Stevie the blind dog: one year later

by Marla and Travis Rian

"People should not be afraid to adopt blind dogs; they are amazing."

Stevie, who just celebrated his first birthday on July 29, has had a medically difficult year working through his diagnosis of Craniomandibular Osteopathy (CMO). His condition causes his skull bones (lower jaw and middle ear areas) to swell, which causes pain and difficulty opening his mouth. The condition also causes high fever and an excessive amount of drool. CMO is an inherited condition common in some breeds of terriers, but it can also be found in Boxers, Labrador Retrievers and Great Danes. Stevie is part Labrador and part German Pointer. With excellent support and care, Stevie is working through his condition. Most dogs with CMO outgrow the condition once they have reached one year of age. We are hopeful his flair-ups will become less frequent, as they have occurred about every 3 weeks from December to July.

Our veterinarian, Dr. Ajaib Dhaliwal and his staff at Michigan Avenue Animal Hospital, have been extraordinary in helping us understand Stevie's condition and helping us work through each CMO episode. Stevie was also seen by a specialist in February, where he had a temporary feeding tube placed in his neck. It really took a team to understand his needs and how to treat Stevie. In addition to medical support, LDDR obtained liquid dog food and supplies to help us with alternative feeding methods. Based on the flare up cycle, sometimes Stevie can only eat liquid or soft foods. Alana Hill at LDDR was a great resource and took my stressful phone calls and tears in stride. I can't say enough how grateful we are to Dr. Dhaliwal, his staff and medical team, and Alana. It really does take a village!

On a non medical update, Stevie has had a busy year. He may be blind but this dog is incredibly smart and fearless! He is the youngest of 4 and plays and wrestles with all of the other dogs in our house. He has our house and backyard memorized and it is amazing to see him run around our fireplace or chase his sister in the backyard. He likes to go on walks, and even graduated from Puppy Class this past winter. He can sit and stay and knows where we keep the dog treats. He knows his name and comes when he is called. Stevie has also learned how to swim and loves it! In the summer months he gets to swim in the Huron River and just naturally takes off (its that lab/pointer breed!). Mostly he loves to eat sticks, explore and play with our other rescues: Midnight, Mocha, and Woody. He likes to sleep in bed, stretched out long in the middle. All 60 pounds of him! Funny thing is he sleeps with his eyes covered.

People should not be afraid to adopt blind dogs; they are amazing. It took a little longer to potty train him, and training is all via voice commands, but with patience he was able to catch on. Having other dogs in the house also helped as they were teachers to Stevie, too. He is still a pup though and often times will eat toilet paper or an occasional book.

We love him and could not imagine our lives without him.

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