Blindness in dogs

Tabbytabitha · 21 February 2018 at 6:44PM

My elderly cocker spaniel went blind a couple of weeks ago, a combination of cataracts, glaucoma and crystallisation behind the eye. At present we're coping quite well but the opthalmologist says that if the optic nerve becomes painful they'll have to remove one or both of his eyes.

I'm trying to prepare for this eventuality but I'm unsure whether I'd want to put him through this, particularly as the cost is likely to run to thousands. Has anybody any experience of this operation in terms of recovery times etc to help me with any future decision.

Many thanks.

JuneBow · 21 February 2018 at 8:33PM

Although I have had no personal experience with this, a friend has.
She was insured so the cost did not come into it, but she said she wished she hadn't put the dog through it.
My cat has some major problems at the moment so I am in a similar position. I know she is just a cat but I am surprised at how bothered I am.
I have insurance, so the cost is not an issue, but if I had to pay thousand for her treatment I think it would sway my decision.
I would think seriously about whether you want to put your dog through it, as you would simply be delaying the inevitable.
It's horrible isn't it?

pollyanna24 · 22 February 2018 at 4:02PM

How elderly is the dog?

I'm not sure I would him/her through it.

bugslet · 22 February 2018 at 4:09PM

I think past a certain age, it's too much to ask the dog to cope with. How old is he?

Tabbytabitha · 22 February 2018 at 5:38PM

Thanks for the replies.

We adopted him two and a half years ago and the refuge thought he was about ten so between twelve and thirteen. From what I've read they can be expected to live until around fourteen and fifteen.

The vet's given me Tramadol in case he seems to be in pain, which he hasn't so far, and I'm going back to the specialist tomorrow for a check up. I'm really hoping the drops control the glaucoma for a reasonable while but I believe that it's the crystallization behind the eye that's likely to be the problem.

Red-Squirrel_2 · 22 February 2018 at 8:10PM

Is the worry that he will be in pain if it gets worse? If he is then I think you have to do the surgery, you cannot leave him in pain and you should not PTS for something that can be fixed with a simple surgery.

Cost should not come into it at all, you took on responsibility for this dog and you have to act in his best interests, not the interests of your pocket.

Assuming there are no extra risk factors that make it more dangerous such as heart problems, dogs get over operations remarkably quickly, even older ones.

teddysmum · 22 February 2018 at 8:23PM

I've never had insurance on the basis that anything I can't afford, I don't want to put my dog through (perhaps I would insure such as a greyhound as they are prone to broken legs or damage skin).

A friend, until last year ,had a pug who had one eye removed a yorkie who had no eyes,but they were operated on at a young age. The pug managed very well but the yorkie was very dependant

I had my little cavalier boy put to sleep today and few teeth plus lost or increasingly poor sight in both eyes caused him eating problems as he found it difficult to find then keep food in his mouth. (Only a small part of pts reason)

However,had there been an op I would not have inflicted it on him ,as he would have been 15 next month.

Red-Squirrel_2 · 22 February 2018 at 9:38PM

teddysmum wrote: »

I've never had insurance on the basis that anything I can't afford, I don't want to put my dog through (perhaps I would insure such as a greyhound as they are prone to broken legs or damage skin).

That’s crazy! There are lots of things that can lead to an expensive vet bill but that are not so serious 8n terms of impact and recovery that it would be better to PTS!

Would you really let your dog die because of a treatable problem just for the sake of money? I bet you wouldn;t if it came to it.

Tabbytabitha · 22 February 2018 at 10:21PM

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

Is the worry that he will be in pain if it gets worse? If he is then I think you have to do the surgery, you cannot leave him in pain and you should not PTS for something that can be fixed with a simple surgery.

Cost should not come into it at all, you took on responsibility for this dog and you have to act in his best interests, not the interests of your pocket.

Assuming there are no extra risk factors that make it more dangerous such as heart problems, dogs get over operations remarkably quickly, even older ones.

I think that's a bit harsh, even if meant well.

