My dog, or more accurately, the family’s dog (since I don’t take care of him when I’m at school) is deaf. I think he’s about 14 years old. Originally we got him from the pound when he was about two. He had a ton of energy and will still be playful once in a while in his older age. He’s put on a little weight, but this last time he saw the vet the report was that he had lost two pounds (the dog, not the vet) and that physically he is younger than chronologically. The only problems are that he’s deaf, and his eyesight is getting worse. When the light reflects off his eyes I can see cloudiness, so I’ve figured that his doggy eyes were getting worse for a while now. He isn’t as sure of himself in the dark either, and I think it’s because he has trouble seeing. We have a one year old dog/puppy and they get along well, and sometimes she kind of acts like a guide for him.
My step-dad said that if the dog does go blind his quality of life won’t be any good since he won’t be able to hear either, so he will be put to sleep (my dog, not my step-dad). I suppose that it differs on a case by case basis, but if a dog is both blind and deaf can he have a good life, or is putting him to sleep a humane thing? Is a dog’s sense of smell good enough to compensate for lack of sense in the other departments?
While any assessments of the dog’s quality of life can probably only be made by you and your family, since you’ve seen his past behavior and would presumably notice any changes in his mood, if your dog has cataracts, his sight can be restored through surgery. I found a site that describes the procedure and some of its risks and benefits: Cataract Surgery in Dogs. Your vet could help you decide what your options would be if and when he actually does go blind (the dog, not the vet). Depending on his breed, your dog may be reaching the end of his natural lifespan, and only you and your family, with the help of your vet, can decide when it’s worthwhile to try procedures and when it’s time to let go.
It depends on the dog and the situation, really. I’ve heard of cases where the sighted dog in a multi-dog household acted as a guide for its blind companion, but such things are very, very rare.
We see a lot of elderly dogs who are mostly blind and deaf, and some of them get by fairly well, with a lot of patience and help from their owners (also a lack of stairs or other uneven surfaces). Most of them are pretty pitiful, though. They can toddle around well enough to find their people and their food bowls without bumping into too many walls, and that’s about it. I have to say, they don’t seem to be getting a whole lot of fun out of life, to put it mildly.
The best judge of an animal’s quality of life is the person who lives with that animal every day. If your mom and step-dad agree that the dog’s quality of life is gone, then I’d trust their judgement. It’s a desperately hard decision to make sometimes, and a harder decision to accept a lot of the time, but it’s part of the responsibility you accept when you take an animal into your life.
My aunt’s dog was congentially deaf, and very blind in his old age. He couldn’t hear you, and could barely see you. However, if you opened a bag of potato chips he could tell, from upstairs and make his way down to persuade you to share them with him.
His smeller must have still worked. He seemed to get around ok, as long as you didn’t move things drasticaly in the house. He seemed to remember where everything was. I figured he used his other senses to make his way around.
He lived for more than five years like this, and died peacefully in his sleep in his bed.
I think as long as the dog is happy, he could go on.
My friend Kate has a Pug that is deaf and blind. Zoe, the Pug, has been in the same apartment since she went blind and she senses where people are by vibrations… I guess. You really can’t tell that she’s this way unless you really make some noise to alert her where you are, besides that, she loves to be touched, talked to and fed. I think it really depends on the dog and how it adjusts to it. The only problem I see is when it goes outside for walks, she seems like she wants to just stand there and not move. She goes back to normal when she’s back inside. Give it some time and see if you notice that your pooch is having trouble coping.
-M