Why is my old dog suddenly blind, gaining weight, and confused?

Dogs can develop blindness secondary to disease of the brain (central), eye (peripheral) or secondary to systemic disease such as elevated blood pressure or Cushing's disease. If she is able to see now, she may not have been truly blind before or just had trouble seeing at night. A full examination would be needed to help to determine the underlying cause. In the meantime, observe her closely and make notes including changes in behavior, bumping into things, changes in eyes, changes in urination or defecation, appetite and take this information with you to your veterinary appointment.

Pictures can be deceiving but it looks like she may have developed cataracts and i recommend a full vet check as soon as possible to rule out medical causes such as diabetes and other hormonal conditions. Surgical removal is often possible to restore vision

There is no way to know for sure but diabetes, an infected uterus, kidney disease or a possible brain lesion are all options. Diabetes can cause cataracts which leads to sudden blindness along with drinking excessively and vomiting when they ketoscidosis from it. It usually requires days to weeks of hospitalization when that advanced. Kidney disease also causes drinking a lot with vomiting but unrelated to blindness. Since she is not fixed, her uterus can get an infection called a pyometra which allows it to fill with pus. It requires emergency surgery to fix. This too can cause drinking a lot and vomiting. I am sorry you lost your baby and hope this helps bring you comfort.

Hair loss and increased appetite are common causes of an endocrine disorder called Cushings disease. This is a common problem in older dogs and they usually are drinking more water then normal as well. I would highly encourage you to consider having Diamon evaluated by a veterinarian soon. They may recommend blood work to help determine the diagnosis. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

That’s very sad. Sudden blindness can be from high blood pressure causing retinal detachment or diabetic cataracts. She may have had a heart or lung condition that prevented her from getting enough air and chest expansion to bark. Dogs do die from congestive heart failure, complications from heartworm disease and other heart problems. Unfortunately neither of the symptoms you describe are specific enough to know why she died. I’m sorry for your loss. In the future you can request an autopsy by your veterinarian if an animal dies and you want to know the reason. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Sadly, many of the ailments of human senior citizens can also occur in our canine companions. Impaired vision or blindness can occur in dogs and can be due to things like cataracts, glaucoma, etc. The good news is that these diseases, if caught early enough, can be treated and sometimes even reversed or cured! My best advice is to take Baby to your local veterinarian as soon as possible to have a complete ophthalmic examination performed. Some of the tests you should ask for are as follows: a menace test, intraocular tonopen test, schirmer tear test, and fundic exam. I hope this helps. Have a great day.

This is a serious concern and you should take Gunner to a vet ASAP. He may have an infection, tick borne disease such as ehrlichiosis (I have seen sudden blindness caused by Ehrlichia canis) or a problem with blood pressure or ocular pressure. Blood work and a thorough veterinary exam should reveal the cause and then timely treatment can be initiated depending on the diagnosis,