A question about my dog

[weebiscuit]

I have a 13 year old min pin who went completely blind a year ago. If you are familiar with the breed, you know that they are not happy unless they are burrowed under a blanket. Since she went blind, that's all she does. She literally stays in her bed, under her blanket, every single minute of the day unless she comes out to eat, get a drink, or go potty outside. She used to love laying in my lap under a blankie, but she fights to get down and go to her own bed now. I uncover her and tickle her tummy a few times every day, and she loves that, but when I've tried bringing her outside to sit on my lap in the sun she is not happy. She's completely able to find her food dish and find the door to go outside, and to find her potty spot she only has to cross about six feet of patio and then she's there. She's quite healthy in all respects except for her blindness.

My concern, which just dawned on me, is that by not being outside any more, and staying completely covered, is that she's not getting enough Vitamin D. Don't dogs need Vitamin D and light? She's living like a mole! Should I be asking the vet about this?

 

[AnnaC]

Aww bless her - acting like a mole is obviously how she feel happy and safe. But I would have a word with your vet regarding the Vit D, perhaps there is a vitamin pill/mix that you could add to her food?

I have a JR terrier who also must 'burrow' to sleep, so we keep a folded up old duvet specially for her - she's not old and a normal active JR, but night time or if it is raining/horrid outside, she's to be found snug inside her duvet!

Anna

 

[Jill]

Oh, I'm no vet and I do not know if dogs make vitamin D from sun exposure but I am pretty sure supplemental Vitamin D can be TOXIC to dogs! Just want to be sure you research in the event that you're planning to give her a vitamin D supplement because it could really hurt her I think.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Hi,

I had two minpins in my life. One went blind at age 6. Sounds like you were describing my dog, she tended to "live under the blankets" once she went blind. I do think that the light bothered her eyes even though she was blind because she would roam the entire yard at night but in the day time would do her business and want to come right back in and then under the blanket she would go. In the last couple of years of her life the vet put her on an eye medicine ointment to help her eyes keep from ulcerating. I wish we had done that sooner. My dog was much more comfortable on the eye ointment, although she really did enjoy her little "bat cave" as we called it. I think it would be a good idea to check with your vet, as there are different eye conditions that can be painful but not obvious to the owner. Best wishes. My little Carly was quite the trooper. We had to put her down last year and I miss her little face and her tremendous spirit and the major "tude" she gave everybody. She was two weeks shy of her 18th birthday when she told me it was time. Minpins, gotta love them, very tough little dogs. Good luck with your little one.

My dog lived like mole dog for 12 years coming alive at night and her quality of life right up to the very end was excellent. She ruled the roost, 5 lbs of holy terror. LOL.

I miss her.

 

[fourluckyhorseshoes]

Is there a place outside where you could put a blanket and have her sit in the sun? Like on a deck or a large porch swing? She would get the snuggle and warmth while being outside.

 

[weebiscuit]

Oh, I'm no vet and I do not know if dogs make vitamin D from sun exposure but I am pretty sure supplemental Vitamin D can be TOXIC to dogs! Just want to be sure you research in the event that you're planning to give her a vitamin D supplement because it could really hurt her I think.

Well, I learn something new every day! I have owned dogs all my life, and never knew that Vitamin D was toxic to them! But of course I never had reason to research vitamin D or give it to them before. This does raise a concern, though. Every day when my husband has a carton of yogurt, he leaves some "licking stuff" in the container and gives it to one of our labs to lick out. And when I clean out a greek yogurt carton, I leave about a teaspoon of it in the container and let the dog lick it out. Yogurt contains Vitamin D! Now I'm worried!

 

[weebiscuit]

Is there a place outside where you could put a blanket and have her sit in the sun? Like on a deck or a large porch swing? She would get the snuggle and warmth while being outside.

I would be terrified letting her lay in a bed while outside. She wouldn't know her way around, and since we live on sort of a cliff, I'd be terrified she'd go over the edge. I can't sit there and watch her all day, with so many things to do. Last year I put some electric fence posts in the ground and wrapped chicken wire around them and tossed her her blankie, and then I pulled weeds a few feet away, but she simply did not like being in there, even with hearing my voice close by. So I lifted her out and sat on the ground with her in my lap, and she still wanted out. She's just not comfortable outside. Only inside in her bed.

 

[weebiscuit]

Hi,

I had two minpins in my life. One went blind at age 6. Sounds like you were describing my dog, she tended to "live under the blankets" once she went blind. I do think that the light bothered her eyes even though she was blind because she would roam the entire yard at night but in the day time would do her business and want to come right back in and then under the blanket she would go. In the last couple of years of her life the vet put her on an eye medicine ointment to help her eyes keep from ulcerating. I wish we had done that sooner. My dog was much more comfortable on the eye ointment, although she really did enjoy her little "bat cave" as we called it. I think it would be a good idea to check with your vet, as there are different eye conditions that can be painful but not obvious to the owner. Best wishes. My little Carly was quite the trooper. We had to put her down last year and I miss her little face and her tremendous spirit and the major "tude" she gave everybody. She was two weeks shy of her 18th birthday when she told me it was time. Minpins, gotta love them, very tough little dogs. Good luck with your little one.

