A TikTok video showing a senior dog waking up confused and unable to see has moved people to tears, as it has drawn attention to the common complication of canine diabetes.
Pet parent Joe LaMancuso began managing his senior dog’s diabetes over the summer, he shared in the comment section of his September 30 TikTok video. This includes giving his 12-year-old dog, Oreo, two daily insulin shots, using a glucose reader and having him eat a special diet.
Diabetes is a chronic disease caused by high blood sugar due to insulin problems, affecting humans and animals alike. In dogs, the most common form is diabetes mellitus, or sugar diabetes, according to an article from the American Kennel Club. Most dogs are diagnosed after age five, though it can occur at any age. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial, as uncontrolled diabetes can lead to cataracts, liver enlargement, urinary tract infections, seizures, kidney failure and ketoacidosis.
Oreo’s blindness seemed “sudden” to LaMancuso, as if it happened overnight. In the heartbreaking video, Oreo sits by his food bowl, unsure where to go or what to do. His head hung down in defeat. Trying to stay positive, LaMancuso wrote in the caption: “Hang in there, my lil prince, there’s still so much to smell and hear!!!”
Eye problems are common in dogs with diabetes. According to an article from South Texas Veterinary Ophthalmology, 75 percent of dogs will develop cataracts within 12 months of a diabetes mellitus diagnosis, and blindness can progress quickly when severe or left untreated.
Oreo is now learning how to navigate this new normal. A separate video shows LaMancuso taking his dog on a walk, and how Oreo is gradually adjusting and becoming more cautious. Pet parents are advised to maintain routines and avoid moving household items, including food bowls, to help blind dogs orient themselves.
And while some canines can use their other senses to help them through, LaMancuso shared in a comment that Oreo’s hearing has started to go, too, making adaptation even more challenging.
With over 101,400 views, 8,811 likes and 214 comments, TikTok users flooded the video with their heartbreak for how scary it must be for not only the owner, but Oreo.
“That’s so sad. Please give him a cuddle and belly rub from me,” wrote one person.
Another added: “So sorry. It’s so hard watching them get older. Hugs, stay strong for your baby!!”
LaMancuso said Oreo became cuddly for the first time after his vision went. He slept next to LaMancuso that night.
Newsweek reached out to LaMancuso via email for additional information and comment.
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