It’s important to “keep an eye out” for signs of eye damage or discomfort and to get ahead of any developing eye conditions before they worsen. Poor eye health and loss of sight can be a sign of underlying health issues, so it’s always best to bring your concerns to a vet right away.
Here are some of the most common eye problems that occur in canines, along with some helpful hints on what course of action to take. Of course, if the eye health challenges you face with your dog are serious enough, you may want to consider getting the opinion of a veterinary ophthalmologist. Before we go down that road, lets take a look at some problems that cause poor vision in dogs.
Also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, dry eye in dogs occurs when the tear ducts aren’t producing enough lubrication. This makes it difficult for the canine eye to naturally eliminate any dust and debris, causing irritation. If not properly treated, dry eye in dogs can lead to scratches to various parts of the eye anatomy and even corneal ulcers.
It’s never easy when your dog begins to experience health problems as a result of their age, but recognizing the signs early on can significantly reduce the chances of such issues becoming more serious concerns. But when it comes to the factors that could be causing poor vision or loss of sight, it’s not just older dogs that we should be concerned about — there are a number of ophthalmic conditions that can occur at any time in a dogs life. Whats more, genetic blindness and other eye health issues can affect all breeds of dog.
In some cases, your dogs regular doctor may believe they have an advanced case of glaucoma and refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist. Don’t assume the worst. Keep in mind that this type of veterinarian knows more about dog eyes than anyone, and that means a quicker resolution and recovery for your furry friend.
PRA appears during puppyhood in the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Cairn Terrier, Collie, Gordon Setter, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Miniature Schnauzer and Norwegian Elkhound. In contrast, some breeds usually donât develop PRA until adulthood. These include the American Cocker Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel, Labrador Retriever, Lhaso Apso, Miniature Poodle, Portuguese Water Dog, Tibetan Spaniel and Tibetan Terrier. PRA occurs mostly in males in the Siberian Husky and Samoyed. Genetic tests for PRA are available for several breeds.Related article
To understand eye problems in dogs, it helps to know a little bit about how their eyes function. A dogâs eyes work much like a camera. Light enters through the pupil, and the iris controls the amount of light allowed in. Light then passes through the cornea and lens, which focus the light on the retina, a layer containing color-sensitive cones and motion- and light-sensitive rods, which convert light into electrical signals. The cones and rods send these signals via the optic nerve to the brain, which constructs an from them. Related article
Most often, dogs get glaucoma because they inherited an eye structure that leads to poor drainage. Dog breeds in which primary (inherited) glaucoma occurs include the Alaskan Malamute, American Cocker Spaniel, Basset Hound, Beagle, Boston Terrier, Bouvier des Flandres, Chow Chow, Dalmatian, English Cocker Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel, Great Dane, Labrador Retriever, Norwegian Elkhound, Poodle (all sizes), Samoyed, Shar-Pei, Shih Tzu, Siberian Husky, and Welsh Springer Spaniel.Related article
âProgressive retinal atrophyâ (PRA) is the name for a group of retinal disorders in which rods and cones die off; there is no treatment. Dogs who get PRA do so because theyâve inherited a defective gene. Although PRA strikes more than 100 breeds of dogs, different genes are responsible. Therefore, breeds differ in the age at which the condition appears, how fast the condition progresses, and the ratio of males to females among affected dogs.Â
They canât take in as many colors as you can, but their world isnât just black and white.
What Is That Membrane in My Dog’s Eye?
Also known as the nictitating membrane or haw, the dogs third eyelid is something most owners arent aware of until they see it for the first time. All dogs have this membrane found in the inner corner of the eye, but it is typically noticed only when it is drawn horizontally across part of the eye. Its color varies depending on the dogs breed and can range from clear to cloudy.
Top 10 Most Common Eye Conditions In Dogs | How To Treat Eye Infections In Dogs | Vet Explains
If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then it is no wonder we get worried when we notice cloudy eyes in dogs. After all, we don’t want our dogs to lose their vision or be uncomfortable.
