Information Please

[Roxane]

Have a friend making inquiry about any websites for deaf dogs. I know in the past several of you have posted the URL for disabled dog pages. Not needing the information, I let it slip through my fingers into cyberspace.
Would you please post any helpful places she might use for resource?
Thanks in advance,
Roxane

[Mark]

Hi Roxane,

Here's one that I know of . . . http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb179280

I hope it helps,

Mark

[Roxane]

Great. Thanks so much, Mark

[dutchman]

Hi Roxane,

There are several links right from the dachsie.org health page. Check out http://www.dachsie.org/health.html and scroll down to the section on Ears. I didn't go to the links but I have found this page a great starting point in the past. Wish your friend all the best I always admire those who take on an animal with a special challenge.

Tom

Tom

[Roxane]

Hi Tom Tom: http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif
Glad someone else boo boos and ends up with a double signature!
The resources were right in my backyard all this time. I'll remember that. Between you and Mark she will be overwhelmed with info. I told her that I knew where I could find the best recommendations.
I too respect any one willing to except the responsibility of a special needs dog.
Roxane

[Jennifer]

Roxanne,

Here is the Deaf Dog Web Page It looks pretty good. http://www.kiva.net/~lindsay/deafdogs/ (http://http://) I frequent the blind dogs web page and figured that there had to be a similar one for deaf doggies.

Although I don't have a deaf doggie, my Oscar has been blind for 12 years and I think three are similiarities between any type of handicap dog. We found that going blind was actually harder on us than on him, so I'm assuming it is probably the same for being deaf. The other thing that was tough adjusting to a disabled dog was that we've had to realize that he would rather be left at home in his familar enviroment than taken to a strange new place. We used to take him everywhere, but once he went blind it was really tough on him. At first we felt so guilty leaving him, but after awhile realized that he would prefer to not go into new enviroments. We learned to take the cues from Oscar as to what he was up to handling.

I'm not sure if your friends dog just went deaf or has been deaf, but if it just went deaf remind her to not listen to people who tell her to put the dog to sleep cuz it is deaf. We had a number of people, say "OH, that's to bad that Oscar went blind, when are you going to put him to sleep." I wanted to scream. They would go on to say that it would be too time consuming to have a blind dog and too hard on us. Oscar gives us so many blessings and is inspiring because he is so couragous. He brings tears to my eyes when he runs across the yard at the sound of my voice. It is so neat to me that he trusts me so much that he will run to me.

The other advice I would give her is to do whatever works for the dog. I met my husband the week that Oscar went blind (he has never seen my face - I sure hope he recognizes me at the bridge), and Oscar wouldn't walk on a leash for me because he didn't know me. So I would walk him on leash and squeak a toy in front of him because he would move towards the sound of the squeak. The neighboors thought I was nuts, but hey.

Oscar was also pretty depressed the first few months. He was very lethargic and seemed sad. It got a lot easier for him after the inital adjustment. I assume that would be the same for going deaf.

And bless your friend for taking on this challenge. I feel that handicapped doggies bring so much joy to your life that far outweighs the challenges. Whenever, I have a bad day, I just watch Oscar slowly moving through the house, using his nose to feel for the wall.

[Roxane]

Thanks for the comeback, Jennifer.
Although this started as a quest for information, I have found your experience with a blind dog very, very interesting. Heartwarming, too.
At one time I had a small mixed breed that lost an eye due to a vicious stray. But that is a great deal different from total blindness.The gal who needs the information does rescue. She didn't volunteer about what dog and the circumstance, so I didn't pry. I am sure sometime down the road she'll let me know. The stories I have read seem to be similar to what goes on with Oscar. The blind dog adjusts in his/her own environment. Why people suspect that a disabled dog, able to live a happy life needs to be pts, makes no sense. Rather they should be delighted that you and your husband have gone out of your way to make sure he is loved and as well taken care of as any other pet. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/angel.gif Go figure!
I have been able to feed my friend so much information, chances are I won't hear from her for quite a while. She'll be busy reading!http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/book.gif
Once again, thanks all,
Roxane

[Jennifer]

Opps. I re-read my post. Oscar is almost 12 years old and has been blind for 2 1/2 years. He has Sarrds disease and pretty much went blind over a weekend. My husband realized he was blind because one night he was chasing his ball by sound not by sight and just a few days before he had been chasing it by sight. He took him to the vets and Oscar was totally blind by that time.

The statement about blind doggies adjusting to their enviroment is so true. We moved six months ago and it was very very tough on Oscar. He had lived in the same townhouse since he went blind. We did everything we could to get him adjusted before we moved (took him over to the new house may times, fed him at the new house, didn't wash his bedding before we moved so it would smell famliar), but he had an awful time adjusting. Poor guy had panic attacks and shook for four days. We couldn't leave him alone at home cuz he was so scared. I stayed home from work with him and spent most of the day walking him around the new house on a leash so that he would understand the layout of the house and giving him lots of reassurance and treats. And after a few days he go thte hang of it and started to like the new house and yard. He had a much harder time adjutsting to the inside of the house than the yard - go figure (of course he's not allowed outside unsupervised).

When we were selling our house, he stayed at my inlaws for a month because having people in and out of hte house would be too hard on him. When I brought him home, he ran down the hall and went exactly to the spot where his toy basket was. I was so amazed that he remembered where we kept the toys after 4 weeks and was able to successfully navigate there while running.

We have to be very careful to keep things in familar places (we've had to get our housecleaner to stop moving the water dish and his toys to other locations when she cleans) and we are pretty much going to have the same furniture arrangement in our home until Oscar goes to the bridge. He doesn't like children because they move too quickly (though he loved them when he could see) and has to be kept away from them because he has snapped at them.

I guess I've babbled on about Oscar, but it just amazes me how well he has adjusted, how brave he is, and how courageous he is. And I think he is such a special doggie. He will bump into the wall and just keep on trucking. Reminds me that I should do the same thing in my own life.