Depressed and possibly blind dog.

[blossom15]

Our 13 year old collie has become very withdrawn and quiet since friday afternoon and seems to have gone suddenly blind. He relies on his scent more than anything now and has very rarely wags his tail. He seems to not look at me and instead looks off to the side. Sadly he also keeps walking into kitchen cabinets and the shed outside as if he CANNOT SEE.
We took him to the vets that day and he had a blood test done aswell as the retraction in his pupils tested- one pupil doesnt retract at all. We get the results on monday but I was wondering whether anyone can give me any info on what can cause this very sudden and distressful change in sight.
P.S he was absolutley fine on friday morning
MAny thanks

[TwoBitsMom]

I am so sorry to hear about your dog...
Take comfort knowing that  your dog was lucky enough to spend his life.... in the company of someone who loved him....life does not get any better than that....!  
Please accept my heartfelt sympathy.
Connie

[Ghilly]

My deepest sympathies to you.  I lost my beloved collie back in May and even though I have an Australian shepherd puppy now, I still grieve for her and miss her every day.  Collies are SUCH a special breed, I don't see myself being without one for a whole lot longer.  Thanks for posting back and letting us know what happened.  Once again, my most sincere condolences to you.

Ghilly

[blossom15]

Thank you Ghilly. The vet came over last night and put him out of his pain. He had had another seizure yesterday afternoon, which was a lot worse than before, and horrid to witness, so we decided it was the kindess thing we could do for him.
I have even greater empathy for others who have lost beloved pets(especially dogs) and it is truly like losing a very close relative.

Thankyou for your kind thoughts and wishes.

[Ghilly]

I don't know how I missed this post for this long, especially since it is regarding a collie, which is my very favorite breed of dog!

When I read your initial post, as much as I didn't want to admit it, the only thing I could think of that would cause sudden blindness like that would be some sort of mass pressing on the optic nerve.  When I read your post from earlier about him having seizures and being sick a lot yesterday that pretty much confirmed it because when a mass is involved, seizures almost always end up happening.  

Thirteen is a very respectable age for a collie.   Hopefully the vet will come up with something that will help him but with seizure activity now being present, as much as it hurts me to say this, it doesn't sound good.   Please keep us up to date.  You are in my thoughts.

Ghilly

[blossom15]

Very sadly, he has now had seizures and was sick a lot yesterday. We are now sadly seriously considering his quality of life, as the vet says she is suprised how quickly it has proggressed(suspecting a brain tumour). I feel he has had a good life, and we are making him as comfortable as possible.
I feel i can speak my hearts to you all, so thank you for listening

[TwoBitsMom]

So glad to hear that he is adjusting well....and his lab work looks good...!
Thanks for the update, and Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Connie

[blossom15]

Thank you everyone for your supportive messages. We have got the results back and all of his organs are working fine and his health is apparently very good for an elderly dog.
I think we will look into the diabetes side of this, but we will update you all on his progress if there is any sudden change. He already is seeming to begin to adapt to it, and i am planning to take him just outside the garden tomorow.

Its a relief that we are not going to lose him yet, especially as it would be traumatic for all the family.
Many thanks all

[Misfits4Me]

My sister's dog went blind almost overnight with Diabetes.....Hopefully, the bloodwork will reveal something....Good luck and let us know....Karla

[ginger899]

You could ask your vet for a referral to a Veterinary Opthalmologist.

It's strange that the blindness should come on so dramatically and suddenly like that, if you hadn't noticed any changes in your dog's sight before Friday...
It is true that dogs can adapt very well to blindness, but it takes a little working together to perfect the routines. Then the dog can live a perfectly happy life with adaptations in his environment.

But it would be wise to know if this was a symptom of another condition or not...and also if it is reversible of course.

[TwoBitsMom]

So Sorry to hear about your dog....it must be difficult for you to watch him bumping into things.
Besides diabetes...I know that high blood pressure might cause the blindness, and also there is a condition called SARDS. Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome....
I don't know much about it, except it will typically affect older dogs.
It is something you can look up on the internet while you wait for your dogs lab work to come back.....
Best Wishes for you and your dog....let us know what you find out.
Connie

[marksme]

I had a blind dog who lived for almost 16 years. She develop her blindness from diabetes, but she did well and made up for it with her smell and hearing. We would take walks, even without a leash and she did fine.
I can't tell you anything why your dog lost sight, but I know they can
live a good life with you.