7 Ways To Care For A Blind Dog

Vision is a gift to see the beautiful world around us. It is an intrinsic part of life. Be it for humans or dogs. And when that vision is gone, life can be miserable. But the loss of vision is a reality in many lives. This vision loss may happen for many medical reasons or simply because of old age.

The person or the dog who loses vision thinks of their life as miserable. However, if people around these unfortunate ones are kind and considerate, these blind ones can find meaning in their lives. They don’t think of themselves as unfortunate in any way.

Now, let us see seven strategies or ways we human beings can take care of a blind dog and offer a ray of new sunshine in their lives:

7 helpful tips for caring for a blind dog

1. Using scented oil and bells

Even though the dog is blind, it doesn’t lose its smelling power. Hence, use its smelling prowess to compensate for the loss of blind dogs. Apply scented oil on your doors. The smell of scented oil will help your dog locate its abode if lost or outside the house and is keen to return.

The other sense you should take advantage of is its hearing ability. You can tie a bell around your leg or wrist when you take it outside. You become a navigator for the visually impaired dog when the bell sounds. Then, putting a belt around the dog’s neck is not even required. Whenever you move, the blind dog follows the sound of the bell and thus keeps itself on the right track.

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2. Establishing a daily routine for a predictable environment

If your dog is visually impaired, it’s better not to take different routes every day. Try to follow a similar route for the convenience of your dog. It will help them get accustomed to the ups and downs of the pathway. They will be more aware of the obstacles in the pathway. So they will be careful and be able to avoid any damage.

You can even arrange the house for the safe movement of the blind dog. You block off stairs, cover sharp edges of your furniture, and avoid keeping any sharp tools in open areas.

Don’t keep your child’s play tools anywhere in the house. These steps can make your visually impaired dog’s life easy. They will be able to move within the house without hurting themselves.

Also, avoid rearranging the furniture often. When you rearrange in a new way, it takes more time for the dog to adjust. Until your dog adjusts, it will often stumble on many things within the house, and that can cause damage to its confidence. So, you need to be considerate and keep your wishes of giving a new look to your abode in reins for the sake of your blind dog.

3. Speaking before touching

Blind dogs are a bit short of confidence for definite reasons. Hence, these dogs live in fear thinking of being attacked by strangers. For such a reason, in fear or self-defense, they may attack you, especially when you suddenly touch it. So, talking to them before touching them is always a good practice.

It will help them understand that you do not intend to harm it in any way. If you are an owner of a blind dog, try to develop some sound techniques. These techniques will help them understand the environment. These sound techniques can be unique. It should be a different connection between you and your dog.

By using these ‘coded’ sound techniques, you can not only help your visually impaired furry friend to remain unhurt when you are around. You can also prepare them for unforeseen circumstances when your blind dog faces danger from any stranger.

4. Protecting your dog from other animals

Guide your dog away from unwanted fights with other animals or pets. If you see any animal approaching, it’s better to take your dog away. Take a different route altogether.

5. Equipping for the external environment

When your blind dog is outside the house, it faces certain challenges that the other dogs don’t. Therefore, you should be well-prepared to overcome these challenges. You can buy the following items to assist him:

• Blind harness – Use a blind harness for your visually impaired dog over which you can clearly state that the dog is blind and the strangers should act accordingly. On the dog harness itself, you can write down the address of your home so that if the dog is lost, people can guide it to its right abode.
• Blind dog halo – This circular device tied to the blind dog’s head helps the dog. It works as a navigating device. This device will accustom your dog to the possible/probable obstacles and thus keep your dog safe.

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6. Engaging with specialized toys and activities

Buy scented and sound-making toys and balls for your blind dog. These things will help your dog be active and boost its confidence.

7. Being patient

Owning a visually impaired dog is a unique challenge in itself. If you are up for it and better prepared, you will do a world of good to your furry friend. Remember, your dog will depend on you a lot. Hence, it would be best if you guided your dog to make its life peaceful and less stressful.

If you are the owner of a blind dog, the one thing you can’t lose is patience. If you are patient and considerate, you will help your ‘unfortunate’ dog overcome all obstacles.