The poignant videos making waves online today are all about second chances.
When Irish rescue dog Duffy started going blind, Duffy’s caretaker, Benjamin May, said he and his parents (Duffy’s owners) were devastated. May explains that Duffy’s decline seems to be progressing very quickly.
“In about 3 to 5 months, he went from a normal 8-year-old dog to a completely blind dog,” May wrote on Reddit. “I think my heart breaks when I see this dog that I grew up with,” she added. “He’s a really good friend. He bumps into things, he doesn’t recognize me. He just struggles.”
Duffy, now 9, suffers from canine diabetes, which is very similar to human diabetes, meaning his body cannot produce insulin properly, making it difficult for the body to process sugar. There is no cure for this condition.
His owners first suspected Duffy might have diabetes last year when he started urinating a lot in the house, one of the telltale signs of the often debilitating disease.
Sure enough, doctors confirmed the worst: Tamiflu’s blood sugar was alarmingly high. Shortly after her diagnosis, Duffy went blind and was unable to see her loved ones again.
But his dedicated family and skilled veterinarians were not ready to give up the beautiful Irish Terrier. Duffy’s family took medications and monitored Tamiflu’s blood sugar levels until one day veterinarians cleared surgery that would restore Duffy’s eyesight.
“Fortunately, we kept his numbers steady and the doctors said we could do surgery,” May said.
Duffy underwent surgery in January last year and it was successful. His family made sure to keep the cameras running while Duffy’s vet loosened the bandages and gave Duffy a chance to see his loved ones again. Daffy’s joy was beyond words as he wagged his tail to greet Mom and Dad, an improved, if not new, set of eyes.
Duffy’s happy moment went viral. The latest video, uploaded to YouTube on May 14, has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.
May said he’s proud to see how far Duffy has come since the surgery.
“He’s obviously still diabetic, so he still needs insulin injections twice a day, but the surgery to repair his eye was completely successful and there were no problems or complications with his vision,” May told The Huffington Post in Davie.
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