
"Living With Blind Dogs," now in its second edition, is the only published resource book on this topic. It embodies helpful hints from hundreds of blind-dog owners, as well as years of ophthalmic nursing, veterinary, and dog training experiences. Both the veterinary community and dog owners alike continue to praise this text, in which Levin successfully answers the common question: "What do I do now?"
This revised edition contains all the topics covered in the first edition, such as: Dealing with feelings of loss and grief, how dogs react to blindness, conditions that cause blindness and how they progress, genetics, pack issues, training concepts, new skills, helpful hints to negotiate the house, yard, and community, toys, games, and suppliers/resources.
This revised edition also includes numerous new sections and chapters: Dogs both blind and deaf, dogs blind from birth, white canes and other devices, circling behaviors, changes in barking patterns, dealing with cats, giving eye drops, traveling and camping with a blind dog, adding another dog to the pack, dry eye syndrome, VKH, and new findings on PRA and SARD.
Customer Review: A God Send
Our 12 year old Lab/Dalmation mix developed insulin dependent diabetes and within 3 months, overnight, was totally blind from cataracts. We were on vacation camping when we realized something was very wrong! How scary for him and us as we watched him bump into things, not be able to find his food bowls, jump in or out of the trailer, etc. We realized we could not move anything once we had it in place and never took our eyes off of him. After the Vet confirmed our fears, she gave us options: surgery (not guarenteed successful), euthanasia (after all, he is 12) or let him live the rest of his life blind. I was determined to become more educated. I immediately went on-line and out of the few books available on animal blindness, this book was by far the most informative. I have read it from cover to cover and keep it on the coffee table. The book made us realize that it was US that needed to be "trained", remembering that our pet is now dependent on us for guidance. Calm talking and constant reasurance have helped Jack adapt to his new environment. This resource is an ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE for the pet owner who accepts their pets blindness as a setback and not a death penalty!
Customer Review: Living with Blind Dogs
All vets should know about this book & let their clients know about it when they have a pet that goes blind over time or especially immediately due to trauma. So many helpful hints. It's comforting to know there is "help" available.
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