Blind dog wakes wakes up during the nite and barks continuously

[countrykaren]

if she just wants to eat and that's why she's barking, try keeping a bowl of food nearby for her to eat when she wants it. does she also need to go out? we have senior dogs that bark in the middle of the night because they can't "hold it" thru the night anymore

[twelvepaw]

Originally Posted by sgoldenberg

have a blind and partly deaf spaniel and she is acting the same way, last night I wa up at 2 the 5am with her I am tired frustrated but feel its because she lacks the stimulation that she used to have when she had her sight. am going to speak to my doctor incase she is getting dementia because she also musses up the bed when I lift her she likes to be cool on the floor but perhaps she feels the vibrations on the floor.I am so sorry for your dog but with ours we have come through so much with her as she lost her eyes needed surgery to get rid of painful glaucoma.She is anxious being left and I feel terrible for her.Please help we parents of blind dogs need support with these difficulties-will try the anipryil thankyou

How old is she?
Was she going blind as a result of the glaucoma?
How long ago were here eyes removed?

Dogs rely more on hearing and smell than on sight. Even so, the surgery must have been traumatic for her- even if she was already going blind that is a big difference for her when her eyes were removed. If her surgery was fairly recent she is likely still adapting to the loss of her sight.

My suggestions-
Use her other senses (smell, touch, hearing) to help her orient herself. You may need to experiment to see what she responds to, but be careful not to startle her- she needs to adjust to navigating, sensing, and relating without sight.

Give her multiple signals- when my border collie had lost his sight from cataracts I talked to him, but also used to walk beside him with my hand lightly on his back as a signal that we were going down the 4 steps to the yard, and we also had similar signals for getting into the car, and other daily routines; I also adjusted my behavior to help him understand what was going on- he was very sensitive and responded well to touch.

I know it is easy to get frustrated, but try to imagine how traumatic this has been for her and how brave she is in trying to adjust to this new situation. Can you even begin to imagine being able to see one day and be blind the next day? I can't, but this is what your girl is dealing with.

Be sure to take her out for potty breaks late at night so that she doesn't need to get up at night.

She may be barking at night because she wakes and is disoriented. Does she sleep near you so that you can put your hand out and touch her to reassure her that you are there? I am not clear- did she sleep in bed with you until her surgery? If so, can you bring her back into bed with you- it will likely calm her to be able to feel you there with her. If she potties in the bed when you lift her- hmmmm, again, go out with her and be sure she potties thoroughly before she comes in, and then put her in bed with you.

She may be confusing night and day- to help her put her on a very structured regimen to help her stay oriented. You may need to adjust some of your routines- if you think she is hungry at night then give a bed time snack or give her a stuffed kong at night so she has it if she is hungry.

What is she doing at night that you need to stay up with her? If you are taking her for potty before bedtime and giving her a bed time snack, then she should be set for the night. If she wakes up and needs reassurance then offer it, give her a snuggle, but then she should be able to settle back down again to sleep. If she only likes the floor now because it is cool and she can feel vibrations, then give her one of your tshirts or sweatshirts to sleep with so that she can feel you close to her.

If you provide more information we can give you more specific advice.