My next door neighbor’s dog, Simba, has had a rough road lately. First he was diagnosed with diabetes and Cushing’s syndrome, then shortly after that (not even a week later) he went blind.
How They Knew Simba Was Blind
When I was little, our family dog Mike went blind. I don’t remember exactly when it happened or how we knew. I’m fairly sure my dad was the first to notice it.
I got to thinking about that because I asked my neighbors how they figured out Simba was blind. It’s not like he can just shout all of a sudden, “Hey guys! I can’t see!”
But in a way he did shout. Or, rather, barked. A lot.
Their first major clue Simba couldn’t see anymore was not that he was bumping into everything (as I would’ve expected), but that he would sit down somewhere and not move at all. He’d bark and bark, even when they entered the area and would not come when called.
It’s not like it took them days to figure out he was blind. It only took one day of this weird behavior before they took him to the vet.
Life with a Blind Simba
Things I take for granted doing with Murphy now require more care with Simba.
He can’t be left alone for long periods by himself. They went out to dinner and a movie the other night and left Simba alone for four hours. (The longest they’d dared leave him by himself since he first went blind.) When they came back, they found he’d barked himself hoarse because he hadn’t moved from where they’d left him. (He couldn’t. He didn’t know how to get around.)
Speaking of the barking…Simba wasn’t one to bark a lot. If another dog was outside or if someone ringed the bell he’d bark, but generally he was pretty quiet. Now he barks to tell them he not only needs to go out, but that he’s thirsty or hungry, and that he needs help maneuvering around obstacles. He’s training them how to help him.
His vocabulary is also expanding. He’s learning, “Curb up” and “Curb down” to transition from sidewalk to street. “Step” and “stair” when he’s going back inside. And even things like “chair” and “water.” (They’ll say, “Watch for the chair” when he’s about to walk into one, or “Here’s your water” when they set it down for him. Apparently he slows and “feels” his way around the chairs –or other furniture– by doing a cute little head butt against it. And he uses his nose to root around for his water bowl.)
All for the Love of Simba
He is 13 and they know his time with them is limited. They’re trying to make it be as quality as it can before he has to cross the Rainbow Bridge. That’s why they’re not minding the added duties and care he now requires. He’s always been there to comfort them in their times of distress. Now they get a chance to return the favor.
Question to Readers
Do you have a blind pet? (Or have you had one?) What tricks did you employ to be the best Seeing Eye person for your animal companion?
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