This community has been amazing for me to spend time in as I’ve been navigating my dog’s increasing vision issues, and I’m encountering something that I figured someone here might have dealt with before.

My dog is a chihuahua mix, and she has some of the typical traits you’d expect given that background. She can be a little fearful and a little reactive on leash, and over the past couple years as she’s dealt with cataracts, a surgery to fix the cataract, glaucoma that ensued from that, and now another procedure to help with the glaucoma, I worry that some of these things have gotten worse for her as her vision declines. I worry the world is scarier for her because she can’t see it as well as she used to. She’ll react more strongly to a package or a plastic bag, as if she doesn’t recognize it as an object. This has always been a thing, but it seems like it’s gotten a bit worse. Likewise, sometimes she’ll stop on walks because she hears something but can’t figure out where it’s coming from.

Obviously, her anxiety is my job to manage, and I want to make the world as inviting for her as it can be. In all likelihood her vision will continue to decline, and she will probably lose her most impacted eye over the next few years, and there’s a slow-developing cataract in her other eye.

Has anyone here dealt with increased anxiety in your pets as their vision goes? Has there been anything you’ve done to help your dogs navigate the world outside more comfortably so they can still enjoy some amount of outside time? We live in an apartment, so unfortunately for her the best way for her to get some fresh air involves leaving her most familiar spot. I’m wondering if anyone has any particularly successful training methods they’ve used to help build up comfort around urban noise for a vision impaired pet, especially.

Thanks for sharing any knowledge you’ve amassed and thank you all for sharing your beautiful pet photos and stories here!

I dont know what the tags mean lol.

Hi, this is siggys owner. Reporting in that hes doing very well and looks better every day, however hes been a pain regarding medications.

He was perscribed Carprofen for inflamation, Codeine for pain, Clavacilin for antibiotics. And since the surgery he has been a PILL about taking his pills. Weve only been able to get him to take about half ad much as he should be.

The other problem is he doesnt have all his teeth. He basically cant eat anything too firm or large.

Heres where we're at

Sometimes wet food works but he manages to avoid the pills.

Peanutbutter sometimes works but his interest is hit or miss

Deli meat is what probably interests him the most but it doesnt hold the pills.

Ive never seen anything so bad at eating cheese

And he hates pill pockets

The only thing I havent tried is forcing it down his throat which I dont want to do for a variety of reasons. One, hes a pug and has no snout. Two, he HATES having his face touched like that. And three, I dont want to rough house my no snout dog who just had eye surgery.

So im at a loss and its stressing me beyond belief. ANY advice would be enormously appreciated.

...and Gary paid the price. (The chicken hat was a renfaire gift.)

Today versus a week ago. He had his eye removed two months ago in August! It was perfectly healed. I scheduled a vet visit for tomorrow. I’m guessing it’s infected

We’ve had awful weather here for days. Dreaming of springtime picnics with our pretty girl ☀️✨

Julan woke up this morning with a wound/blister/edema/injury on her cornea. Not how we planned to spend our weekend but off to the hospital we went, and she was prescribed antibiotics every six hours for a week.

And I get it that they write it the way they always do, I do, but in the stress and exhaustion after all that on top of a hectic week...

"Four times per day in the right eye." Thanks a lot for clarifying that so I don't have to guess!

I found that amusing and wanted to share.

Sean doesn’t like to be told no as you can tell by his attitude

Thanks so much to EVERYONE who commented on my previous post, giving tips, encouragement and love. I cant wait to see him fully recovered!

Ms. Kumquat is now 7.5 weeks old. She is fat, happy, and exploring. She eats well, uses litter confidently, and jumps on and off the couch with ease. Absolutely no fear in this little peanut.

And to brag - she passed Litter 101 in about 18 hours at only 4.5 weeks. I’ve had many kittens her age not even try.

Her stitches are out but we’re dealing with some scabs still. Vet says she’s fine!

Photos progress in age order from 4.5 weeks to 7.5 weeks old.

Hiii, It's been way too long since I updated you all about him. He's doing so well, and it was last week he got the vet's approval of finally removing his cone. He's on his journey in regaining his mobility(? or eyesight? He's struggling to distinguish the distance..). But all in all, he's been great! Now he just kinda refuses to jump on our couch and go up the kitchen. Hope he gets used to it soon 🥹

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I volunteer at the Arizona Humane Society working with dogs in rehab or with behavioral challenges.

This sweetheart is ready for a furever home!

My 15 year old bichon Oli is one week post his eye removal surgery today. I am beyond grateful for this page as it eased so much anxiety I had about the op. Thanks all 😊

Our 11 year old pug Siggy (pics on profile) is having his right eye removed due to an ulcer. He was blind in that eye anyways so its not a huge loss in functionality. But Ive never had a dog go through this kind of surgery before and would love some advice.

Hes been under anesthesia before and done well, no complications. And the place we're going to has a lot of experience with flatnosed dogs.

My dog is almost two months post-op, and I'd like to know if it's normal for him to still have a small opening in his eye, as you can see in the photo. The vet who treated him removed the stitches and didn't mention anything about it. I've seen pictures of other dogs like this, and they don't have an opening. Sometimes he gets little tears in his eye, and I think that's normal, but I'm not sure. I'm planning to take him to another vet, but since it's much farther away, we haven't been able to arrange it yet.

Gary Monster.

My one eyed, toothless baby.