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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum THE LOUNGE For those with dogs, a question (kind of bun related)

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    • MimzMum
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      8029 posts Send Private Message

        Hello everyone and everybun,

        I know I don’t come on here often enough, but I wondered if I could pose a question to those with dogs. Especially any who have had sight problems.

        I have a soon to be 8 year old Yorkie/Chihuahua cross (that’s her in my avatar) that has just been diagnosed as functionally blind. Her symptoms are pupils that don’t contract properly and some greying to her lenses that the vet who saw her (a new one as we’ve just moved so no one with history with her) felt that her retinas must already be gone. There are two possibilities as to the cause: glaucoma or something called progressive retinal atrophy. Neither can be cured, only managed, but the approach to each is vastly different as with glaucoma dogs sometimes need their eyes removed.

        The thing is, having lived for all her life in Alaska, (as well as my other animals-cats and rabbits), I wonder if it might be something else having to do with her environment, because in all honesty I don’t see any of my pets except for our youngest dog and cat showing proper pupil contraction, and even they are a little on the slow side. In other words, all my pets have some degree of dysfunction of their pupils.

        Has anyone ever heard of anything like this, particularly in rabbits as I want to keep this relevant to the forum at large? I notice none of my bunnies have pupils that contract very well in bright light. I’m thinking it’s a learned behaviour from living in a place that is mostly dark for six months of the year. In the interest of full disclosure, one bunny has been blind for some time, so I don’t expect his pupils to react rightly, but the other two should, one would hope.

        I’m really worried about my dog though because while I figure she is losing some depth perception, I’d like to find some way to slow the progression of whatever is wrong with her eyes so that she isn’t completely sightless before she reaches old age.

         

        Many thanks in advance for any and all replies.


      • Dface
        Participant
        1084 posts Send Private Message

          Rabbits have very limited pupil contraction-their natural environment is dark(burrows) and they are crepuscular in nature(Active in the morning and evening-before the sun is overly bright) So they wont react as you’d think they would. It’s why rabbits should not be exposed to very bright lights, as it will blind them due to their eyes being unable to adjust to protect their retinas.

          I cant offer anything but (((((vibes)))) for yuor dog, and also that many dogs do very well without sight! I copied this from this website-http://www.handicappedpets.com/blind-dogs-advice-a-products-to-help-them

          If you woke up tomorrow and couldn’t see, you would eventually adjust to being blind and learn where things are in your house. It would take time and lots of work and patience. Your pet too will learn where everything is and will adjust to your house and yard if given time. Here are some ideas that will help you and your pet adjust to its blindness sooner.

          1. Your pet isn’t painful and doesn’t need to be put to sleep just because it is blind.
          2. Don’t re-arrange your furniture if your pet is mostly indoors. If your pet is an outdoor pet, don’t plan major landscape projects.
          3. If you have a hot tub or pool, a cover or barrier is necessary because your pet could fall into the water, not find the sides and drown.
          4. Walk your dog on a leash. You are his eyes. Anticipate problems and steer clear. Keep talking to your dog. Your voice will guide him. If you have an outdoor pet and no fence, please check into an “invisible fence.”
          5. Feed your pet and keep its water dish in exactly the same place each and every day. This area will then become a site for reference if your pet becomes disoriented.
          6. Put your chair back under the table after meals. Things that are left out will cause your pet to bump and lead to disorientation.
          7. If your pet gets disoriented, take him/her to its bed or food bowl. This will be a land mark that will re-orient your pet.
          8. Until your pet learns about stairs, you will need to place a barrier to prevent him/her from falling down the stairs. The same is true for stair landings.
          9. Most clients remark that going up and down stairs is the most difficult of all things to “re-learn.” Be patient, your pet is trying to do its best.

          They have a link to how to make her a blind dog ‘hoop’ which will stop her bumping her nose if her vision deteriorates.


        • LittlePuffyTail
          Moderator
          18092 posts Send Private Message

            Mimz, I’m very sorry to hear that about Jenna. I really wish I had some helpful advice for you.


          • BrunosMama
            Participant
            1485 posts Send Private Message

              I do t know if this helps, but our oldest cat had gone totally blind over the last year. He has glaucoma bit isnt painful for him yet, so he’s toddling along blind. It took him a few weeks to really quit bashing into things, but he’s a pro now. He gets around almost as easily as the other cats. He is even able to still get into plenty of mischief!

              Overall, he has learned to cope well. His sense of smell has kicked into over drive and he gets by with it really well.

              Best wishes! Xx


            • Bam
              Moderator
              16838 posts Send Private Message

                The only thing I know is that you give supplements with lutein or xeazantin or bilberry-extract to people with macular degeneration. Those strong antioxidants might slow down the pathologic process. Here’s some info that doesn’t seem too commercial: http://www.preventive-health-guide.com/lutein.html

                Blueberries have the same antocyanins as bilberries only less of them because blueberries aren’t blue all the way through the way bilberries are. You can give blueberries to both buns and dogs. For a dog you might have to mash them with sth like ground meat or canned dog food. They say wolves in the wild eat bilberries and blueberries, so it’s not unnatural.

                Antioxidants won’t do anything if the problem is glaucoma though. You need meds that lower the pressure inside the eyes, or the person or animal with glaucoma will eventually go blind.


              • Q8bunny
                Participant
                6345 posts Send Private Message

                  I’m sorry, Mimz. No personal experience here, but growing up a good family friend had a blind spaniel and let me tell you, that doggie made the most out of her remaining senses to the point that some people had no idea she couldn’t see. She had a wonderful life despite her disability.

                  ((((((Jenna))))))

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              Forum THE LOUNGE For those with dogs, a question (kind of bun related)