Yes, if the condition becomes painful then the only alternative would be to have him PTS which would, I agree, be unforgivable for a younger animal but I'm not so sure with a dog who's likely to only have another year or so left - hence my question.

I'm not badly off (although very little in savings) but I started the year with 3 elderly dogs and 5 elderly cats and I'm now down to 2 of each. I checked my records the other day and I've been spending nearly £100 per week at the vets for the last year and the well is running dry.

I'll see what the opthamologist says tomorrow and come back to the thread and update.

Tabbytabitha · 22 February 2018 at 10:28PM

teddysmum wrote: »

I've never had insurance on the basis that anything I can't afford, I don't want to put my dog through (perhaps I would insure such as a greyhound as they are prone to broken legs or damage skin).

A friend, until last year ,had a pug who had one eye removed a yorkie who had no eyes,but they were operated on at a young age. The pug managed very well but the yorkie was very dependant

I had my little cavalier boy put to sleep today and few teeth plus lost or increasingly poor sight in both eyes caused him eating problems as he found it difficult to find then keep food in his mouth. (Only a small part of pts reason)

However,had there been an op I would not have inflicted it on him ,as he would have been 15 next month.

So sorry to hear about your spaniel - I'm sure you've done the best thing for the old boy and that he's now comfortable.
I've very rarely had insurance because with so many animals (up to 9 at one point) it just wasn't financially viable, plus most of mine have been too old to insure when I adopted them.

My cocker is already blind (about 10% sight left in one eye) but seems to be managing reasonably well - he still runs about but without the wild, joyous abandon he used to have, obviously.

Sleep well.:)

bugslet · 23 February 2018 at 10:37AM

teddysmum wrote: »

I've never had insurance on the basis that anything I can't afford, I don't want to put my dog through (perhaps I would insure such as a greyhound as they are prone to broken legs or damage skin).

A friend, until last year ,had a pug who had one eye removed a yorkie who had no eyes,but they were operated on at a young age. The pug managed very well but the yorkie was very dependant

I had my little cavalier boy put to sleep today and few teeth plus lost or increasingly poor sight in both eyes caused him eating problems as he found it difficult to find then keep food in his mouth. (Only a small part of pts reason)

However,had there been an op I would not have inflicted it on him ,as he would have been 15 next month.

I'm sorry to hear about your boy, but you sound similarly pragmatic to me and so I'll say 15 is a good age and there just comes that time when we have to weigh up their quality of life.

I don't have insurance either, so far I've always managed to cover everything, but I'm also not a person who thinks that past a certain age, all the stops should be pulled out. I had a dog that had a carcinoma removed from her leg not long before her 10th birthday. When she went for the op there was a chance that they migh have had to remove the leg. Fortunately they didn't, but the tumour came back - age 12, I decided that would be an op too far. She died 18 months later and it was only in the last few days that she exhibited any pain.

Tabbytabitha wrote: »

I think that's a bit harsh, even if meant well.

Yes, if the condition becomes painful then the only alternative would be to have him PTS which would, I agree, be unforgivable for a younger animal but I'm not so sure with a dog who's likely to only have another year or so left - hence my question.

I'm not badly off (although very little in savings) but I started the year with 3 elderly dogs and 5 elderly cats and I'm now down to 2 of each. I checked my records the other day and I've been spending nearly £100 per week at the vets for the last year and the well is running dry.

I'll see what the opthamologist says tomorrow and come back to the thread and update.

I think if you are adopting an older dog - and 10 year old dogs are difficult to find homes for, there is an element to understanding that the years you have may be few and that decisions have to be made. I'd rather see a dog have a happy three years in a home than four years in a rescue because someone reasonably enough considered the cost element versus life span and accepted their limitations.

Tabby, I don't know if you are on Instagram, but even if not, it's worth looking up Wolfgang2242, he has about 9 dogs, only rescues seniors.

https://www.instagram.com/wolfgang2242/?hl=en

along with a rabbit, a hen and a pig called bikini.......:)

Blindness in dogs

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