Hi all,

I am looking for some independent advice about a dog which isn't my own. I have a family member who has a Husky of around 12 to 13 years old. It's a male dog and is suffering feom diabetes and has become blind. To me the dog looks depressed, has no energy and although he does find his way around to get outside most of the time quite often if there is someone around or something in the way he struggles to negotiate his surroundings. When it comes to interaction, if offered a hand to sniff or any affection there is now no real response, as if there is no acknowledgement or interest. To me as difficult as it may be it appears the time has come to make the difficult decision and its at the point that continuing with treatment is for the owner rather than the dog. If possible I would like some input from those who have had the dogs and any advice on this elderly time of life, as from my point of view it's now verging on kindness becoming a form of sugar coated cruelty due to the quality of life of the dog.

Unfortunately it is a decision only the owner can take.      The only thing the owner can really do is to ensure that furniture stays in exactly the same place and that nothing blocks the dog's usual route in and out.  The same applies in the garden.  I have had elderly dogs go deaf and very fearful,  one suffered with doggie dementia and became incontinent.  It was us who had to adapt our surroundings and lifestyle.     Just because a dog is blind - does not mean it is the end.   The owner can enrich the dog's other senses,  particularly scent training/rewards, encouraging the dog to explore and find objects/treats etc.   

One of my current dogs has a faulty gene - which means that any fat he eats ends up being deposited in his eyes  (and the right type of fat is one of the foods a dog must have) - and is making him lose his sight  (he is currently 8 years old)  -  whilst he can still see comparatively well in daylight at the moment  -  he has started to stumble occasionally if something is unexpectedly in his way in the garden in twilight/night time.     Furniture is already only around the outside walls of the lounge - nothing is ever in the centre of the room or ever moved.      

Encourage the owner to enrich the dog's life and not just leave him/her,   of a dog's three main senses, it has lost only one, and not his/her main one at that.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. It's reassuring that you have dogs in a similar state and still have the understanding that they have a quality of life which was really what I was looking for.