3/17/2009

Blindness...

Well, I've been putting off writing this post because it's not good news! And sometimes I like to believe that if I don't talk about it, it's not real. However, the purpose of the blog is to keep people updated on what's going on in our lives and I suppose that includes the not-so-good happenings as well.
Geoff and I found out on Saturday that Rubio has gone completely blind. :-( He has what they call Retinal Detachment and it is a genetic condition that is rare, but is seen in Shih Tzus and a handful of other dogs. There is potentially a surgery that they can do to reattach the retina, but we are waiting to hear from a vet in California as to whether Rubio is a good candidate for this procedure.
Rubio is handling the transition like a pro. He's a bit clumsier than he used to be (which, for those of you who know him, was already pretty clumsy) and a bit more tentative. Walks outside can be kind of scary with all that noise! But, he's happy as ever and loves to go for car rides and walks and chew on his toys (although fetch is understandably no longer in his fortay).
We love our little guy and sight or no sight, he's going to be the most loved dog around! Please send your prayers and love his way. I know he's a dog, but he can still feel love and comfort.

3 comments:

  1. Oh man. Poor Rubio. Has he been blind for awhile? Was it gradual? What made you think to go into the vet? We will pray for him. He has some great little friends that live upstairs from you that will put their hearts into some serious prayer as well.

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  2. Our best guess is that he became completely blind on Thursday or Friday last week (03/12 or 03/13), but we don't know how long previous to that it's been diminishing. It's possible he's only had sight in one eye for quite some time.
    We went to the vet because we could tell that he wasn't seeing things right. He's so smart, that we didn't think that he was completely blind, just having a very hard time seeing. We were surprised when we got the news!
    Rubio is so lucky to have such great friends upstairs!
    Thanks!

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  3. Well, you know how I feel about all this. Rubio is in all of our prayers here, too. He shows up even more than you do(!) He's fortunate to have a good mama like you. I'll have to order him a beeping toy. Then it's back to fetch!

    XO to Rube from Rube.

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