|
|
Post by stacmac on Aug 18, 2017 7:41:05 GMT
Yesterday we noticed that our dog has gone deaf! It seems to have happened very quickly, so today I took him to the vet. He's an 11 year old Brittany spaniel and such a loved part of our family. Well, it turns out that his eyes are also not quite right. In fact his pupils weren't responding to light properly. We already knew he was starting to lose his vision, we talked to the vet about it at his last yearly visit/checkup. Now to have both going at once doesn't seem fair  The vet said it could be someting neurological as it seems to have happened suddenly but without an MRI and a referral to a specialist she can't say. And at $2-4000 that can't happen anytime soon. He's happy and his normal self (except he can't hear us!) And it could just be part of having an aging dog. Anyone have any tips for managing an older dog, deaf and blind and how to keep him happy? I'm feeling so bad for him! |
|
|
|
Post by gailoh on Aug 18, 2017 9:49:49 GMT
Use touch to get his attention...I do not have real advice here ...I do have a kitty that is blind and for the past 2 years is doing well...she know where her litter box is so I do not move that and I see sometimes she gets kind of turned around so I pick her up and put her in front of her box and sometimes help her with going to her bed basket, I also have a water bowl by her bed....but she is doing well...pets will find a way to cope we just have to watch and learn from them to help them...if you have stairs you may want to be a bit more careful that your pup does not get near them if eyes get worse,later maybe a baby gate....try not to move furniture around a lot...they learn where things are...jumping on and off furniture may also one to be careful with and let any guest know when they come in of your pets conditions ...so they don't step on your baby because he can not hear...just to watch where he is so he doesn't get hurt....
Hope all can work out for your guy and hugs to you for caring so much...
|
|
CeeScraps
Pearl Clutcher
~~occupied entertaining my brain~~
Posts: 4,063 
|
Post by CeeScraps on Aug 18, 2017 11:12:03 GMT
I had a dog go deaf. I knew she'd have problems as our vet told me when I adopted her. She was 13 or 14 when this happened.
It was the worst when I got home from work. She didn't greet me. It made me sad. To help her I would stomp on the stairs to get to her. She'd get up as she felt the vibrations. I also used a lot of hand signals. Just simple...like using my arm to say "come on, let's go" and stop. She responded really well because she watched and watched me closely.
So, my suggestion is stomp so you don't startle him. He'll feel the vibrations. If you walk up and pet him he'll be startled. Try hand signals. He will get it but it takes time. Continue to love him because now he really needs you!
Vision.....maybe start keeping small training treats with you. Let him know you have them and he will smell for them. Get treats that he hasn't had because that would be a new scent for him to learn. Familiar scents may be throughout your home and he may have trouble distinguishing them.
|
|
momto4kiddos
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,156
Jun 26, 2014 11:45:15 GMT
|
Post by momto4kiddos on Aug 18, 2017 11:49:04 GMT
We had a deaf cat growing up, born deaf. She'd know you were approaching (if asleep) by the vibration on the floor oftentimes. She was easily startled if you touched her in her sleep if she didn't "feel" you coming. So i'd keep in mind your approach and trying to alert her to it through movement she can feel. Heavy footsteps will hopefully be enough.
I've heard the biggest thing with blind animals is don't move things around! Keep everything they way they know it. I was watching Cesar Milan recently and the owner had moved with a blind dog. She directed it a lot through talk, but he said dogs by nature use their noses so he was trying to get her to do more training with treats and make him use his nose. Wonder if you could find some video online to help?
|
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 18, 2017 13:27:25 GMT
We knew my last dog was going deaf when he stopped responding to crinkly bags of treats or crinkly bags of human snacks, and when he didn't react when we whistled or clapped when he was sleeping. I swear, in his prime that dog could hear a Spaghettio hit the tile floor from three rooms away, LOL. Since the dog can't hear anymore, you need to remember that he won't be able to hear you call him to avoid something dangerous. For that reason, I started keeping my dog on a leash when we went out to prevent him from chasing things into the street or approaching an unfamiliar dog or animal. And I agree with blocking stairs at night with a blind dog. My dog wasn't totally blind but had a lot of trouble seeing at night. I'd carry him up and down the steps once it was dark and put him on and off the bed, but I should have blocked off the stairs with a baby gate or something too especially once the dementia was really bad and he'd wander around in endless circles. |
|
|
|
Post by stacmac on Aug 18, 2017 13:50:32 GMT
Yes, it was a giveaway when he stopped responding to food noises in the kitchen! I just got home and I think he can still hear high pitched noises because he turned to greet me when the screen door made its high squeak. It was suggested to me to try a high-pitched dog whistle?
Thanks for the ideas everyone. Luckily we don't have stairs.
|
|
|
|
Post by papersilly on Aug 18, 2017 17:39:58 GMT
i sense my larger dog is starting to have hearing issues. i have to start calling her more loudly to get her attention or use hand gestures. i swear, it's like talking to my hard-of-hearing dad.
|
|
|
|
Post by bwife on Aug 18, 2017 17:47:10 GMT
Well we have a Deaf, One eyed, pretty much blind in the eye she has, Dog. She is 15 and she gets around just fine. Although lately she runs into things sometimes. But man does her sniffer work! lol. She can smell the second someone opens the garage door and opens the food containers out there. She comes running for her breakfast or dinner. Yesterday she was trying to get into one of the kids backpacks. She could smell food in there, he forgot to get his lunch box out and empty it. Oh and did I mention she also has no teeth? But if you saw her jumping and running at dinner time, you would swear she wasnt 15 and there was nothing wrong with her, except the one eye she is missing, that is obvious.
your doggie will learn to adjust. just make sure you still give him lots of love. You just have to be careful not to sneak up on them. Either touching them or tapping the floor, Ours also feels movement or vibration ( like someone else mentioned) to let them know you are coming. We also have to guide ours to go outside. She just runs wild and free and cant hear us saying lets go outside. I would say at night, when they go out in the yard is the hardest. You cant call for them. We just let her out and she wanders all over the place. When she is ready to come in she arfs at the door.
|
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Aug 18, 2017 22:04:56 GMT
Mine is slowly going deaf and pretty sure her sight is going too. We just move slowly around her and talk to her like she is an old lady. Loud and slowly. We have a younger dog who clues her into things, so that is quite helpful.
|
|
