may not have kicked in yet.

> The Kong never worked for my dog. Once the treats were out of it, she was done. I never tried peanut butter, but that might keep him busy. I dropped my dogs food on the ground and told her to "find it".

To avoid packing on the pounds, this is how I fed her. Once she knew what

"find it" meant, I could drop food anywhere and she'd hunt it down. I felt it helped work her mind to hunt for her food.

I ask because if he is newly blind, his nose may not have kicked in yet. The Kong never

worked for my dog. Once the treats were out of it, she was done. I never tried peanut butter,

but that might keep him busy. I dropped my dogs food on the ground and told her to "find it".

To avoid packing on the pounds, this is how I fed her. Once she knew what "find it" meant, I

could drop food anywhere and she'd hunt it down. I felt it helped work her mind to hunt for her

food.

I also don't have to use Doggles, Optivisor etc. No eyes means nothing to be injured. Remember, blind dogs don't have a strong blink reflex. So if a little kid goes to pet him and aims for an eye in error, your pup won't see that and may not close his eye lid.

Source: emails to Blinddogs blog

Hints for blind dogs

I put bells on my own dogs so he can know where they are.

Toys for blind

Friday, November 02, 2012

11:37 PM

Hey group, most of us are looking for cool toys for our pups to keep them entertained. I found these toys this last weekend when I went to a workshop for my agility dogs. Go to this link (midwest border collie rescue) and scroll down to the 'lotus flower' toy. the human team member loads the inside with treats and tosses it for the canine team member ;-) the pup then tugs it open to get to the treat. for the blindpups I would recommend just tossing it a few inches from the nose and increase the distance gradually!!

 Load, toss and have fun with your pup!!!

 Micci and her treat and toy motivated aussies!!



  http://www.mwbcr. org/mwbcrstorefo rdog



On a better note, she is doing great with the words we have been practicing. "Careful" if she is going to bump something, "step up and step down" for our porch stairs. And I've learned that she follows finger snapping much easier than my voice. If she gets stuck in a tight spot, like under a table, instead of lifting her out, I snap my fingers in front of her and she will follow my hand right out. I would love to just carry her around and move her everywhere she needs to go, but I know that won't help either of us get used to our new situation. I just hope she gets used to all this quickly. I hate to see her so down and out. Thanks for listening and helping.toys. Html



found this site to have some really good tips about giving them their

"mope time" and keeping up on their normal routine.



_http://www.patrickm ahaney.com/ guest-blog/ special-needs- training- for-owners-

 of-blind-dogs/ _

(http://www.patrickm ahaney.com/ guest-blog/ special-needs- training- for-owners- of-blind- dogs/)

Did he offer you advice on any holistic topical treatments? Such as Apple Cider Vinegar?

Rupa Kapoor   How would you use the apple cider vinegar to treat?

Spray the areas where your dog has a skin infection. You can use this solution on sensitive areas without causing her pain.




1 Measure out 2 to 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

2 Pour apple cider vinegar into your dog’s water dish and stir. Change the drinking-water/vinegar mix every day.

3 As an alternative, pour apple cider vinegar directly on your dog’s dry kibble.

Probiotics are good to add to the diet. As well as coconut oil. Also a natural antibiotic

you can choose to make your own probiotics. Freshly made probiotics can be easy to make and cost substantially less than a similar product from the grocery store. Even more importantly, the probiotic foods you make at home will have far more beneficial live bacteria than products that have been sitting a long while at the store.

What Foods Are Considered Probiotic?

Some of the probiotic foods that you can make at home for little cost are yogurt, milk kefir, water kefir, and fermented foods such as pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Another option for a homemade source of probiotics is kombucha tea. When I first began learning how to make my own probiotics, I started with making yogurt. As a young mother of three, I found yogurt making to be a challenge. It is not particularly hard to make, but the timing and temperature gauging were hit-and-miss at times with children calling for my attention. I was relieved to eventually discover that there was an easier option—milk kefir—and I have made it instead of yogurt for a few years now.For the purpose of this article, I will share how I make my milk kefir, as I feel it is the easiest of the homemade probiotics that you can make.

