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Hello this is my second thread about a potential rescue dog but since is mainly a physical health issue I thought it would be better posted here.

Following the death of my old border collie, I have been visiting rescue organisations with a view to finding a dog to re-home. Maybe two....

In addition to the fearful one posted about elsewhere, I came across a border collie at another kennels. He was found as a stray with a collar and some broken chain round his neck. He is estimated at 8/9 years old and is almost blind. No one seems to have searched for him and we suspect he was a working dog who got loose or who was turned out.

This dog is surprisingly confident and friendly. He has recall and enjoys play and affection though he would have all the issues that come with not having been an indoor dog..

The kennels say he has a 'degenerative eye condition' as well as cataracts and will eventually be completely blind. But for me the issue is that, unlike other blind dogs I have known, his eyes are not fully open and look a bit inflamed to me. I am concerned that they might be painful and that he may need long term medication (potentially damaging in itself) or even surgery.

I'm waiting to speak to the vet who examined him to see if they have a label for this 'degenerative condition'. Would collie eye do this?

 

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UPDATE The vet just said it is PRA, no glaucoma and it is not painful. Oh and he has a minor heart murmur too... My head says no but...............

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Blind dogs, especially those that lose their sight gradually, do surprisingly well relying on their other senses if you take some common -sense measures to keep them safe. As to the minor heart murmur, that was recently discussed here and you may find that thread informative. My own experience years ago with my working border collie Pete, who developed a murmur at about age 11 or so, was that he did just fine until his death from old age at about 15 1/2 years. For the last 2 or 3 years I had him on low-dose enalapril (very inexpensive blood pressure medicine) to decrease the strain on his heart, but I can truthfully say that he was a sturdy, active dog right up to the end.

 

Thank you for rescuing, and sincere condolences on the loss of your long-term friend,

 

Amy

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I third the two above responses! I have a dog now who is gradually losing sight to PRA. And my dog I lost last year to cancer had a pretty severe heart murmur for three years that was very well controlled with med, and both meds were VERY affordable.

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Thank you. After speaking to the vet I am reassured. Probably the biggest issue with this dog is acclimatising him to living in a house including house training. Also he appears never to have been walked on a lead. He is a strong dog and he pulls. It will be interesting to chart the journey.

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It is possible that he might adapt quickly to being a house dog. We have had a couple of young foster dogs who had lived outside on chains (we live in Mallorca) and neither of them had any problems figuring out that they went outside to pee. We did crate them and watch them as if they were puppies. They also both quickly decided being a house dog was not a bad way to live.

The organizer of the rescue I used to volunteer for in the US had a blind border collie who always amazed me, he played ball with my dogs, ran around the yard, went hiking. He was a very cool dog, he did get grumpy when you moved things and he walked into them but he used to learn new environments very quickly. He did struggle with stairs.

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Thanks. I passed the home check so am going to take a chance on him. I hope my old dog - if she is looking on - will approve. And I hope I don't feel disloyal! The rescue is lending me a crate - to start with - and we'll see where we go from there.

Also I just found out that a retired neighbour who I used to see out with his collie most days used to train working dogs. So maybe he can help if necessary.

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My 2 rescues that had been outside dogs were really easy to housebreak. I think I corrected them 1 time for peeing in the house and they never went in the house again. I think I left them in a crate when I was gone for a little while and that helped. You need to be careful he doesn't try to get out of the crate by tearing it up. Dogs can really hurt themselves trying to get out.

 

Zeke jumped up on the kitchen table to look out the window and I had to teach him not to do that. He would go from there onto the counter. But he learned not to do that.

I have to be sure any trash is up because he will get into trash if he can.

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Your old dog will approve of your giving a home to a dog in need. Maybe this dog and the timid one might do well together - you never know. Never feel disloyal for sharing your love once an old dog is no longer there to use it. She'll live in your heart and has left an empty space. The new dog will earn his own space in your heart, right next to her space.

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Thank you. I did feel some pangs when loading the past dog's bed into the car for the pick up but think I am past that now though I don't doubt there will be many more 'moments'. Meanwhile the new dog now named Ben has just been astonishing. He is getting more and more responsive. The only time it is difficult getting his attention is when the vehicles, quad bikes etc go past from the nearby farm. He was definitely a farm dog..

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