Diabetes and Blindness are not the end of the world
by Stephen, Kamas, UT
Tucker is an 10 year old border collie that acquired diabetes two years ago. He developed cataracts within 4 months of his diagnosis. For whatever reason, blindness came quick for him. I elected to do the surgery to remove the cataracts because of his age, 8 is not too old, and he's always been an active dog; at first, it was great, he could see clearly, but soon after, he developed glaucoma and sever migraine headaches.
His eyes had to be removed. I didn’t think he could be blind, however, my vet told me to give him a chance because he is such a good dog. Having a dark face, its hard to tell he’s blind, and it usually surprises people to learn that he is; because he gets around so well. If we are hiking a trail, I can take him off leash and he usually leads. We have a few verbal commands that he has learned to obey.
He’s such a loving dog, I’ve made him into a therapy dog and people are drawn to him, especially people in hospitals or hospice centers. This dog has taught me so much about life, and he inspires all those he meets. Diabetes and blindness are not the end of the world, and I’m grateful to be able to care for this animal.
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