When you see dogs with cloudy eyes, it may be a natural part of the aging process. But cloudy eyes in dogs can also can be a symptom of a number of eye problems. Trying to distinguish between what is normal and what is a problem can be tricky. While your veterinarian is your best source of information about your dog’s eye health, it helps to know what types of problems can cause a cloudy appearance in your dog’s eyes, and any other symptoms you can look out for.
The most common causes of cloudy eyes in senior dogs are nuclear sclerosis and cataracts. However, there are some other conditions that can also create a cloudy appearance in your dog’s eyes that require immediate veterinary attention.
As dogs age, some cloudiness is normal. “Most dogs, with age, develop a haze within the lens similar to cataracts, called nuclear sclerosis,” says veterinary ophthalmologist Martin Coster, DVM, MS, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (DACVO). “Unlike cataracts,” Coster says, “this condition rarely causes vision impairment. However, focusing ability may become impaired.”
It is easy to confuse cataracts and nuclear sclerosis. Both conditions cause the lens to appear cloudy, but there are a few differences. Nuclear sclerosis usually gives your dog’s eyes a cloudy, bluish discoloration, unlike cataracts, which are white and opaque.
More important, nuclear sclerosis (also called lenticular sclerosis) does not significantly diminish your dog’s vision the way cataracts do. It tends to affect both eyes at the same time. The two conditions look different when your veterinarian examines your dog’s eyes with an ophthalmoscope.
Nuclear sclerosis is a change in the lens of the eye that normally occurs with aging. There is no treatment needed because the condition does not cause serious problems, but it might be a good idea to discuss your dog’s aging eyes with your veterinarian, so that you know what to expect as your dog grows older.
“It is often common for dogs who have nuclear sclerosis to also develop cataracts,” says Dr. Jerry Klein, AKC chief veterinary officer. “If your dog develops nuclear sclerosis, your vet will want to conduct regular check-ups to look for cataracts.”
Dogs develop cataracts just like people do. These white, milky changes to your dog’s lens are the result of abnormal lens metabolism. The lens in both dog eyes and human eyes acts like a camera lens, focusing light on the film at the back of the eye, called the retina, where the brain then processes the information to form a picture of the world around it.
The lens is made up of water and protein. These materials are organized in a very specific way, and when the proteins start to clump together, either as the result of age or trauma, they can form cataracts. These protein strands gradually obscure the lens, making it harder for your dog to see and in some cases causing total blindness.
There are a variety of causes of cataracts in dogs, including age, trauma, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, and genetics.
Cataracts can obscure your dog’s vision. Sometimes they do not pose any additional problems beyond vision loss itself, but other times they can lead to an even more serious issue – glaucoma. “Prompt diagnosis is important. There is a surgical solution for cataracts, but it is best to do this as early in their formation as possible,” says Dr. Klein.
Glaucoma in dogs occurs when the pressure inside the eye increases, resulting in damage to the structures in the eye. This condition is painful, and very high intraocular (inside the eyes) pressure is considered a veterinary emergency, as it can lead to permanent damage to the optic nerve and vision loss.
A cloudy eye is not the only symptom of glaucoma. You may also notice that the white of the eye is red and irritated, or that there is a bulge to the eye, a blue or red tint to the cloudiness, increased discharge, squinting, a dilated pupil, and most alarmingly, loss of vision. Dogs are good at compensating for loss of vision in one eye by relying on the other eye, so it is often difficult to detect.
Glaucoma is usually diagnosed with a tool called a tonometer. “It’s important for your veterinarian or a veterinary ophthalmologist to determine whether a dog is suffering from primary or secondary glaucoma, because treatment may vary for each type,” says Dr. Klein. “Proper and prompt examination is also important because a dog with glaucoma in one eye is at high risk for getting glaucoma in the other eye.”
In cases where medication fails, your veterinarian may recommend laser therapy, eye removal, implants to facilitate drainage, gentamicin (an antibiotic) injections, and cyclocryotherapy (a procedure used to reduce the production of intraocular fluid.) In severe cases, a surgical procedure may be necessary to address the cause of the secondary glaucoma or to make your dog more comfortable.
Some cloudy eyes in dogs look like they have actual clouds in the lens, while others might look like there is something on the surface of your dog’s eye clouding it up. Severe cases of dry eye can lead to corneal ulceration and scarring, which falls into the second category.
