Maybe he IS going blind?
The 'crashings' seem to be more and more often lately, though. We trimmed his bangs (again) and he still can't find the toys he is literally standing on top of. This morning I took him out to go potty and he took his usual long time (the grass is still very wet & mushy from all the rain we've had.) He finally went and started to walk in his usual path to the door but decided to see if there was any standing water to drink in the top of my son's pool basketball hoop. (He checks it multiple times a day.) I'm sure you've all guessed, the pool basketball hoop is right next to the pool and next thing I know he's in the water and paddling out. (Finally we know he can swim...) This pool is not new, nor is there anything different about the backyard that might have confused him. I saw the whole thing, he clearly overstepped the side of the pool like he couldn't tell where he was.... I've seen a lot of comments about deafness in sheepies and notes about eye testing in respects to breeding, but does anyone have a middle-aged OES who is blind or going that way quickly? He'll be six this April. Not sure if it matters but he has crystal blue eyes which I believe is a possible indicator of deafness - but what about blindness? Or maybe it is just my imagination and he's not getting worse and all sheepies are really this clutzy?? I hate to overreact but my husband and I are really starting to wonder about poor Benny. He seems the same otherwise, eats well, friendly, sleeping is normal, etc. My hubby was suggesting that we might have to get our dog a seeing-eye human....ugg! |
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| If I were to guess - I would say it was Progressive Retinal Atrophy. This is common in OES (there's some limited info on the OESCA Health Page).
It usually comes on later in life (although it is a genetic condition that dogs are born with). I found it noticeable in changes in light - from going inside to outside at night - or outside in bright sun, etc. Brittney most likely had this. I wasn't planning on doing anything about it - so I never had it confirmed by an opthamologist. It never led to complete blindness - and she got along just fine. She started with symptoms at about 7 or so (if I remember correctly). It probably effects more light eyed dogs. (not sure??) They are resilient - it may take some time for Big Ben to get used to it - but I bet he'll get along just fine! If he is having difficulties - you will need to make some adjustments - i.e. don't move furniture too often, careful with him going down stairs, etc. Good Luck! Kristen |
Hi, I have this site on PRA. It is for sheepdogs, but not for Old english sheepdogs. I hope this helps. 
http://www.sheepdog.com/diseases/pra/pramenu.html Stormi and co. |
| Thanks Stormi! It reminded me that I could tell something was up with Brittney because her pupils remained very large. They didn't react to light. Actually, as she got older - you couldn't see much of her iris at all. |
| Thanks, very interesting stuff....
First, the note about the disease progressing from night-blindness seems to fit Big Ben. Our backyard is pretty dark but he's never had a problem navigating until recently. The other interesting point is about the pupils...I'll have to take note of what they look like. He does seem to do better outside during the day or inside when it is brighter. Early in the morning or after the sun sets when we are just using lamps is when he starts crashing into things.... I think he'll eventually do just fine if this is his problem. (Which seems very likely.) We'll just need to watch him carefully outside if it's dark, I was glad to see he could swim well enough to get to the edge but it was just luck that he swam towards the step and could get out easily. I'm not sure what he would have done if he had gone the other direction and I wasn't watching. Sometimes I think it hurts us more to watch Ben go head first into something than it bothers him.... |
| Check this site. One indicator that I read about with blues eyes is that the pupil is not circular but rather a starburst pattern.
www.blinddogs.com/ |
| Some sad tales! Thanks for the link though, very good information and tips! Since it seems to be getting worse gradually I think that will help ease all of us into understanding what he can and can't do and where he needs help. |
| The blindness that goes along with the deaf gene - is usually from birth. Having a deaf dog - I can't imagine if she was blind also. That must be extremely challenging. SAD indeed! Especially since it can be prevented if care is taken in breeding programs! |
| Also if it is cataracts and not pra it can be corrected with surgery. My parents husky mix has cataracts. They have opted to do nothing though because he is 8 yrs old and gets along fine anyway. The surgery is extrememly expensive, so if it is not affecting the dogs' quality of life that is a decision only you can make as to whether to pursue these expensive and not always successful treatments. |
| Hi,
I'm so sorry to hear about Ben's experiences is and it does sound like something Shaggy experienced as she aged. Almost the same story as you, she once went out in the backyard at dusk and I heard a splash. She had walked into the murky fishpond and was struggling to get out. We had lived in the same house for 8 years previously. I noticed her vision impairment was much more pronounced at dusk (like night blindness) and tried to make some adjustments to compensate. I had those motion detector lights installed which helped. Panda too at only age 4 also experiences night blindness and often bumps into benches and tree stumps at the dog park when dusk arrives. I had his eyes checked and the vet said they are fine but I suspect that he will suffer blindness early in his lifespan. One suggestion I can make to you at this time is with the decreasing eyesite they seem to become more jumpy at sounds or people coming up behind them and touching them. I got into the habit of guiding Shaggy with my voice until she became deaf in the last year of her life. I guess these poor guys experience affirmities like some old people. They also become a little more anxious around other dogs as they can't see well enough to have seen them approaching. Please feel free to pm me if you want to chat more regarding possible ways to make things easier for Ben. Hugs to Ben Marianne and the boys |
| Well, it was an interesting night. He almost went into the pool again, this time it wasn't a missed step, he walked through one of the flower beds which border the pool and was tracking right for the edge before I yelled for him to stop. He bumbled around and finally headed to the back door crouching a few inches off the grass - he was in a "ready for anything" pose.
