Day 56
Itβs eye exam day today! βAuntieβ Nav, Elfin and the puppies all went in for their eye checks. There are some genetic eye conditions that are only apparent between 7-10 weeks, that if missed can lead to more severe cases if affected dogs are bred, where their puppies would be partially or fully blind, so PADS has our litters checked out by an ophthalmologist to make sure everything is okay. Our breeders and puppies-in-training are checked yearly to make sure they donβt develop later-onset eye conditions.
Because of COVID restrictions, we couldnβt wait in the clinic, and the puppies had to go in one-by-one. While we were waiting, we watched (with blurred vision because of the eye drops) and listened to traffic going by on Columbia St, including trucks, and the puppies got fed treats while calmly observing the proceedings.
These pups are going out to puppy-raising during a time when COVID is disrupting our normal way of socializing puppies, but outings such as these, where pups get to observe the environment from a safe distance and they stay under-threshold (not stressed or overwhelmed), are really valuable in building an acceptance of novelty which will stand them in good stead as assistance dogs.
Everyoneβs eyes are healthy!
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