[Scout and friends]

My mum's little dog came to live with me about 1 1/2 years ago. She's a little mixed breed, 12 years old now. I'm wondering if she's going blind.

I've noticed that her habits have changed - she seems to spend more time in her bed. I thought that was because of age and the fact that she's becoming less active, but I'm wondering now if she stays put there because it's easier than navigating the house when she can't see it very well anymore. She's often slow to go up and down stairs. When she follows me around, she stands closer than before - I have to watch and shoo her back when I move.

Anyone got experience with blindness developing in a dog?

I've come to love this little dog. It was obligation at first. This makes me sad - I hate to see the signs of age showing.

 

[windycanyon]

If you have an ACVO (eye specialist) near you, they can do a CERF exam and tell you if there's a problem. What is the breed (or mix of)??? Many breeds have PRA issues, including Labs. -Anne

 

[Scout and friends]

She's a lhaso cross, some poodle in there we think. Not sure there's an eye specialist near me but I'll ask my obedience instructor tonight at class - she's also a breeder.

She's very slow on stairs now, stays close to the wall when going up and down - almost like she's using it as a guide. She gets agitated when Scout gets excited and I thought it was because she just wasn't used to living with a young active dog. Christie had spent her life with an elderly woman - my mum - until she moved here with me. But now I'm wondering if she gets agitated because it's movement she can't see well and that stresses her.

Her eyes have a milky look to them too. Cataracts?

 

[windycanyon]

Maybe this listing of ACVOs will help: http://www.vmdb.org/clinic.html

Poodles definitely have a form of PRA. She could just have bad cataracts too, but in either case, I'd have it checked out since she could have some pain associated w/ the issue. -Anne

 

[cinderbay]

That is about the age our Lhasa started to lose her vision. By the time she was 16 she was blind and deaf.
Her behavior was very much the same as your stating. She sorta stayed on the same path every day around the house. Spending most of her time sleeping. It was so hard on us to watch her get old. My dad just never moved the furnature. She could navigate well around the house that way.