What is the most important thing when it comes to taking care of my dog's eyes?
I think most of our owners are really in tune with their dog's eyes. They're looking at them all the time. It's the first thing they see when they look at their dogs. So they're usually quite aware if there's a problem there with the eyes. The most important thing is just observation. We have people monitor for any discharge, which may be a sign that there's a problem, but not always. And then they should look closer and see if there's any redness in the eye or if there's any cloudiness. In that case, definitely, they should give us a call. If there's any squinting, then we always want to see the dog sooner rather than later, preferably that day, because that may indicate a more serious underlying problem.
Dr. Alan Lewis
DePorre Veterinary Hospital
How does proper eye care impact the health and well-being of my dog?
The most important part is, of course, just monitoring and observation of the eye, determining if there's a problem, and then seeking help in the instance or the times where we need to take a look at the eye to prevent a more serious problem from occurring. Also, we know that a lot of systemic diseases can manifest to the eye. We may see problems in the eye before we see problems elsewhere. So then it's a good thing to look at the eye as well to determine if there's an underlying problem that may need to be addressed.
Should I bring my dog in to see a veterinarian if I suspect a vision problem?
That's a good question. We always want to evaluate the dog if we think that there's any change or loss of vision. At home, it's always a good idea first to try to confirm that by watching the dog move about the house. A lot of the time, vision loss can be slowly progressive, so dogs may acclimate to their surroundings well enough that they can be fairly vision impaired before it becomes evident. You can try moving things around in the house, watching to see if they're bumping into things, watching to see if they're sticking close to walls, that sort of thing. That may be an indication that their vision is impaired. Try those things in normal light and also in dim light because some vision problems may be more evident in dim light than in normal light.
What are some signs and symptoms that my dog may have eye issues?
The direct observation at home is most important, of course. Watching for any discharge. Certainly, redness or cloudiness in the eye is an indication that we may need to look further. If there's any pawing or squinting of the eye, in particular squinting, then that's something that we want to take a look at the dog sooner rather than later, preferably that day. Vision changes are definitely an indication to evaluate the dog, particularly if they're running into things at home or falling along closely along walls, that sort of thing. In that same vein, we can sometimes see some independent movement of the eye where the eye sort of twitches from side to side or up and down, and that may indicate an underlying neurologic problem that we need to evaluate the dog for.
Why is it important to avoid self-diagnosing dog eye issues?
While many eye issues of the dog are relatively minor and we can find out or arrive at a cause pretty quickly on exam, some eye problems can be rapidly progressive and can cause some very serious consequences in very short order, sometimes over a period of 12 to 24 hours. And then there can be a threat to the health of the eye and vision as well. And for that reason, we recommend that if there's a problem, to contact the office. We can work through those problems over the phone a lot of the time. But if it's something that sounds more serious, then we need to evaluate them to see if there may be some medication that's required or other treatments.
How will a veterinarian diagnose a problem with vision or other eye issues in my dog?
So it's a pretty standard exam when we're evaluating the eye. Of course, at first we look at the eye to see if we can see any abnormalities, whether it's in the lids, the lens inside the eye, the cornea, those types of things. From there, we'll evaluate tear production in the eye. And we can also look at the cornea more critically to see if there are any scratches or ulcers by putting a yellow stain in the eye that will adhere to any scratches in the cornea. And then lastly, there's a fairly simple test we can do to detect the pressure in the eye. Most commonly, we're doing that to look for elevated pressures that can be as a result of glaucoma.
If you have any other questions, please give us a call at (248) 646-1669. You can also email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we are able. Don't forget to follow us on social media: Facebook and Instagram
Dog Eye Care - FAQs 1
Dr. Alan Lewis
DePorre Veterinary Hospital
Can my dog get pink eye, and is it contagious to other pets and people?
This is a question that we get a lot. People are familiar with pink eye, which in humans is a conjunctivitis that can be spread from one person to another. I've talked with a number of ophthalmologists about this because sometimes it does really seem as though dogs do have conjunctivitis that can be spread, and they always tell me that's not something that they see. Often, dogs may go away to kennels or to dayboarding or even grooming and come home and have some discharge and the eyes can be kind of itchy, that type of thing. In those situations, by far what's most likely going on is it may be some contaminants or dust or something like that in the environment, or it may be some allergies that are causing the dog to have conjunctivitis. Secondarily, then there can be some bacteria that can take advantage of that situation and cause some discharge and irritation, but it's not something that's in the eye to begin with that can be spread from dog to dog. Normally, I would say definitely can't have a pink eye that a dog can spread from one dog to another, and absolutely not a pink eye that a person or a dog can spread vice versa.
What can I do for my dog that has a cherry eye?