Marianne - I thought your comment was interesting about Shaggy being a little more jumpy w/ sudden noises and people coming up behind her. We've noticed that with Ben as well but didn't even connect it might be related to his eyesight. Thanks for the PM offer, too! My hubby turned on the light inside the pool which helped brighten the back yard a little, don't know why I didn't think of that! It didn't help in the shadowy areas where he goes but at least I think it would alert him a bit if he started getting too close to the water. I think we are going to look into having motion detector lights installed, too. This is why I love this site, it's such a comfort knowing others have gone through this stuff and have some great information to share!! Thanks again everyone!! |
| Hi Again,
I'm so glad I was able to help a little. It's really tough to see our boys/girls go through this. I know I had to make adjustments for Shaggy and could no longer just open the back door and let her out. From the moment she fell into the fishpond (the second time) I would stand on the back porch and watch her. The second time she fell in was a few days after the first incident, which I thought had just been a bit flukey. Nope! I heard the splash and could hear her flailing and ran out at midnight in my housecoat and jumped into the pond to lift her out. Both of us freezing that early Dec morning soaking wet. Ah what we do to help our babies! It was after the second incident I had the motion detector lights installed and covered up the fish pond with ugly screening. What I did notice that helped is, I would draw attention to myself (let her know I was beside her) and with my leg grazing her side I walked the perimeter of the yard. I found on our walks she started to do this if walking in an unfamilar place too. She used my leg for guidance. I would also call out her name and touch either the left or right side of her head or body to redirect her onto the path if she strayed from it. She seemed to cope with time and they do get used to it. I do remember reading however, that dogs will display aggression towards other dogs for 3 reasons...thyroid problems, eyesight and I forget the other one. The reason (re: eyesight) I mentioned previously, is they seem to be more on guard with their failing eyesite and often get startled easier as they don't see another dog or person approaching them. Like Humans they seem to eventually compensate and use their hearing a lot more. Shaggy still managed stairs although I had to install more railings on the side of mine as a few times she slipped. Again, she eventually compensated for her failing eyesite and depended more on her sense of smell and hearing. The last year of her life her hearing went so I would stomp when approaching her, installed bells on strings near the back door so when she approached the back door her body often rang the bells so I'd know she needed to go out. (For some reason she stopped scratching at the door.) She really depended on having her body touch my leg on our walks as a quide but had gotten used to this method a year or so before. Lastly, you joked about a seeing eye dog for yours but in truth there may be some justification in this. Blue, my other dog and Shaggy's life long pal was the most instrumental in helping Shaggy. He quided her away from danger with a series of bumps and nudges. Would walk along side of her, his body touching hers (in that case she never used my leg if he were along.) I've heard of many stories of dogs acting as quides to their dog pals if they had some kind of affliction. It may be something to consider. When she passed last May she was 15 and by then Merlin was only 4 months. Even tho he was a young pup he too seemed to realize her old age and affirmities. He never tried to rough house with her and would lay quietly by her side and cuddle with her at night. Lastly the most touching thing that I experienced with her was one of her last days at the dog park. I had to lift her out of my car and carry her into the dog park. Her old aged body wobbled and her tail wagged as so really loved her walk on the trail (we'd only go a 1/2 block as that was enough). This last day the park was filled with a lot of rumbunctious dogs...they saw her and immediately all stopped and parted...letting her through. One of the dog owners commented it was if they were saying...Old girl coming through..let her by. It's amazing what dogs sense, so I think that the other dogs may also realize that Ben has a disability. Again best of luck to you and I'm so sorry to hear about Benny. Marianne |
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