Dry eye, or keratoconjunctivitis sicca, occurs when your dog’s body does not produce enough tears. Tears are necessary for lubrication and overall eye health, as the aqueous solution is how your dog’s eyes receive necessary nutrients. When your dog is not producing enough tears, the surface of her eyes becomes irritated. Ulcers can form, and in severe cases lead to perforation of the eye itself. In chronic cases of dry eye, the surface can scar, creating a cloudy, dull appearance.
Most cases of dry eye result from an abnormal reaction of the body’s immune system. Some breeds are more susceptible to dry eye than others, such as Yorkshire Terriers and Pugs.
There are other symptoms of dry eye besides cloudy eyes. These include mucous discharge, redness around the whites of the eye, swelling of the tissue on the surface of the eye and eyelids, and squinting or excessive blinking. Dry eye is often associated with an autoimmune inflammation of the tear glands and can be a chronic, lifelong condition. Diagnosis includes an eye exam and sometimes a test to measure the amount of tear production and moisture in the eye.
Luckily, dry eye can usually be treated with tear-stimulating medications and topical antibiotics, and in severe cases there are surgical options available to help promote increased tear production. “If diagnosed early, treated consistently, and monitored regularly by a veterinarian, dogs who have dry eye can be pain-free,” reports Dr. Klein.
Ulcers that form as a result of dry eye, trauma from rubbing the eye on a rough surface or being scratched by another animal, bacterial or viral infections, or other ophthalmic problems, like entropion (inward folding eyelids) or distichia (problematically placed hairs) can also create a cloudy appearance in your dog’s eye.
Ulcers are sores on your dog’s cornea (the membrane on the front of the eye). As they progress, they may appear bluish, reddish, or just as a haze on the surface of your dog’s eye. Like other serious eye problems, corneal ulcers can be painful and are often accompanied by discharge and squinting. If they become infected, they can lead to severe damage and even perforation.
To diagnose a corneal ulcer, the veterinarian will use a fluorescein stain test, and sometimes samples will be taken to be cultured. Ulcers are usually treated with medicated drops to prevent infection and relieve pain, and in severe cases may require surgery to save your dog’s eye, so it is best to get your dog to the veterinarian as soon as you notice signs of ocular discomfort, like squinting or rubbing at the eye with a paw.
Anterior uveitis can also cause a cloudy appearance in your dog’s eyes. The uvea refers to the part of the eye that is made up of the choroid, ciliary body, and iris — the tissue at the front of the eye. Anterior uveitis is inflammation of one or all of these structures, and it is a serious condition that can lead to irreversible vision loss.
Symptoms of anterior uveitis include redness, discharge, squinting, an oddly shaped pupil, eyeball swelling, excessive tearing, and a cloudy or dull appearance.
This painful condition can have a number of causes, including autoimmune disease, cancer, trauma, metabolic disease, parasites, and fungal, viral, and bacterial infections. Your veterinarian may run a series of diagnostic tests to narrow down the culprit. Treatment will depend on the cause, and could include eye drops, eye ointments, and oral medications.
Some dogs develop a condition called corneal dystrophy, which gives their cornea an opaque, cloudy appearance. This common condition is inherited, and is broken down into three types depending on the location in the eye: epithelial, stromal, and endothelial.
Epithelial corneal dystrophy affects the superficial layers of the cornea. This condition can be uncomfortable, and Shetland Sheepdogs appear to be the most susceptible breed.
Endothelial corneal dystrophy affects the deepest corneal layer. Dogs with this condition are typically middle-aged or older, and Boston Terriers. Chihuahuas, and Dachshunds are genetically predisposed. This type of dystrophy can lead to corneal ulcers.
The veterinarian will use a microscope with a bright light to identify the type of corneal dystrophy your dog has, as well as a fluorescein stain to examine the details of the eye, and may prescribe antibiotic eye medications. The appearance of cloudy eyes may continue. Both epithelial and endothelial cornea dystrophy can cause ulcers that require treatment, but there is no cure for corneal dystrophy. This condition usually does not lead to compromised vision.