Most dogs and cats cope very well with vision loss. They rely more on the sense of smell than on the sense of sight. Blind animals can have happy, comfortable lives with some help from their owners.
 
Pets with gradual vision loss often adapt so well that their owners don’t realize their pets are having trouble seeing until they’re completely blind and bumping into things. Animals with sudden blindness can take longer to adjust.
 
Safety and Navigation
Use gates and other barriers to block a blind animal’s access to stairs, swimming pools, fireplaces, and other dangers. Use foam cushioning (child safety equipment) to pad furniture corners. Keep the floor clear of trip hazards like toys and laundry.
 
Keep blind animals in a crate or other secure space whenever they’re unsupervised, at least while they’re adjusting to their loss of vision. This space can also become a safe, familiar retreat.
 
Blind animals can have a hard time navigating stairs, especially descending. Be patient and use a harness and treats to show blind dogs how to manage stairs. Consider covering short runs of steps with a ramp. Nonslip strips applied to stair treads might make a blind pet feel more secure. Dogs and cats that sleep on furniture might need a ramp or steps so they don’t have to jump up and down.
 
To help blind pets learn their way around the house, don’t pick them up and carry them; let them walk on their own. Different floor surfaces (mats or rugs) can help them identify specific areas like doorways and the location of food and water bowls. A radio left on at all times in one room and scents applied to furniture at the pet’s head height can also help orient them inside the house.
 
Face whiskers help animals feel obstacles, so don’t have their whiskers trimmed at grooming appointments. Vests with circular extensions around the head or chest (halo vests) are available for blind dogs who keep bumping into things.
 
Exercise and Mental Health
Blind animals need exercise just like every other animal, but they shouldn’t go outdoors unsupervised. Even a small fenced yard can have holes and fallen branches that would pose a risk to a blind pet. If you don’t have a fenced yard that’s safe and familiar to your dog, keep your dog on a leash.
 
When walking your blind dog, attach the leash to a harness instead of a collar in case you need to pull your dog away from a hazard. Teach your dog verbal cues like “left,” “right,” and “stop.” An unexpected touch can frighten a blind dog, so warn people who approach that your dog is blind. Consider using a dog vest with the words “Blind dog” or “Do not pet.” Be very careful if another dog approaches while you’re walking your dog. A blind dog can’t read other dogs’ body language. If you let your dog interact with another dog, be sure that the other dog is friendly and that your dog is comfortable with the interaction.
 
Provide toys that stimulate senses other than sight. Use toys with bells (with supervision—bells can be a choking hazard), catnip toys for cats, and tracking games for dogs who enjoy following scents. For some animals, playing contact games like tug of war might be easier than chasing toys by sound or scent.
 
Some animals experience anxiety while they’re adjusting to vision loss. Keep your pet’s routine consistent, stay positive around your pet, and provide a safe retreat like a crate. Behavior changes like hiding, reluctance to walk or play, growling, barking, and snapping can all be signs of anxiety. Contact your veterinarian if your pet has any of these changes or seems to be having trouble adapting. Some pets benefit from short-term or long-term prescription anxiety medications.
 
For more ideas, see the ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation website: https://www.visionforanimals.org/coping-with-a-blind-dog/
 
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Treats are fun to give and are useful for training. But in large enough quantities, treats and table food can contribute to weight gain and throw off the nutritional balance of a pet’s diet.
 
Keep these points in mind:

• Treats should account for less than 10% of your pet’s daily calories.
• At least 90% of the calorie intake should come from a food that’s complete and balanced for your pet’s species and life stage.
• If your veterinarian says your pet needs to lose weight, don’t take it personally. Obesity is very common in pet dogs and cats.

 
If you live with other people, you probably aren’t the only person giving your pet treats. Talk to your veterinarian about a realistic nutrition plan that will work for your household, especially if your pet is overweight or has special nutritional needs.
 
Calories
The calories in treats and table food can add up quickly for a small animal that needs only a fraction of the calories that a person eats. To find out how much your pet should eat in a day, start with your pet food manufacturer’s feeding guide or use a calorie calculator. Your pet’s individual requirement might be higher or lower than the estimate from a feeding guide or calorie calculator, so keep an eye on your pet’s body condition and adjust the amount fed as needed.
 
Here’s how to find your pet’s daily calorie requirement:

• Use a pet calorie calculator like this one by Pet Nutrition Alliance: https://petnutritionalliance.org/resources/calorie-calculator
• The daily calorie calculation is the total for a whole day. If you feed 2 meals per day, divide this number in half to find the number of calories to feed at each meal.
• Look on the pet food packaging or manufacturer’s website to find the number of calories per cup or can. Calories will be reported as kilocalories (kcal). Enter this number in the calculator to find how many cups/cans to feed in a day. If you feed 2 meals per day, feed half this number of cups/cans at each meal.
• “Cup” means a kitchen measuring cup (8 fl oz).
• The daily treat allotment is 10% of the daily calories.

 
Nutritional Balance
A balanced diet has the right proportions of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fat for an animal’s species and life stage. For example, cats need a higher percentage of dietary protein than dogs do, and growing animals need more calcium than adults do.
 
Pet foods sold as complete and balanced diets must meet nutrient requirements set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). The packaging will include a statement that the product meets AAFCO standards for a certain species and life stage.
 
Products sold as treats don’t have to meet these nutrient requirements. As long as the treats make up less than 10% of the daily calorie intake, their nutrient content isn’t that important. But if treats account for more than 10% of the daily calories, they can unbalance the diet.
 
Treat Ideas
These treats don’t contain many calories and are safe for healthy dogs and cats. If your pet has a food allergy or a medical condition, ask your veterinarian about appropriate treats.

• Small pieces of your pet’s main diet (subtracted from the total daily ration)
• Vegetables: cucumbers, carrots, green beans, celery, squash, etc
• Fruit: apples, bananas, watermelon, blueberries, etc
• Small piece of hardboiled egg, no salt
• Small piece of cooked chicken or turkey with no skin, fat, bones, or salt
• Spoonful of plain nonfat yogurt

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