Unfortunately, Claire is loosing her sight. She makes it around the S&B just fine - most the time. Ocasionally will miss a doorway and walk into the wall. She has some sight, but if a room is semi-darkened, she cant see a thing. She has been diagnosed with epelipsy and acording to the doctor, this is the reason for the loss if sight. Fortunately the drugs have stopped the grand mal seizures.She still likes taking walks and riding in the car. I have blocked off the couch to keep her from jumping up on it (so she wont misjudge the distance going up or down and get hurt). I am going to spend a bit of time to make sure she learns the couch is unavailable to her any more. We already use a ramp to get in and out (as the entance door has always been an unsafe distance from the ground for the dogs) so she is familiar with going up and down it. We have not been camping since the onset of her problems. We are going to try to go on a trip to Camp Driveway this evening and see what happens.Any suggestions or items we should be thinking about before our next big trip?

When our cocker spaniel started going blind, it was traumatic for her to be taken out of her comfort zone (the house and everything in its place) and then go into the 5th wheel. She was having bad panic attacks because the camper layout wasn't her usual house routine. So we would take her to our vet and his kennel when we would go camping. Of course she had our other dog to curl up with in the pen as comfort. Due to her other health issues, she passed away less than a year later.

Not questioning your vet. Just my experience.Our previous Golden (RIP) developed "mini" seizures. Our vet referred us to an animal neurologist who prescribed phenobarbital which controlled the seizures. But later she also went blind, almost overnight. This time our vet referred us to an animal opthamologist. He immediately said he thought from the symptoms she had rocky mountain spotted fever. Started her on medication for it until the test results came back. He said it would not hurt her, and if it was RMSF it would give a head start on fighting it and maybe prevent eye damage. Well, test results came back positive and treatment continued. Vision came back within a couple weeks. On top of that, she no longer needed phenobarbital for seizures. Coincidence?

Met a couple last month who had one blind from birth. They also had a companion for the blind one. They seemed to get along fine with the blind dog. So I guess you just need to spend more time with your pup on a leash.

I wasn't keen on taking Jack, our elderly Cattle Dog, on our 2+ week trip to Florida in January due to his dimmed sight (cataracts) and poor hearing. But he did fine - the RV park we stayed in had a fenced dog park, and he enjoyed ambling along the fenceline, marking as he wandered...LOL! But he seemed to be using it as his sight aid - he always kept it on his right side, and simply walked a "lap". I would never have allowed him to be loose in the dog park if there had been dogs other than my own in there, though - a strange dog startling him would have ended badly, I'm afraid.Something I should have done for him, in hindsight: bright sun in his cloudy eyes blinded him 100%. If I could have taught him to wear some sort of hat/sunshade, he might have been able to see a bit?If your dog loves to camp (which ALL of mine surely have) - take them along. In Jack's case, Florida was his last trip. I'm glad he had a fun time.

I don't have any suggestions, but Claire's a beautiful girl. Sorry she's having problems with her health.Pops

Furcamper going blind. Your $0.02 to help next trip?

16 Replies

lizzie
Explorer
Oct 05, 2014
Our 15 year old Toller has cataracts and is nearly deaf. She still holds her head to the side as a result of two attacks of Canine Vestibular Disorder, but she loves to camp! Her smeller is still A-OK and evidently campgrounds have wonderful odors. She is as comfortable in the TT as she is in the S&B (maybe more so)and we keep her on a short lease outside. I worry that every trip will be her last one but we keep on going. lizzie
AZPops
Explorer
Oct 04, 2014
I don't have any suggestions, but Claire's a beautiful girl. Sorry she's having problems with her health.

Pops
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Oct 04, 2014
I wasn't keen on taking Jack, our elderly Cattle Dog, on our 2+ week trip to Florida in January due to his dimmed sight (cataracts) and poor hearing. But he did fine - the RV park we stayed in had a fenced dog park, and he enjoyed ambling along the fenceline, marking as he wandered...LOL! But he seemed to be using it as his sight aid - he always kept it on his right side, and simply walked a "lap". I would never have allowed him to be loose in the dog park if there had been dogs other than my own in there, though - a strange dog startling him would have ended badly, I'm afraid.

Something I should have done for him, in hindsight: bright sun in his cloudy eyes blinded him 100%. If I could have taught him to wear some sort of hat/sunshade, he might have been able to see a bit?

If your dog loves to camp (which ALL of mine surely have) - take them along. In Jack's case, Florida was his last trip. I'm glad he had a fun time.
donn0128
Explorer II
Oct 04, 2014
Met a couple last month who had one blind from birth. They also had a companion for the blind one. They seemed to get along fine with the blind dog. So I guess you just need to spend more time with your pup on a leash.
BB_TX
Nomad
Oct 04, 2014
Not questioning your vet. Just my experience.
Our previous Golden (RIP) developed "mini" seizures. Our vet referred us to an animal neurologist who prescribed phenobarbital which controlled the seizures. But later she also went blind, almost overnight. This time our vet referred us to an animal opthamologist. He immediately said he thought from the symptoms she had rocky mountain spotted fever. Started her on medication for it until the test results came back. He said it would not hurt her, and if it was RMSF it would give a head start on fighting it and maybe prevent eye damage. Well, test results came back positive and treatment continued. Vision came back within a couple weeks. On top of that, she no longer needed phenobarbital for seizures. Coincidence?
blackeyed1
Explorer
Oct 04, 2014
When our cocker spaniel started going blind, it was traumatic for her to be taken out of her comfort zone (the house and everything in its place) and then go into the 5th wheel. She was having bad panic attacks because the camper layout wasn't her usual house routine. So we would take her to our vet and his kennel when we would go camping. Of course she had our other dog to curl up with in the pen as comfort. Due to her other health issues, she passed away less than a year later.

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Furcamper going blind. Your $0.02 to help next trip?

16 Replies

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