Vision issues?

[schwiftydog]

Hi Everyone! I've had my greyhound for about 3.5years now. Within the past 6 months I've noticed some behavioral changes that have me worried. First off, he is way more nervous on our hardwood floors. He gets very weird about walking around corners and furniture and has stopped jumping on the couch/bed like he used to. He's stopped running on areas that are bumpy as if he's worried about his footing. And lastly he's started acting weird at night when there are shadows, he gets freaked out about shadows on walks and has on a couple of occasions started growling at the wall which I think was related to a shadow from a lamp at night. I'm wondering if there could be something going on with his vision, especially depth perception? Although, he still sees squirrels no problem from far away in broad daylight and he's only 5 years old. I'm also wondering if anyone has suggestions for non slip pads to put under his beds and make him more comfortable on hardwoods? Thank you in advance!

Edited May 10, 2019 by schwiftydog

[greysmom]

As far as non slip rugs, Target and Walmart have throw rugs and runners for pretty cheap.

As for everything else, you need to schedule a check up with your vet.  A 5 yr old is young to have vision issues, so that needs to be checked out medically.   His refusal to jump on furniture could also me muscular, and he may need an nsaid to get him over that.  Make sure you mention his behavioral changes.

It's not uncommon for greyhounds to scare themselves and then avoid what scares them.  Usually time and patience will work to make them feel comfortable again.

 

[cleptogrey]

neoprene runners, bed bath and beyond carry them and there are always 20% coupon. they last for ever and wash beautifully. do check length of nails- they need to be short to his pads are touching ground, long nails are like ice skates. if you don't like trimming them once a week or every other week find a good groomer who will trim and dremel. i also second a trip to the opthomoligist, they can pick up things that our trusty vets can't when it comes to eyes. and lastly- how's the thyroid level? if nothing else checks out, it could be that when behavioral changes appear. best of luck checking out all avenues.

[krissy]

It’s probably worth discussing a referral to an ophthalmologist to find out if he has PRA (progressive retinal atrophy). It usually starts with poor night vision and progresses eventually to total blindness.

[Sundrop]

Our sweet girl Tilly (we lost her in 2016) had vision issues also - as others have mentioned above, I'd highly highly recommend getting into a specialist right away. We were able to help our girl retain some of her vision through medication. 

We put down rubber-backed runners on our hardwood floors for her and added solar-powered motion lights outside so she could see the yard at night. We also put nightlights up in all hallways, by her water bowl and by the bed where she slept at night. We also got a gate to put at the top of the stairs to close off access at night when we knew it had gotten worse for her (she was also having seizures). Lots of other things you can do to make him more comfortable and confident - I'd recommend the book Living With Blind Dogs: A Resource Book and Training Guide for the Owners of Blind and Low-Vision Dogs - it helped us a lot.