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Leann is a 4 1/2 yr old lab. I have been swimming her (indoor pool) year round for the past 18 months. The routine is, I throw a red bumper and she retrieves it. She has never missed it.
In the last 3-5 weeks, all that has changed. I have been throwing the bumper, she watches it land, then she turns to look at me (while she's already in the water). She seems to be looking for me to throw it, even though I already did. I point at it, she looks around and looks back at me. Eventually she spots it and retrieves the bumper. At times, she actually comes back out of the water spots it then goes back in to retrieve it. Leann is a passionate swimmer, but only swims for one purpose, she needs something to retrieve.
At first, I thought her reaction from bowel stimulation. She has in the past, stopped using her back legs, looked at me and that's my cue to take her out for a quick potty break. We come back in and it's business as usual. The past 3 weeks, she still had problems locating the bumper after going out for her potty break.
I started throwing the bumper closer to her. This past week, she also had problems (50% of the time) finding the bumper even though it landed a foot in front of her.
My second theory was that the wake in the water was too high and she couldn't see it. That theory was dispelled this week, when there was little to no wake at all.
She has no vision problems that I am aware if. She finds and retrieves tennis balls in the grass. She moves around freely at night. No hesitancy getting on and off the bed, or moving from room to room at night. She seems to be able to spot rabbits on our evening walks, but not as easily at dusk.
I will be taking her to a veterinary ophthalmologist for an exam this weekend. I also bought bumpers in new colors other than red for the next swim, though I really don't think it's a color issue. If it were, why would she have trouble finding the same bumper after 18 months of finding it with no problem.
I was wondering, Is there another possible explanation for her not being able to locate the bumper? I was trying to figure out if she was distracted by something? The only thing new is our car. She has to use a ramp now to get in and out. She also has to ride in the cargo area, instead of the back seat. I still can't imagine this being enough to interfere with her one true passion. I mean this dog refuses treats when she's fetching bumpers in water. She is very intense when it comes to her swims.
My only other theory is that seasonal allergies could be affecting her vision. I know it bothers mine sometimes.
I hope it's not early vision loss. But if it isn't, I can't imagine what would cause her to lose a bumper 12 inches from her face.
Any thoughts?
In the last 3-5 weeks, all that has changed. I have been throwing the bumper, she watches it land, then she turns to look at me (while she's already in the water). She seems to be looking for me to throw it, even though I already did. I point at it, she looks around and looks back at me. Eventually she spots it and retrieves the bumper. At times, she actually comes back out of the water spots it then goes back in to retrieve it. Leann is a passionate swimmer, but only swims for one purpose, she needs something to retrieve.
At first, I thought her reaction from bowel stimulation. She has in the past, stopped using her back legs, looked at me and that's my cue to take her out for a quick potty break. We come back in and it's business as usual. The past 3 weeks, she still had problems locating the bumper after going out for her potty break.
I started throwing the bumper closer to her. This past week, she also had problems (50% of the time) finding the bumper even though it landed a foot in front of her.
My second theory was that the wake in the water was too high and she couldn't see it. That theory was dispelled this week, when there was little to no wake at all.
She has no vision problems that I am aware if. She finds and retrieves tennis balls in the grass. She moves around freely at night. No hesitancy getting on and off the bed, or moving from room to room at night. She seems to be able to spot rabbits on our evening walks, but not as easily at dusk.
I will be taking her to a veterinary ophthalmologist for an exam this weekend. I also bought bumpers in new colors other than red for the next swim, though I really don't think it's a color issue. If it were, why would she have trouble finding the same bumper after 18 months of finding it with no problem.
I was wondering, Is there another possible explanation for her not being able to locate the bumper? I was trying to figure out if she was distracted by something? The only thing new is our car. She has to use a ramp now to get in and out. She also has to ride in the cargo area, instead of the back seat. I still can't imagine this being enough to interfere with her one true passion. I mean this dog refuses treats when she's fetching bumpers in water. She is very intense when it comes to her swims.
My only other theory is that seasonal allergies could be affecting her vision. I know it bothers mine sometimes.
I hope it's not early vision loss. But if it isn't, I can't imagine what would cause her to lose a bumper 12 inches from her face.
Any thoughts?