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Blind optimism Loss of sight doesn't keep a good dog down

January 28, 2006 2:32 am

PROGRESSIVE retinal atrophy is an eye disease that can occur at almost any age, and progresses at various rates of speed. Dogs who suffer from PRA often become blind.

Many dog breeds are affected: schnauzers, corgis, collies, Great Danes, Gordon and Irish setters, elkhounds, Akitas, Australian cattle dogs, Australian shepherds, American and English cocker spaniels, beagles, dachshunds, English springer spaniels, German shepherds, golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, poodles (miniature and toy), Rottweilers, Shetland sheep dogs and several terrier breeds all have high incidence rates of PRA.

Careful, dedicated dog breeders are vigilant in identifying dogs who may pass on this blinding disorder, and to remove affected dogs from their breeding programs.

The diagnosis of PRA is in no way a death sentence for the affected dog who will learn to cope with losing his or her sight.

Ask anyone who has shared home and heart with a blind dog and you will find endless tales of coping and bravery, of mastering new skills and finding joy in all the senses. A dog may lose his sight, but his sense of touch, smell, taste and hearing remain to guide him to enjoy his life and love his people as well as he ever did before blindness darkened his sight.

Our dogs teach us that life goes on. The best we can do for our dogs is to educate ourselves to make their lives full and safe no matter what befalls them.

Kim Bolster rescued Morgan when he was 3 years old. She was Morgan's third owner. Before Morgan came to Bolster, he had spent his young life in a crate 20 hours a day, with no one to play with him or appreciate what a beautiful, playful dog he was.

At age 5, and by then living with Bolster as his family, Morgan was diagnosed with PRA that was signaled to his family vet by a glassy cataract in one eye. Morgan demonstrated no behavior traits of visual difficulty, but was referred to Animal Eye Care's Dr. Michael Blair in Richmond. Blair monitored Morgan's development of PRA, which worsened over several months, first in one eye and then another.

Since Morgan's PRA developed slowly, Bolster had time to research the disorder and to assemble an arsenal of books, including "Living With Blind Dogs," by Carolyn Levine and the video "New Skills for Blind Dogs: A Companion Film to Living With Blind Dogs." Bolster joined the Internet Yahoo group for blind-dog owners, and spent hours reading advice and experience at Web sites such as acvo.com (American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists), blinddogs.com and eyevet.ca (Veterinary Ophthalmology Information Centre).

Bolster undertook a proactive training program to teach Morgan words that would help him navigate and understand his daily world better when he eventually became sightless. Bolster taught Morgan words for specific actions.

She explains, "Every time we went down stairs, I would say, 'step,' 'step,' so Morgan would associate stairs with the command 'step.' On leash, during daily walks, Morgan learned 'curb,' and to understand 'wait' and 'watch.'

'Watch' was my caution word for him to stop and wait for more instruction."

Bolster continues, "Morgan had a diminished sight period for close to a year and a half. He did not go totally blind until age 7. His gradual loss of sight gave me some time to prepare him to cope with his blindness."

Morgan lived to be 10 years old. Bolster remembers, "He mourned Annabelle, his companion and family pack mate, who had died five months before Morgan, too, passed away. Annabelle had been his partner in old age and had helped guide him. He loved to go on walks to the end; head held high, with a graceful gait, always taking in all the smells."

Bolster uses the joy of Morgan's life and her education for coping with a blind dog to help others who are devastated when their dogs are diagnosed with impending blindness. She is a resource person with Mid-Atlantic English Springer Rescue (maessr.org).

Bartholomew: Living the good life to the end

Bart was diagnosed at 7 years old with PRA. His owner had not noticed any signs or symptoms that he had a vision problem. Bart went to an ophthalmologist to be tested for PRA to make sure he was clear of the disease before being used as a stud dog. His owner felt a strong commitment that she did not want to breed him if he was affected by PRA, thus carrying the PRA gene and adding more PRA-affected dogs to the gene pool. Bart had been tested at age 5 for PRA and had been found to be clear of any indications of the condition.

After Bart's diagnosis, his mom says, "It was very hard to tell that the dog was visually impaired for a few years. His examination by the ophthalmologist showed that he didn't have very good vision at the time of diagnosis, but you sure couldn't tell. He began having vision problems at 10 and was completely blind at 11 years old."

To keep Bart safe in his backyard, his owner "put a short exercise-pen around the hot tub" to protect him from potential danger. Even dogs who were good swimmers before becoming blind can drown in familiar pools and ponds if they lose their sense of direction and cannot find a way out of the water.

