Are there Seeing Eye humans for blind dogs?

Are there Seeing Eye humans for blind dogs?

I guess it would be appropriate to say that Levi, my golden retriever is my best bud and companion. He is underfoot any time I am home moving from room to room as I do and plopping down under me or right beside me until I make the next move in the house.

He enjoys our Saturday mornings together going to breakfast and our weekly chores. We wander around first to Village Inn then either the bank or Costco. Next, are the trips to Home Depot or possibly the local pet stores where he can go inside with me as I find his food or treats. Levi doesn’t like it when I go to get Pig’s food or shavings hoping to spend the time outside for a little run. I say little . . . not long . . . as Levi is not one to expound too much energy these days.

Levi is almost 12 years old and used to weigh about 120 pounds. Yes that’s right one hundred plus twenty pounds . . . sort of a ‘large’ dog. My vet last year told me he was in pretty good health for his age and size but that I was doing him no favors giving him the treats or food that I do.

Killing him with kindness was what it sounded like so I had to make a solid effort to not give him all of the junk and give him treats which are healthier for him. So we both went on our ‘diet’ of healthy (yuck) foods and treats. Levi has always enjoyed vegetables eating carrots, celery, and salad.

He has lost weight now, down to about 100 pounds and his hip dysphasia still makes it hard for him to jump up onto the bed or into my rig when we head out on Saturdays.

Over the last several months especially since the move I have noticed he is having a harder than normal time with the stairs or making his way across the hardwood floors. I have watched his paws come out from under him as he fell spread eagle across the floor.

After a couple of weeks of Levi gingerly stepping around things and doing a few of these wipe out on the hardwood it finally dawned on me what might be happening.

Levi was losing his eyesight.

It started slowly at first but has progressed with time. I had to put throw rugs on the hardwood floors in several places so he can ‘see’ (depth perception) the light colored floors. Levi has had trouble in the deep snow navigating the stairs down off the back deck but still makes snow angles every time he is outside.

That’s the wonders of life . . . he cannot see well now as his eyes cloud over but he still has that ability to enjoy the snow and his time with me. He likes going with me fishing or just hanging out at my feet on the days I take him to work with me.

I guess as our roles in life change as I become the ‘seeing eye’ human for my beloved dog Levi. We find our lives changing all the time and making adjustments to cope to the current situation or adversity that comes our way. From it we grow and seek the wisdom from which it brings.

For Levi I wish his youthful snow angel exuberance remains as he gets older much like a child before being jaded by life.

Ice