Pet Forum

Canine blindness can be very sad for the pet owner. Let's define dog blindness and then discuss the causes, symptoms, and treatments for dog blindness.

What is dog blindness? Blindness in dogs, in most cases, is not the result of a sudden and specific event visual event. In the majority of canine blindness cases, the visual acuity loss and deterioration occurs over a period of time unbeknownst to the dog owner. Understanding the causes of dog blindness, initial symptoms in loss of visual acuity, the methods in which dogs compensate for loss of vision and the home cures recommended by canine owners, can improve the life of your dog and provide a healthy and safe environment in which the dog can continue to reside.

What causes a dog to lose his vision? Loss of sight is not always linked to faulty genes, of course. Injuries and tumors can end in blindness, and cataracts are common in diabetic dogs, sometimes leading to secondary glaucoma. Another disease, suddenly acquired retinal-degeneration syndrome, results in rapid, irreversible blindness; its cause is not known, and it is found in all breeds. A condition called dry eye, if left untreated, results in an invasion of brown pigment and blood vessels into the cornea and produces a field of view that is much like the one seen through a muddy windshield. Old age can also lead to loss of sight, though it is not a natural occurrence in advancing years.

What are the symptoms of canine blindness? The actual onset of blindness may be difficult to pinpoint because dogs' senses of hearing and smell can often compensate for a decrease in vision. When one eye is blind, most dogs act and behave normally. The owner may not realize vision has been lost in one eye, until such time as it is decreased in the other eye. If an acute loss of sight occurs in the other eye from a disease or injury, then the dog may seem to go acutely blind.

What dog blindness treatments are available? IMR and SARDS are not the only causes of sudden blindness in dogs, but dogs that do have these diseases now have cause for hope. Whereas in the past, veterinarians had no treatments or explanations to offer such patients, some vets now knows what’s causing the loss of vision, and he’s had some success by treating patients with steroids or a human protein called immunoglobulin. These drugs can suppress the autoimmune attack, but when delivered to the whole body, they can cause side effects such as liver damage.

Pictures of blind dogs:

__________________