Bart's mom emphasizes that adapting to gradual blindness can often be more difficult to owners than it is to the dog. She admits, "Blindness was unfortunate, but not painful. Dogs learn to trust you. You can still take them on walks. Bart continued to enjoy our company and was right at the refrigerator door every time he heard it open up!"

Bart, like many blind dogs, was easily startled by younger, rambunctious pack mates who would bump him or block his well-learned paths in the house and yard. Bart's mom learned to carefully supervise other dogs' interaction with him.

Beatrice: Guided by a pack-mate companion

Beatrice was just over 6 years when she began to have trouble seeing in twilight. Today, Beatrice is 10 years old and very nearly blind. She can discern movement against a strong light.

Beatrice's mom describes adaptations to living with severely limited eyesight, saying, "She navigates just fine around the house, so long as things aren't moved. She sometimes 'gets lost' in the backyard. She gets turned around and isn't sure which direction to take. I've discovered that when that happens, she's more able to follow the sound of hands clapping than my voice."

Beatrice's owner advises, "Remember that not only can she not see, she can't tell if you're in her way. Last summer we were playing in the yard and Beatrice walked right in front of me as I was running. I fell and broke a finger. I'm fine, but I'm a lot more wary."

Accepting that a beloved dog has to cope with new limitations can be sad and difficult for the dog parent, explains Beatrice's owner. "I was devastated when I discovered that she had PRA because she loves agility and would have loved rally obedience. However, losing her sight really hasn't discommoded Beatrice much at all. But it has changed her life and mine.

"One thing that may make things easier for Beatrice is that I have another dog. They get along well and Beatrice follows the noise of his collar tags when they're outside."

Finally, Beatrice's mom stresses that human pack members must work to be more responsive to communication efforts by the blind dog, saying, "She barks more now when strangers come to the house. I think it is difficult for the blind dog when they're not sure anyone is responding to their bark, or the dog feels no one knows they are there."

Rescue organizations protect blind dogs

Judy Manley works with a national breed club's rescue organization and laments the fact that frequently dogs who are diagnosed with impending blindness are abandoned or given away to rescue organizations. Manley notes, "First many of the owners of visually impaired dogs are angry and cry because their dog is going blind. Very often they get rid of the dog because they cannot deal with owning a blind dog."

Manley has great admiration for rescue families who adopt and love blind dogs who have been abandoned by one or several homes. She praises the kind people who rescue blind dogs, saying, "Our rescue organization has had several adopters that will only adopt blind dogs. They have a special place in their hearts for them and we thank God for these caring people."

Any dog may become blind as his or her life progresses.

Being ready to help your dog in times of emotional or physical stress is a very good reason to obedience-train your companion dog now. Mastery of life-saving safety and behavior management commands makes your dog's life easier as he ages, regardless of health impairments that may befall him.

A dog who promptly performs "sit," "down," "off," "stand," "come," "easy" and "quiet" will have a vocabulary and repertoire of useful behaviors to keep him safe. Teaching words that are vital to wellbeing include: "step," "water," "careful," "place" and "whoa!"

Ask your family veterinarian to refer you to a canine ophthalmologist for a full eye exam. Have his eyes checked on a regular basis. Remember that visual changes can happen throughout his life. Know whether your dog suffers from any signs of developing blindness or medical/visual difficulties.

If your dog is diagnosed with any genetic eye abnormality, consider the welfare of future generations of dogs by neutering your dog. Notify your breeder of any congenital eye disorder. Help your breeder to strengthen the genetic future of all dogs by neutering affected breeding stock. Send copies of your diagnosis to your dog's breeders, both sire and dam.

Use your imagination to think of ways to respond to and explore his world in ways that do not require his eyesight. Perhaps a textured carpet on certain surfaces would signal to the dog where he is walking. Baby gates at stairs or leading to rooms where he should not go are a must. Maybe he needs you to walk with a hard step to let him feel you coming. Tiny bells on your shoes or on collars of other dogs or cats in the home could alert him to the whereabouts of his family. A water bowl that is made from a fountain or other running water source could be just the ticket to let him hear exactly where his water bowl is located.

Your dog reacts strongly to your emotions and the way you cope with stress. One gift of caring you can give your dog is to keep worry, fear and sadness regarding his health challenges to yourself. When your dog is in trouble, he needs a human caretaker with a stiff upper lip, a happy voice and the acting skills necessary to assure his doggy senses that all is safe in his world.

SARAH A. FERRELL of Spotsylvania County runs Dogs Manners and Obedience. Contact her by mail at The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va., 22401; by fax at 373-8455; or by e-mail to her attention at gwoolf@freelancestar .com.