The darkness falls
Our oldest guy, Hootie, has suddenly gone blind. We went to the Vet about 3 weeks ago because he didn't seem himself, he wasn't running around much anymore. We thought that he was having arthritis problems or back problems since he had an old injury from when he was young. The Vet said that yes, he seemed like he was hurting, but what was really going on was he was starting to loose his vision.
We went back to the Vet a couple of days ago and now he is almost completely blind. We don't know what happened, it could be Cushings disease, or a tumor, any number of things. Bottom line is that we can't treat it, so why spend a huge amount of money and put Hootie through that to get a diagnosis?
He is doing OK with it, he knows his way around the house pretty well, and we still take him on walks and guide him around the dangerous areas. It is just so sad to see though, and his buddie Yordi doesn't understand that he can't come running full speed at him and tackle him playing anymore.
We are working it out though...
Here is Hootie when he was young:
Here he is now, feeling his way around the house:
Here are the two boys, deciding if they want to be in or go out and play in the snow again!
We went back to the Vet a couple of days ago and now he is almost completely blind. We don't know what happened, it could be Cushings disease, or a tumor, any number of things. Bottom line is that we can't treat it, so why spend a huge amount of money and put Hootie through that to get a diagnosis?
He is doing OK with it, he knows his way around the house pretty well, and we still take him on walks and guide him around the dangerous areas. It is just so sad to see though, and his buddie Yordi doesn't understand that he can't come running full speed at him and tackle him playing anymore.
We are working it out though...
Here is Hootie when he was young:
Here he is now, feeling his way around the house:
Here are the two boys, deciding if they want to be in or go out and play in the snow again!
Awww what a cutie! It's hard watching the pets we love get older. My mom went through pets like water...so I never really learned to get attached to them until I married Hubby. Now my pets are like a second set of kids.
ReplyDelete::sniff, sniff::
ReplyDeletethat's sad. I suppose it could be one hell of a lot WORSE-- blindness won't KILL you (well, stay away from open manholes), but that still sucks.
BUT JUST REMEMBER: gawd don't give U nuthin' U can't handle!!!
::groan::
The problem with pet is that they do get older... We just heard last night that the neighbors had to put their dog to sleep. He was the "neighborhood pooch." Gonna miss him... It's miserable dealing with aging and death, but it'd be even more miserable to not know love.
ReplyDeleteJust out of curiosity, are you now considered Hootie's seeing-eye person?
He's adorable....my westie is pretty much blind... and deaf too... she manages to get around tho....I'm glad he has you for a dad.
ReplyDeleteOh no. Poor guy! Well, I guess it could be worse but still, that's gotta be scary for him.
ReplyDeleteI remember when Partly, the dog I'd grown up with, went deaf when I was in high school. It took her time to adjust-- if she woke up when you were walking by, it would startle her and she'd snap at you-- not like her at all. She grew up with three little boys around and was very patient.
ReplyDeleteWhen she got older, she had a second childhood-- she started acting like a puppy. She'd go out in the rain and play with water coming out of a gutter.
Glad your guy is adjusting and that he's got companions to help him out.
My little dog was almost completely blind and deaf. It's amazing how much they adjust to these things. You just have to be careful they don't fall of things (bed, couch) otherwise they seem to adjust nicely. You're a good dad to non-human sons too!!
ReplyDeletehow sad. don't move any furniture on him.
ReplyDeletewhat cuties...
ReplyDeletehe will adjust
my friend had a dog that went blind when she was about 10 from a tumor, and the dog lived another 10 years -- and was the sweetest thing ever!
i am so glad he has a family to love him....
Thanks so much everyone, it came as quite a shock. We are all adapting, he is still enjoying his walks and getting around OK.
ReplyDeleteAww, poor baby. I remember when my dog got old and right before he died he was plagued with arthritis and he pretty much went deaf. He wasn't blind, but I think he was getting cataracts or something.
ReplyDeleteAwww, ours is getting very old, slow to get up now, and finally graying around his muzzle.
ReplyDeleteBTW, in the last pic, Yordie looks like a giant guinea pig. Are you doing some kind of weird experiments?
Beckeye: Deaf AND blind sounds very tough! Good thing he had a great mom.
ReplyDeleteLeonesse: Yordi is part Border Collie and part Newfoundland! Weird mix, and he is super fuzzy!
Oh so cute! Just don't move the furniture on him.
ReplyDelete