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If you woke up tomorrow and couldn't see, you would eventually adjust to being blind and learn where things are in your house. It would take time and lots of work and patience. Your pet too will learn where everything is and will adjust to your house and yard if given time. Here are some ideas that will help you and your pet adjust to its blindness sooner.
1. Your pet isn't painful and doesn't need to be put to sleep just because it is blind.
2. Don't re-arrange your furniture if your pet is mostly indoors. If your pet is an outdoor pet, don't plan major landscape projects.
3. If you have a hot tub or pool, a cover or barrier is necessary because your pet could fall into the water, not find the sides and drown.
4. Walk your dog on a leash. You are his eyes. Anticipate problems and steer clear. Keep talking to your dog. Your voice will guide him. If you have an outdoor pet and no fence, please check into an "invisible fence."
5. Feed your pet and keep its water dish in exactly the same place each and every day. This area will then become a site for reference if your pet becomes disoriented.
6. Put your chair back under the table after meals. Things that are left out will cause your pet to bump and lead to disorientation.
7. If your pet gets disoriented, take him/her to its bed or food bowl. This will be a land mark that will re-orient your pet.
8. Until your pet learns about stairs, you will need to place a barrier to prevent him/her from falling down the stairs. The same is true for stair landings.
9. Most clients remark that going up and down stairs is the most difficult of all things to "re-learn." Be patient, your pet is trying to do its best.
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