The cherry eye is a common term for a condition that occurs in the third eyelid of the dog where a gland is flipped out of position. The dog has two lids just like people, but then there's a third eyelid that's just inside the lower lid that most of the time is out of sight, but if there's some irritation in the eye or a scratch or something like that, then that third eyelid may be elevated. It may be raised up out of position above the lower lid so that people can see it. There's a gland in that lid that can sort of flip or rise up out of position, and then it may appear like a little pink bean or something like that right up on top of the lower lid and be there where someone can see it. There are some breeds that are more predisposed to this happening. It's generally not an emergency or anything that has to be addressed immediately. Sometimes it will resolve on its own. If the gland is out of position on a regular basis, it can cause some problems with the cornea or the eye itself, and so then we usually recommend a procedure to secure that gland in its normal position to avoid any problems.
Is there such a thing as a vision test for dogs?
Well, sadly not really, so we haven't arrived at a chart yet that dogs will read at least voluntarily, but there are some things we can do to determine what the approximate vision is. Just on a general exam, we can usually tell if some vision is present. It may be fairly limited, but usually that will give us a start. And then to better determine if there's vision present, then we may have to recommend a test that can look at the retina directly and can tell if there are any electric signals being sent from the retina to the brain, and that can tell us if the retina and the optic nerve are active and are working properly. As a matter of interest, dogs see in fewer colors than people. The cones are the part of the retina that allows us to see color. Dogs have two cones while people have three, so dogs really only see in two colors. Sadly for many of us here, that's yellow and blue, where we might hope that they saw green and white or red and gray, but they're limited in their vision and that's kind of what they see. So there are a lot of things that can arise from such a small part of the dog's anatomy, but it can really give us a large window into the dog's overall health.
If you have any other questions, please give us a call at (248) 646-1669. You can also email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we are able. Don't forget to follow us on social media: Facebook and Instagram
Dog Eye Care - FAQs 2
Dr. Alan Lewis
DePorre Veterinary Hospital
Are certain dog breeds more prone to eye issues?
We see quite a few eye problems that are associated with certain breeds. So, starting with the front part of the eye, we see a lot of breeds that are more susceptible to corneal disease because their eyes tend to bulge out more. They may be more susceptible to drying out. Dogs like Pugs and Shih Tzus and so forth. The tear production can be reduced in some dogs. They may get a general loss of tears. Cocker Spaniels, we see that quite commonly, and there may be sometimes some inflammation inside the eye that can start in the pink part of the eye that can jump to one and spread across the eye. German Shepherds are a dog that are well known for that type of problem. We see some problems in the lens in a lot of dogs. Sometimes the lens can move within the eye, which it shouldn't. A lot of small terriers are susceptible to those, and then there are quite a few dogs that are more susceptible to Glaucoma than other breeds. So some of the Sled Dog breeds, the Asian breeds, the Bassets, Beagles, and Cocker Spaniels. Certainly, they're well-represented in that group as well.
How will cataracts be diagnosed in my dog, and what is the treatment?
Cataract formation is a very common question that we get because as dogs age, the lens continues to add layers, and so it will automatically become a little more opaque in all dogs. As dogs age, at around the age of seven, ophthalmologists can detect that change with their specialized equipment. For us here, it's probably closer to eight or so. And then owners can start to detect it probably nine or ten when their dog looks at them in the light or up in the sun. They notice that the center of the eye looks more cloudy, and they're concerned about cataracts. In most cases, this is just an age-related change, but sometimes it is a cataract, and then we may have to evaluate it. There are a number of different causes for cataracts and different types of cataracts. There are a lot of cataracts that are present at birth. They may be very tiny, and we can only see them with a special light. They never progress in size. They don't bother the dog or interfere with vision. Some cataracts can arise as a result of medical problems. So diabetes, for instance, is a disease that can cause rapid onset of cataracts that can be really severe. And injuries and so forth can also cause cataracts. Many cataracts can be managed either just observationally or with medications. If the cataract is becoming more advanced, if it's starting to cause other medical problems, then they may have to be removed.
What is the best way to give my dog their eye medication?
So putting drops in the eye can be pretty simple or pretty much impossible. Some dogs are pretty accepting of getting eye drops, and you can do it in a sort of normal fashion as you would like person to person. Other dogs, we have to use some other techniques so that we're not having to chase them about the house. So in those situations, it's usually best to try to get the dog comfortable and settled facing away from you. And then without letting them see the dropper bottle, to try to gently pull the upper lid back and then drop the drop from above the eye so they don't see the drop coming. Sometimes it's helpful to have another person who can talk to the dog or pet them. That sort of thing to distract them while you're putting the drop in. And in these situations, sometimes a little peanut butter can go a long way as well.
If you have any other questions, please give us a call at (248) 646-1669. You can also email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we are able. Don't forget to follow us on social media: Facebook and Instagram