My dog lived like mole dog for 12 years coming alive at night and her quality of life right up to the very end was excellent. She ruled the roost, 5 lbs of holy terror. LOL.

I miss her.

I just can't imagine having one go blind at only 6 years old! And then living another 12 years that way. It had to have broken your heart for her!

You mentioned eye ointment.... my dog gets regular vet care and the vet never mentioned anything about her eyes possibly being irritated. I'll have to ask the next time I see her.

When you called your dog "5 lbs of holy terror" I just had to laugh! I have two big labradors, and they don't EVER go near her bed because she'll start growling and come out from under the covers snapping and snarling at them! It's so funny to see them back off! She is definitely the "alpha" dog, LOL! Mins pins.... GAH!

I was very lucky with my dog. I've read over and over again to NEVER let your min pin outside unless the yard is fenced in. We are very isolated, at the edge of the woods, and I never once had to leash her. She was always very good about never just taking off like a streak. She would go quite a distance from me, and of course would NEVER come when I called.... only when SHE was ready to come, but she was not a runner at all, and always stayed within eye sight. I just feel so badly for her thinking of just two summers ago when I'd take her and the labs out for a mile walk on the trails, and now she's just sort of in a state of existence.

 

[chandab]

Well, I learn something new every day! I have owned dogs all my life, and never knew that Vitamin D was toxic to them! But of course I never had reason to research vitamin D or give it to them before. This does raise a concern, though. Every day when my husband has a carton of yogurt, he leaves some "licking stuff" in the container and gives it to one of our labs to lick out. And when I clean out a greek yogurt carton, I leave about a teaspoon of it in the container and let the dog lick it out. Yogurt contains Vitamin D! Now I'm worried!

I don't know for sure, but I would guess that the vitamin D contained in yogurt would probably be ok, only supplemental vit D (as in extra just vit D) is a problem.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I just can't imagine having one go blind at only 6 years old! And then living another 12 years that way. It had to have broken your heart for her!

You mentioned eye ointment.... my dog gets regular vet care and the vet never mentioned anything about her eyes possibly being irritated. I'll have to ask the next time I see her.

When you called your dog "5 lbs of holy terror" I just had to laugh! I have two big labradors, and they don't EVER go near her bed because she'll start growling and come out from under the covers snapping and snarling at them! It's so funny to see them back off! She is definitely the "alpha" dog, LOL! Mins pins.... GAH!

I was very lucky with my dog. I've read over and over again to NEVER let your min pin outside unless the yard is fenced in. We are very isolated, at the edge of the woods, and I never once had to leash her. She was always very good about never just taking off like a streak. She would go quite a distance from me, and of course would NEVER come when I called.... only when SHE was ready to come, but she was not a runner at all, and always stayed within eye sight. I just feel so badly for her thinking of just two summers ago when I'd take her and the labs out for a mile walk on the trails, and now she's just sort of in a state of existence.

Actually she never let me feel sorry for her. She did quite well blind. Her sense of smell was terrific. She could find a treat on the floor quicker than the other dogs. She would lay under the blanket on the sofa and "launch" at one of the dogs walking by if they got too close. It looked like the blanket was jerked by a string off the sofa. She would also jump up to defend her spot and her teeth would go "click" right in the air.

All the dogs gave her plenty of space. We have a fenced in yard so she never could get lost outside. She loved my husband best of all and saved all her special kisses for him.

She also bonded to our german shepherd we had at the time. He could nibble along her tiny little legs like he was giving her kisses. She had 9 lives I swear. Once our doberman connected with her in the yard and knocked her out. I thought she was dead. I picked her up and was crying , when all of a sudden she woke up, focused her eyes and bit the heck out of me, took her to the vet, she was fine. Never put her out with the biggies in the yard again.

Another time she had an allergic reaction to ???? She was doing the "death gasp" when I got to the vet. They said, she might not make it. She spent the night in the incubator on oxygen. Next morning the vet calls for me and says... I think she is ok... that is if this is "normal behavior"... and he tells me that she was attacking the inside of the incubator and everybody was afraid to open it. I laughed...Just like her space on the sofa... I came to get her and she was fine ,

She had such spirit. When we had to put her down it was very sad... A huge thunderstorm broke out right after she passed and it was terrible claps of thunder... I said to my vet.. I think Carly is kicking some doggie butt at the rainbow bridge. Gotta love those minpins.

 

[Jill]

I think the amount of vitamin D has to be in the neighborhood of a human supplement and that yogurt is fine (we give that to our dogs). I had read it's toxic and it stuck in my mind because I take a supplement and the capsules are these small, golden colored gel caps and I am always dropping them and having to get down on my hands and knees to find them so the dogs won't. The color of the capsules blends right in with our hardwood floors!