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Blindness is a partial or total loss of vision that can be present from birth or happen suddenly due to injury or illness, or gradually due to old age or progressive diseases such as cataracts, retinal degeneration and glaucoma.

Gradual loss of vision can be hard to detect, but here are a few signs:

Though blindness can be a congenital condition or part of the aging process, the following conditions can also lead to vision loss in dogs:

Your vet can give your dog a preliminary exam and, if necessary, recommend a veterinary ophthalmologist who will perform a complete exam, during which hell look closely at a dogs retina and the outer parts of his eye.

Elderly dogs of all breeds can suffer from vision loss. Progressive retinal atrophy is most common in cocker spaniels, collies, Irish setters, Norwegian elkhounds, schnauzers and poodles, but can affect any breed. Collie eye anomaly usually affects collie breeds and retinal dysplasia is commonly seen in beagles and Labrador retrievers. Breeds that are predisposed to glaucoma include American cocker spaniels, basset hounds, Chow Chows and Labrador retrievers.

You can help your dog feel secure in his surroundings by providing a stable, accident-free environment.

Pet parents should not let eye infections go untreated and any signs of diabetes should be investigated. Cataracts should also be monitored by a veterinarian.

Loss of vision in dogs can be reversible, depending on the cause. Cataracts, which cause mild to total vision loss, can be removed by surgery. Veterinary ophthalmologists commonly perform cataract removals and are able to restore vision in their canine patients.

Immediately! If you even have a small suspicion your dogs eyesight might be failing, see your vet right away. Very often, one eye will fail first and the other will compensate, which makes it difficult to tell there is any loss of vision. If you see any changes in your dogs orientation or ability to locate places and objects, go for a check-up.

See more here:
Blindness | ASPCA

This entry was posted on September 1, 2015 at 12:41 am and is filed under Blindness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |