SMOOCHIE Cairn Terrier Princeton Junction, NJ

Meet Smoochie!
Smoochie is a very pretty 9 yo female Cairn Terrier who was surrendered to CRUSA after her owner died. She is sweet and licks your hands but does not give kisses. Her favorite activity is to think about her next meal. She loves to eat and it shows in her weight!

Smoochie has Ocular Melanosis and Glaucoma and is now Blind
Smoochie was diagnosed with Ocular Melanosis (OM) in September 2013. OM is a relatively rare but inherited condition that affects Cairn Terriers only, in which both eyes start producing too much pigment, the pigment accumulates and results in a high Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP), also known as glaucoma. To treat it, Smoochie is given 2 (and sometimes 3) sets of eye drops, 2 to 3 times a day. If in the future the eye drops are not able to control the high IOP, it is possible that her eye(s) will need to be surgically removed, as an uncontrolled high IOP is painful to the dog. As a result of the glaucoma and the damage to the ocular nerves caused by the increased IOP, Smoochie has lost her eyesight and bumps into things. She also has become less tolerant of young dogs that want to lick her or that get too close to her muzzle.

Eye Drops
Smoochie is very good at letting you put the eyedrops in her eyes. The eye drops that she requires are Dorzolamide HCL 2% and Timolol 0.5% and they cost $15 each on the Walgreens Prescription Plan, which does cover pets. She will require these eyedrops for the rest of her life. The 3rd eye drop is Latanoprost 0.005% and that one costs $60.

I Am Housetrained But Can Exhibit Submissive Urination
Smoochie is housetrained but can exhibit submissive urination when greeting you as you come home if you use a baby voice or a high pitched voice to greet her. This is a behavior where the dog leaks a little bit of urine out of excitement or to acknowledge that you are higher in the pack rank. In her foster home, she uses a doggie door to let herself out into the fully-fenced backyard and ramps to go from the deck to the grassy area.

Smoochie Needs to Lose Weight.
Smoochie tends to gain weight easily and does not like to walk a lot, especially now that she is blind, so it is difficult for her to lose the weight she gains. She will need to be put on a diet. She currently weights 25 lbs and should probably weigh only 17 lbs.

Ideal Home
Smoochie is comfortable and well cared for in her foster home and we do not want to upset her world unless the adoptive home is experienced with blind dogs and can offer her an environment where she will be safe and will be able to learn to navigate the new terrain. A retired, stay-at-home or work-from-home parent is preferred. In her foster home, Smoochie has a set routine and knows where everything is, where she is fed, where she sleeps, where the doggie door that leads to the fenced backyard is, where the ramps that lead to the grassy area are, what time she gets her meals, what time she gets her eyedrops, what treats she gets after getting the eyedrops, etc. She navigates the house as if she could see and you only notice that she is 100% blind when something is moved and she bumps into it. She greets you in the morning and wags her tail when she feels you are there.

I Am Up To Date!
Smoochie is spayed, up to date on her vaccines, microchipped, has been tested for heartworm disease, and is on a monthly heartworm preventative.

Where is Smoochie Now?
Smoochie is being fostered in a private home in Princeton Junction, NJ.