Written 3/24/12
Reaching 10 for a Newfoundland must be like reaching 50 for a Hooman. You begin to learn about those changes that are beginning. Fortunately colonoscopies are not being recommended for dogs – yet. If you have heard otherwise, please don’t tell me about it – not quite yet.
If you haven’t had to wear glasses, one of the things that you learn about is that your lens hardens with age, making it more difficult for your muscles to adjust your lens for corrections. One of the things that you may notice is a spray effect around light sources.
Last weekend during the KC show, a friend and I took Jade and Parker to the Plaza at KC. When we went around a corner, Parker began having trouble. He was pulling away from me toward the street and holding his head low, and walking lower in the front. As soon as I realized that the angle of the sun was bothering him, we turned at the next corner, then he was OK again. I decided to take him to the ophthalmologist for an exam. She described similar changes for Parker as had been described for me and suggested Doggles. I smiled and said that I had wondered whether a pair of Maui Jims might help. (When this started for me, I developed a special appreciation for Maui Jim sunglasses. I blew the last pair out of a bag by my grooming table last weekend with the dryer, & they were stepped on!)
When I called Greg to give him the update, he connected the dots rather quickly, “You’re not going to get him a pair of Maui Jim’s!” <g> Probably not, but I would bet that the eye clinic could put lenses with polarized filters in a pair of Doggles. : )
For the most part, we can avoid walking during that time of the day, but when he swims, I would expect that the glare could be bad. We’ll see. But I do need to order some Doggles. I’m thinking he will look handsome in some black frames, especially when he’s wearing his blue denim shirt. (His scratch restraint measure, to protect his elbows.) When Greg saw him wearing the denim shirt, he thought it was a bit startling, that he looked too “human”. <g> Silly Hooman!
Addendum: He first tried to remove the Doggles, but after using them on a walk in bright sunlight, he seems to appreciate them. And of course he looks handsome in his denim shirt and Doggles! He doesn’t stop traffic, but it does slow them down. <g>
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