Does anyone else know anything about this one please? My husband has a fear of dogs - not actually scared of the dogs themselves but he honestly believes that if he touches a dog then he will go blind.

This apparently stems back to when he was a child and watched a Nationwide program about Toxocaracanis and it was saying that this disease is spread from dogs and in some cases it can cause loss of sight.

I love dogs and he actually bought me a wee yorkie about 5 years ago. It was very difficult for him because even if the dog so much as sat beside him, he had to go and change his shirt and trousers. He would then wipe the couch with bleach or dettol. He cannot understand how I can pat the dog and cuddle her and play with her and not be worried about going blind.

This has been enough to instill fear and phobia into him so much so that as the years have gone on the phobia has grown and grown until nowadays he washes his hands with dettol or bleach after touching anything ie., door handles etc.... Most of the time though, he uses rubber gloves.

He gets so angry with tghe rest of us in the family and is constantly telling me that "I better wash my hands with dettol".

He is obsessed with the dogs bottom! - It may sound funny but everytime she comes in from the garden he has to inspect her rear end and is always telling me that she has a dirty bottom and I have to clean it. He then goes on for ages about he is going to be blind by the morning. He then picks at his eyes and does a bizarre routine of snapping his fingers, stamping his feet and whistling. When I asked him why he did that - he said that if he didn't he would go blind.

I know that the behaviour is a bit OCD but my husband wont hear of it. He also says that his is a real phobia that can damage you its not like being afraid of spiders or cotton wool or beans or something like that - he thinks that's just stupid.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks