Blind OES Male- 2 Year Old: Charleston, TN
Check out the book "Living With Blind Dogs: A Resource Book and Training Guide for the Owners of Blind and Low Vision Dogs" By Caroline D. Levin RN http://www.petcarebooks.com/books/living_blind.htm Quote: Breed: Old English Sheepdog Sex: Male Birthdate: 01-08-2009 (23 Months) Additional information: This dog is a rescue and he is almost blind he can see shadows but needs a fenced area. I am willing to let him go for free to a good home. have to pick him up no shipping. Charleston Kennels Telephone: 423-322-6844 |
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| I will call them tommorrow....... Where is that sleepy emoticon  LOLThank you Jaci for posting!!!!!!!!  |
| I did email them and I will let you all know what I find out! I hate to see a dog with a "disability" thrown out like that! You all know my thoughts on deaf/blind dogs!  |
| Thank you, Kathy! I hope this boy finds a great home.  If he can still see shadows, it will allow him to adapt a little easier to a new home. Depending on the cause of of his blindness, contrasting colors (dark on light or light on dark) can help. For years now, we've had an 8.5x11 sheet of white paper taped to a dark wall in the shop to help Kaytee miss the corner. Still, if she comes in from bright sunlight, she can't even see that. Last night she ran into the wall because she misjudged. Just protect them as much as you can, encourage them to do things and help them to be confident. http://oesusa.com/index.1404.jpg http://oesusa.com/index.1521.jpg http://oesusa.com/KayteeHaircut-102310.jpg http://oesusa.com/index.1476.jpg http://oesusa.com/index.1423.jpg |
| To those of you who have blind OES.... I had an OES who became blind due to SARDS (sudden blindness) at the age of 6 yo. Through trial and error, I came up with a pretty nifty way to help her gain confidence in movement by reducing the chance of her hitting her head hard. I had her wear foam visors, the kind they sell at big craft stores for children to decorate and wear at parties. (They cost less than a dollar apiece -- some places call them foamies.) She wore her hair in a topknot pointed slightly forward and I put the visor on just behind the topknot, also pointing forward, to give her a bit of a warning when she approached an object. (If you know what a curb-feeler is on a car, that's the concept!) They're easy to adjust. They have a coiled chinstrap that can be easily cut and tightened to improve the fit. She never tried to remove the visor and often slept with it on. They're lightweight and not the least bit cumbersome. The result was that her movement became more of an elegant glide. When she came near an object, the visor would touch it first and she would stop or change direction before she conked her head. I hope this helps someone out there. I wouldn't wish blindness upon any dog, but living with one was one of the most inspirational experiences of my life. Here's hoping this boy in TN finds a loving home for the holidays. Sharon |
Thats a really great idea. I never would have thought of something like that.  Hope you are able to help him out Kathy. |
| Excellent idea, Sharon! Did the visor extend beyond the muzzle/nose? Thinking that's what I should look into for Kaytee. She usually does fine but every so often, she gets cocky and over confident. She loves to run outdoors so we have to supervise closely. It's amazing what low vision and no vision dogs can do once they become accustomed to their surroundings. The book mentioned above has a section on how to make the walking canes and halo-type devices. I like the halo one if there are multiple dogs so no one's eye is poked. I always thought it would be cool if there was a device that would allow a dog to know there was an object in front of them... an electronic sensor thing that would beep as they got too close. |
| Hey Jaci... Actually I got the idea from the halo apparatus in the Levin book. She said it didn't work well for larger dogs and as hard as I tried, I couldn't pull one together that would work for Snowdrop. The visor seemed to do the trick for Snowdrop without any modification, but the great thing is you can buy a sheet of 9 by 12 inch foamie material (or even a huge roll) at the craft store and make a visor tailored for your dog's needs (i.e. longer). I used the larger size for a temporary Elizabethan collar for her when she had some cysts removed. They also sell various shapes (hearts, flowers, stars, etc.) with adhesive on the back if you just need alittle extra "feeling distance" or some bones for structural support of the visor. You might also need to purchase a few of the visors to get the coiled chinstrap because they don't sell them separately. I saved mine for the longest time until Snowdrop passed away just shy of her 11th b-day. When you start off with the visors, you might have to replace them more often because the dog hasn't adequately modified it's movement to a smooth glide and they tear or lose their shape from hitting objects hard. (Better the visor than your dog's head!) However, once the dog gets used to using the visor, the visors seem to last for months. I replaced them only because they looked somewhat beat up and I wanted my girl to look sharp! The people at the park where I walked her always commented on how cute she looked in her visor. (Heaven only knows how much I miss my girl!) Good luck! Sharon |
| Thanks for the info Sharon! |
| I did hear back from this owner as well... Will be getting more info tomorrow when we talk! Thanks again! |
Thanks for contacting the owner, Kathy. It would be nice if he could find a good home with and OES loving family. I wonder if he likes the company of other dogs? We would tell Emma and Darby to "go get Kaytee" and they'd kind of herd her to the door. She eventually got so she didn't like that too much so we stopped.  And thanks again, Sharon. I think I know just the hat you're talking about. I bought two of them about 5 years ago... they were that thin foam material with a plastic coiled chin strap that would stretch. We had a crown and a visor... http://oesusa.com/AboutU241.jpg http://oesusa.com/Pandi-GreenHat.jpg  I'll have to see what the fabric shop has the next time we visit. |
| This dog is still available....is anybody interested or able to help out with him? |
| The listing now indicates he'll be 1 year old in a few days so be sure to inquire about his age if interested. Quote: Blind Breed: Old English Sheepdog Sex: Male Birthdate: 01-08-2010 (11 Months) Champion bloodlines: No Champion sired: No Price: $0 USD Additional information: This dog is a rescue and he is almost blind he can see shadows but needs a fenced area. I am willing to let him go for free to a good home. have to pick him up no shipping. |
| Last I heard Tarheel OES Rescue was going to be getting this fella! |
| A sad update from Kathy... This boy started having seizures... he didn't come out of it so was taken to the vet. He couldn't be saved. If there is any silver lining, I guess it's good this baby didn't have to go through the stress adapting to rescue or a new home. And another family wasn't left grieving over their loss. It's still just... sad. |
| So sad. Just 2 years old. |
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