Looking for advice on a blind puppy
 

I have a couple of litters of puppies and one of the puppies, I believe is blind.
Just looking for some input.
I cannot keep it..just thinking of what I should do with him.
I am thinking of bringing it to the SPCA as I feel they will have the best ability to find someone able and willing to take it on.
has anyone dealt with a blind puppy before?
any experiences would be appreciated.

I would suggest you find someone rather than passing it off to the SPCA. That's no place for a pup, especially with a disability. Puppies need socialization at that age, not a concrete cell.

True, I just thought they would have the best ability to find someone because of the amount of people that go through the place.
I am not trying to pass the buck.
I can appreciate your concern and will definitely keep in mind.

I would take him to the vet first to have him checked out. I would also ask the vet if they know of any organizations they could recommend rather than the SPCA. There are people who will foster care for a dog until their forever home is found, better care would be available for him and they tend to do more to ensure the people and dog are a good match.

A story for you, when we were in Belize, we did a cave tour. Our guide brought one dog with us, who led the way. This dog was 100% blind and got around with no problems in the jungle. Was absolutely amazing to see!

Good luck to you and your pup!

Can you not keep it because it is blind or just the puppies in general?

I cannot keep anymore dogs in general, not because it is blind

What type of dog is it?

it is a boston terrier

Take a look here.. Tons of good info.
I would think it would make a good pet for someone retired who had some extra time for him/her. Please make sure it goes to a loving home and not a puppy mill breeder!

http://www.blinddogs.com/support.htm

he is a male, so puppy mills probably won't be interested
thanks for the links
I will check them out.
thanks
Neal

thought I would post a pic of the little guy

How old is he Neil?

he is now about 4 and 1/2 weeks
he is about a 1/3 of the size of the other puppies.

Being the runt of the litter & only 4 1/2 weeks his eyesight might not have developed yet. All our runt of the litters of our Huskies where always a little behind the others in development. Give it some more time, another week at least & do a reaction test by waving your hand towards his face.

I know my friend has been wanting so one but she might be willing to take it. I'll ask and get back to you

Your puppy looks like a "Zincer" to me, which means it cannot absorb Zinc.. It needs to go to the vet as soon as possible. This is not normal and the puppy will not live very long.

maybe get him a seeing eye dog?
(sorry had to)

Whytey
thanks for the info.
I will talk to my vet about it..there are some similarities
thanks
Neal

i am related (not by choice) to a person at the humanesociety.... unfortunatly... they wouldn't find your puppy a home.. it would be put down.
do you have any friends you could give it to?

Flash, I have actually had a couple of offers of homing from this thread already.

I am going to be bringing all the puppies to the vet within the week to get their first shots.once the vet looks him over, I will have a much better idea of what I am dealing with.

even if it is a "zincer" puppy, they can't start treatment apparently until they are 6 weeks old from what I read online.

It looks like I should be able to find him a great home.

if that is the case for the SPCA, I would not bring him there.

unless, unfortunately, putting him down is in the best interest of the puppy due to medical concerns.

At this point, I am just trying to do what is best for the puppy.

I just want him to have a good life.

i do have to say, Neal produces some of the nicest bostons around!!! i really hope someone here can take him!!!

Just an update
it does not look like the puppy is completely blind.
he does react to light and appears to have some vision in his one eye
unfortunately he is not doing well.
he is dehydrated despite every effort of mine to keep him going.
Now I am getting up every 2 or 3 hours and sticking him on one of the moms to suckle for a while and trying to give him water via pippette.
the vet did not really give him much hope
I am separated him from the other puppies because he gets trampled far too often.
now, he is staying in his own area with a heat pad.
at night he cries because he is lonely so he now sleeps on my bed with the other dogs.
not cool because now I am becoming attached to him and will be ****ed if he doesn't make it.
for those that have stated that they are willing to look at giving him a home, I want to keep him with the mother for as long as possible because right now it is the only thing he will eat.
I will keep everyone posted.
keep your fingers crossed for him.
thanks
Neal

Did Shannon get ahold of you? I thought they were going to take him? I know her husband had already told his co-workers about the puppy. I'm praying he pulls through. Any way to bottle feed to help gain nutriance?

I have tried pretty much everything to get him up to snuff.
it is very difficult to feed a puppy that does not want to eat.
I have been in touch with Shannon
However, I have been honest with her and looking at all homing options.
I have other people who have someone who is home all the time.
realistically that may be the best solution due to the fact of the puppy's condition.
but until he is eating foods on his home, he is staying with me.

Makes sense, best of luck with him, I hope he makes it.