Meet Paula & Lucy

Hello Life with Blind Louie friends. I'd like to introduce you to Paula & Lucy.
Paula runs a support site for owners of blind dogs. I found Paula in September 2012. I had finally decided to quit thinking about writing about Blind Louie, and start writing about Louie! I started my blog and I searched the internet for dogs with vision loss. I had searched for this before when Louie was first diagnosed at six months old. In 2006 there wasn't much info online at all. Anything that was there was outdated and the sites seemed abandoned and dusty. It was lonely not knowing what to expect and not finding anyone who had really been in my situation. It is so comforting to hear other, similar story and know they survived! Not just the dog, but the owner also survived.

I am so happy Paula's site exists today! When someone who's dog is first diagnosed with any eye issue, they will find this site and be able to find a place to ask questions and find support from other who know just what they are going through. www.blinddogsupport.com

Paula & Lucy

Hi Paula! Thanks for joining us. Why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself and Lucy.

 My name is Paula and I run the Blind Dog Support site to help people who own blind dogs. My dog Lucy was diagnosed with glaucoma in October 2011 and because working online is what I do for a living, it was only natural for me to build a website related to the topic.

How did you and Lucy find each other?

It was about eight years ago that Lucy and I first met, 2004. I was shopping with a friend and while she was browsing in the health food store I popped in next door to see the puppies in the pet store. The young girl serving behind the counter had taken Lucy out to play with her and I was immediately hooked. I knew I had to have her.

Aww, love at first sight. That's sweet. I bet she was a very cute puppy.
How did Lucy lose her eye?

Lucy's problems started in October 2011, the day after her vaccinations. Her right eye was weepy and she was miserable. A trip to the vet led to a diagnosis of glaucoma. There weren't any real warning signs. Glaucoma comes on so quickly and a dog can be completely blind within hours.

That is tricky. Glaucoma can be the surprise no one ever wanted. It's often misdianosed at first, like in Louie's case, so by time you know what you're working with at least one eye is blind.
Was there anything you could do for Lucy?

Lucy had the regular glaucoma medications to try and save both eyes had the regular glaucoma medications to try and save both eyes – Xalatan, Predneferin, Forte and Cosopt. (check with your vet and pharmacist. these medications may have different names depending on what country you live in) None worked over an extended period and in December 2012 her right eye was removed. I think that was a relief for both of us because her pain was gone. In around May 2012 the second eye started to have similar problems. We tried laser surgery but by that point it was too late for Lucy. Although she still has her left eye she is completely blind in that eye.

I know that feeling of bitter-sweet relief. They aren't hurting, but they are blind. So happy and so sad at the same time. I had a rough go after he was diagnosed and I knew Louie would be blind. My vet said a lot of owners have a rough time but the dogs usually handle it really well.
How did Lucy handle the loss of her vision?

Lucy handled it extremely well! Much better than I ever expected. Sometimes I wonder if she is even blind. She can get around the house and garden fine, she can find her water bowl and the dog door without any assistance. The only time she has issues is when she gets excited, then she will start to run into things.

Yes, when someone comes home and Louie gets excited he gets disoriented and bumps into things as well. So, if you've ever said 'When I come home after work my dog completely loses their mind they are so excited.' Well, they really do. Louie forgets where he is and jumps around so eagerly trying to find his friend. I have to say I am very impressed with her being okay to use the dog door. That is a small space that makes a weird sound, I'd be scared to squeeze through if I couldn't see at all. Go Lucy!
How does Lucy get around without being able to see?

She gets around as if she were sighted, no difference really. Although I do notice that she does use her nose a lot more. When I take her for a walk she will still pull on the lead which is amazing really, because she has no idea what is up ahead. She is just confident that everything will be okay I guess.

Do you have any other pets?

We have another dog in the house, Bronnie. She is an Australian Terrier cross and has a lot of issues. I know if she were to go blind, it wouldn't have been as easy as it was with Lucy. I don't know her history before I found her at the pound but it probably wasn't the best.

Can you tell us about a time you were really impressed with Lucy's navigation ability?

I am impressed every day. She is very inspiring really, because she just takes it all in stride. I know that if I went blind I wouldn't handle it that well, most people wouldn't. Sometimes she will look straight into my eyes with her remaining eye. she looks right at me, just like she can see.

If thought the same thing myself. It feels like Louie forgot the day after he went blind that he could see before. He wasn't crying about it. I know I would really be mourning my loss of sight, anyone would. I was more upset about Louie going blind then Louie was!
I know you are currently dealing with medical issues, can you tell us a bit about that?

The problem of Lucy's glaucoma is actually done with. Although the laser surgery didn't save the it did stop the pressure spikes. Her issue now is the she has a nasal tumor and that is causing her a lot of grief. Even today I was at the vet because she is not well, her eye is weepy, her nose is bleeding, she has a temperature and she is just plain miserable.

I estimate I've spent around 15 - 20 thousand dollars on Lucy over the past year or so on both the glaucoma and cancer combined. Is it worth it? ...definitely. She has been such a beautiful dog and so loving. I always say that if you are going to get a dog then you need to be prepared to look after it.

Yes, personal responsibility for your pets is a very important thing to remember. When you pick up a cute little puppy you are making about a ten year or more commitment (hopefully). Remember, you'll be seeing this dog through everything, including difficult medical issues and end of life stuff. We have to stick it out. Don't get a dog to just be their fair weather friend.

Tell us a little about your website and how people can keep in touch with you and Lucy and learn more about dogs with vision loss.

My site is devoted to helping people with blind dogs. When Lucy was first diagnosed I managed to find a few different blind dog sites but unfortunately most of them hadn't been updated in years. I even offered to buy on of those websites but was met with a slightly gruff response. So I decided to take the plunge and start my own.

I love interacting with people on the site. It has become a real community with everyone helping and supporting each other. It's difficult when your dog first goes blind because you really have no idea what's involved. So getting together with people in the same boat lets people see that 'yes, I can do this - I will cope and my dog will cope.

Thank you so much for joining us today Paula! You've been a huge inspiration to me. The more we share and the more we make a presence online, the more people will be able to find us and learn from our experiences. I hope that people will no that euthanasia is not the answer and your dog will adapt to their blindness amazingly. A quote from the front page of your website is a very powerful one. I hope people find this and it changes their lives.

"So if you are thinking of euthanizing your dog or giving your dog away then can I just suggest one thing….give it 6 weeks before you make the decision. I can guarantee that after the 6 weeks you will see how easy it all is." -Paula, Blind Dog Support

Like them on facebook! at www.facebook.com/blinddogsupport
or find Paula and Lucy at www.blinddogsupport.com