Getting Started with Milk Kefir Grains

To make milk kefir, you will need to get your hands on some milk kefir grains. These may be purchased online, or you may be able to find someone local to you that can spare a few. I acquired my first kefir grains from an online friend. It doesn’t take many. I began my first batch with about a half-tablespoon of kefir grains. A tablespoon would have been better, but I just started using less milk than I would usually use.

Milk kefir grains resemble small cauliflower florets, as they are white, somewhat firm, and rubbery to the touch. The longer you make your milk kefir, the more your grains will grow, and you will have extra to either save for a later time, as backup in case something happens to your other grains, or to give to a friend.

The Secret “Survival Vitamin” You Should Buy And Bury…

Keep It Clean

Cleanliness is important, no matter what you are fermenting. Be sure to use clean dishes and utensils. You may reuse the jar you use to make kefir in, but it is wise to wash it every so often, as kefir tends to dry on the upper areas of the jar the longer when it is reused without washing. Also, be careful not to allow metal to come into contact with the kefir for any extended amount of time, as it can be reactive and cause an off flavor in the finished product.

How To Make Milk Kefir

Items you will need:

Clean quart size jar

Jar lid or a clean cloth and string or rubber band

Plastic spoon

Milk

Kefir grains (about a tablespoon, but more or less is fine)

Fine mesh colander (preferably not metal)

Container to strain kefir into



Instructions:

1. Place your kefir grains in the jar.

2. Pour two cups milk over the grains and gently stir.

3. Place lid on jar, but do not tighten. Alternatively, place a clean cloth over lid and secure it in place. The idea is to let air escape as the kefir ferments and to keep insects out.

4. Allow the jar to sit at room temperature for about twenty-four hours. The longer it sits, the sourer it will become. You can adjust the fermenting time to your preferences.

5. After twenty-four hours, the kefir grains should have had enough time to make the milk into kefir.  If the grains were dormant, you might need to repeat this process before the kefir is truly fermented. The grains will “wake up” and start behaving normally now that they have a food supply. The first batch or two after the grains have been dormant may need to be thrown out.

Once your kefir grains have made kefir, follow these steps:

1. Place a colander over container.

2. Pour the milk kefir through the colander into the container, catching the kefir grains. Depending on thickness, you may need to stir the kefir or thump the colander a bit to make it strain through.

3. Return the kefir grains to the jar, pour in two cups milk, and cover as before.

remedies for a persistent yeast infection on dogs paws?

A:You really need to do two things - treat the symptom (the yeast infection - candida on her paws) and treat the root cause - the thing that is causing the infection to occur.
Prednizone and antibiotics can actually make the condition worse as they further suppress your dogs immune system and kill good bacteria in the digestive tract.
Grain based kibble can cause an overproduction of candida in the dog's digestive system and this leads to yeast infections.
Also if she has sugar in her diet it can destroy the good bacteria in her digestive tract. Good bacteria prevents bad bacteria from taking over - an over abundance of bad bacteria causes yeast infections.



Although yeast infections can occur anywhere on a dog, they usually affect ears. Organic Pet Digest says that's where 90 percent of yeast infections in dogs occur. Yeast infections are an overgrowth of yeast caused by fungal infection. If a yeast infection is not treated, a dog will develop more health problems. Apple cider vinegar and yogurt are both inexpensive cures easy to administer at home. Apple cider vinegar retards the growth of bad bacteria. Yogurt with lactobacillus acidophilus is a type of probiotic that will give your dog's body good bacteria.

Yogurt for Candida Albicans Yeast Infection

1Measure out 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup unflavored yogurt for a small dog and ¼ cup to ½ cup unflavored yogurt for a large dog.

2 Mix yogurt in your dog’s dry dog food. Alternately feed it to your dog separately as a treat.

3 Feed yogurt once every day as a treatment. Continue to feed it as a preventative after she no longer has a yeast infection