Did those dang cats take off with my chew toy again?
Mindy Peaches is our Beagle and she is blind.
She went blind two years ago at the age of seven. It happened gradually over a period of 5-7 days and we never picked up on it. Apparently that is very normal, especially with Beagles, because they sniff their way through life and compensate this way for the diminishing sight. Her blindness is permanent; she can not distinguish light from dark.
We were devastated when we found this out. We felt like bad pet parents that we couldn't pick this up about our dog, that she was going blind. There were signs, but it was gradual over days...running into the cupboard, not directly seeing a treat in front of her. Other than that, Mindy went for walks, ran in the open field and played with her pet brother Carter (Carter was a 12 year old Beagle at the time). She had even been to the groomer but the visit was within the first two days of diminishing eyesight and not noticeable. My in-laws were over, the kids had stopped by, customers were here and petted her, NO ONE NOTICED. Business as usual.
The morning I figured out Mindy Peaches could not see, I took her to the vet and was referred to the specialist in Cedar Rapids. We immediately went to the specialist and there the news was delivered; Mindy had SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Disease).
SARDS is permanent blindness. There are 4000 cases diagnosed every year in dogs. It affects all breeds but more often in females starting at about the age seven. Mindy is female and she was seven years old. There is no known cause for it and the vet field is divided on possibilities, the general consensus does seem to lean toward an auto-immune disorder. Some dogs with SARDS can see light, others can't. Mindy can't.
The specialist and his assistant were full of information about this disease. They assured us that it is the norm for pet owners not to notice signs of SARDS, as it is gradual over 7-10 days and then one day the sight is gone. Most importantly, they emphasized that non-seeing dogs live the exact same life expectancy as seeing dogs. They also said most breeds of dogs handle blindness just fine and compensate in other ways. Beagles have an advantage because they have such strong smelling senses.
Mindy's life hasn't changed since she went blind two years ago. She still wags her tail when new people come in, still steals food when you're not looking, still runs in the open field. Only now the field is fenced in, 1.5 acres, with a sign at the gate that reads:
She went blind two years ago at the age of seven. It happened gradually over a period of 5-7 days and we never picked up on it. Apparently that is very normal, especially with Beagles, because they sniff their way through life and compensate this way for the diminishing sight. Her blindness is permanent; she can not distinguish light from dark.
We were devastated when we found this out. We felt like bad pet parents that we couldn't pick this up about our dog, that she was going blind. There were signs, but it was gradual over days...running into the cupboard, not directly seeing a treat in front of her. Other than that, Mindy went for walks, ran in the open field and played with her pet brother Carter (Carter was a 12 year old Beagle at the time). She had even been to the groomer but the visit was within the first two days of diminishing eyesight and not noticeable. My in-laws were over, the kids had stopped by, customers were here and petted her, NO ONE NOTICED. Business as usual.
The morning I figured out Mindy Peaches could not see, I took her to the vet and was referred to the specialist in Cedar Rapids. We immediately went to the specialist and there the news was delivered; Mindy had SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Disease).
SARDS is permanent blindness. There are 4000 cases diagnosed every year in dogs. It affects all breeds but more often in females starting at about the age seven. Mindy is female and she was seven years old. There is no known cause for it and the vet field is divided on possibilities, the general consensus does seem to lean toward an auto-immune disorder. Some dogs with SARDS can see light, others can't. Mindy can't.
The specialist and his assistant were full of information about this disease. They assured us that it is the norm for pet owners not to notice signs of SARDS, as it is gradual over 7-10 days and then one day the sight is gone. Most importantly, they emphasized that non-seeing dogs live the exact same life expectancy as seeing dogs. They also said most breeds of dogs handle blindness just fine and compensate in other ways. Beagles have an advantage because they have such strong smelling senses.
Mindy's life hasn't changed since she went blind two years ago. She still wags her tail when new people come in, still steals food when you're not looking, still runs in the open field. Only now the field is fenced in, 1.5 acres, with a sign at the gate that reads:
I ask you, does this look like a dog who is sad because she is blind?
I not sad as long as it's not 20 below zero with 10 feet of snow
Mindy gets to run free in the open field during the day...
She gets to explore in the evenings if she wants....
When she acts bored, I will put her on the chain and she gets to roam the rest of the property......always checking out Tim's shop first...
Get out of my way cat, I got lots of exploring to do before mom brings me in.
And then onto her old hiding place for years worth of bones...
Hahaha, my bones are still there, safely preserved under two inches of dirt and mulch
And then at the end of the day, she gets some snuggle time, whether she likes it...
See, life isn't so bad when you're blind. I wish he'd wake up and give me a treat though.
Or not...
Seriously dudes, I wish you'd go away.
