Handling Blindness in a Dog.

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It is very funny how one will find that several diseases that affect humans can have the same effect on pets, if someone had told me a few years ago that a dog could go blind, I would have probably argued greatly with the person, but the case is different now because I know better. So before you continue reading, I will like to ask if you have seen a blind dog before. I haven't seen one but I have seen a dog with an eye defect before. It is good to notice the signs and symptoms of approaching blindness in your dog before it actually gets to the point of blindness, this will help prevent the real deal from happening. However, not every case can be prevented too, so let's get into learning about blindness in a dog.

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Just like the case of humans, dogs also have the tendency of going blind in either one or both eyes, most vision loss cases can grow gradually and develop over a long time or happen suddenly on the other hand. In a case where the process is slow, you will have the room to figure out the reason behind the blindness and if treated and managed well, it will change the needs of the pet, but the process is usually a gradual one too, making it difficult to figure out the signs and symptoms that will be displayed, but while learning about having a blind dog at home, I could not help but think about, if the dog happens to be an aggressive one, that is not going to be an easy case to handle at all (just my opinion), because some pet owners can handle their pets even more than we imagine.

The inability to see can be highly terrifying and even create a life-threatening disorder for your lovely pet, Blindness can be contributed to different existing disorders like diabetes or even a form of injury or hereditary diseases. The moment you realize that your pet has started to bump into objects that are so glaring or now seems to be afraid of noises, or even refusing to go out to play, it could actually be a sign you need to carefully observe. The fact that your dog is blind doesn't necessarily limit his or her quality of life, as the dog could remain positive and happy afterward, but that depends on how ready you are as the pet owner to help your pet get accustomed to this strange and usually sudden way of life.

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The symptoms of a blind dog.

Depending seriously on the reason why the pet goes/may be going blind, there are signs that vary from one case to another at the end of the day one could be able to tell exactly what the cause of the problem is, but of course with the help of a veterinary doctor. The symptoms of a blind dog include;

Redness of the eye.
Sleeping more than usual.
Refusal to step out of the house.
Depression.
Drinking water excessively.
Getting anxious.
Having an enlarged pupil.
Bumping into glaring objects.
Becoming apprehensive whilst playing.
Having cloudy eyes.
Having an enlarged pupil.

There are three types of blindness that a dog may have;
Complete blindness is when the affected dog is unable to see anything at all, I mean even a glaring light.
Intermittent blindness is another type of possible case of blindness in a pet, and that happens when the blindness comes and goes randomly.
Then, finally, we have the case of partial blindness, and in this case, the dog has cloudy vision and may have the capacity to see light and shapes, but the blindness could affect maybe just one eye.

Now, that we know these things about blindness, we can move into understanding what could cause a dog to go blind. The blind case of a dog could be linked to different reasons including vision loss, old age, injury, diseases, and other genetic conditions. If your dog is experiencing partial blindness, then it could mean the symptoms of an underlying condition which may happen at any age, good examples of those conditions are; kidney or liver problems, or heart problems also, it is also important to know when your dog is going blind, so you would know the appropriate treatments to get. Let me take you through some of the specific causes of dog blindness.

DIABETES: The case of diabetes has become more common than usual and one of the popular symptoms of this condition is blindness, this happens because most diabetic dogs develop cataracts within the first 6 months of diagnosis, this could lead to a case of partial or complete blindness. Female dogs, older dogs, and obese dogs stand a greater chance of developing diabetes.

**CATARACTS: It is easier to identify a case of cataracts in dogs, as it gives a milky or cloudy appearance to the eye, cataracts usually begin with a small part of the eye and then progress to the entire lens. Cataracts will block a dog's pupil and prevent light from getting to the retina, which can affect either one eye or both eyes. Cataracts are usually symptoms of diabetes, but could as well be a good response to trauma.
The quicker your pet can catch cataracts, the easier the treatment is going to be, supplements and medications are often the recommended forms of treatment, surgery can be performed to take out cataracts and have an artificial lens inserted in order to restore vision, but of course, this surgery can only be performed by a veterinary eye specialist.

CORNEAL ULCERS: This is a wound on the corneal surfaces, when your pet has a corneal ulcer, fluid will accumulate in the stroma, which would automatically make their eyes appear cloudy, of course, this is a painful experience for pets who always try to keep the affected eye closed in order to have it protected. Surgery may be required to protect the injury in the eye as well as promote healing.

(SARDS)Suddenly Acquired Retinal Degeneration: Although a rare case in dogs, it can cause a sudden onset of permanent blindness case, and it makes the retina deteriorate. This condition develops so fast that it would take a couple of days for it to get to the stage of complete blindness, there is currently no known cause for SARDS, but it is suspected that dogs with Cushing's disease may stand a higher chance of developing it.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy(PRA): This is an inherited painless condition that would cause the retina to deteriorate and lead to blindness. PRA can be early and begin to show up in puppies or at a later stage in more grown-up dogs, there is no cure for this and it develops at a more slow rate than SARDS.

GLAUCOMA: This is the build-up of fluid inside the eye, which may be quite painful for your pet and even make the retina damaged, leading to blindness. The symptoms of glaucoma include having a yellow or a green eye discharge, dilated pupils, a bloodshot eye, and a blue-tinged eye color eye. Glaucoma can be treated with medicated eye drops if found on time, but if the disease remains untreated for a long time, it could result in a case of partial or complete blindness.

TUMORS: Tumors located around or behind the eye can cause blindness in dogs, these tumors would block the dog's vision and damage the eye structure. If a tumor is found in the eye or around the eye and the only option to get the tumor out is through the removal of the eye.

AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS: A good example is Pannus, which could cause blindness in dogs. Pannus affects the cornea and can easily be treated with eye medication, but when it is left untreated for a while, it can cause serious vision impairment or even eye blindness.

TRAUMA: Some forms of trauma can cause blindness in dogs, in case of a pet is involved in an accident and has been hit in the face, this will be a case of sudden blindness.

There are risk factors that would increase your chances of a pet getting blind, like the breed the dog and the age of the dog.
Just as we have in humans, a dog's vision will begin to deteriorate as he gets old. Older dogs have a greater chance of developing glaucoma and cataracts, and these health conditions could result in blindness.

In order to diagnose blindness in a dog, your vet will require a total eye examination, reflexes, body temperature, weight, respirations, and heart rate, the vet will ask about the signs you noticed, as well as the changes in behavioral and eating patterns. A diagnostic test will be carried out in order to rule out the presence of any underlying disease like CUshing's disease or diabetes.

The treatment for a blind dog case depends on the root cause of the dog's vision problems. In some cases, blindness caused by PRA or SARDS may not have a treatment option available, treating the underlying condition may make the vision problem disappear. In a case where the situation of blindness cannot be treated, you will have to teach your dog how to live with the condition and pick up other important sense organs.
Blind dogs can also live a happy life, just a couple of simple steps will help them adjust to the new life that has been thrown abruptly at them;

You can still keep your dog active.
Train them to use their strong sense of smell.
Make your home easier to navigate.
Provide noisy tags or bells for your pet.
Keep your pets food in the same spot you usually keep it.
Encourage your dog to still play with other pets.

CONCLUSION.

Remember to always watch out for strange symptoms and signs in your pet, once you notice anyone, speak to your vet immediately. A blind dog may be hurt and it may not be the best of experiences, but you can still help them live a great life as pet owners.