(Commonwealth Union)_When you look into your dog’s eyes, you are communicating with his or her soul. But, when you stare, can you tell if he or she has an eye problem? Usually, the answer is no. Dogs will strive to disguise suffering, even eye pain, and if they become blind in one eye, they will switch to using the other. Dogs must lose at least 80% of their vision before they create visible visual errors.
This implies that dog owners usually find their pets’ eye problems later in the disease’s progression, rather than earlier. For this reason, we are taking a look at what you can do to help keep your dog’s eyes healthy, as well as how to spot problems.
It’s critical to understand the anatomy of your dog’s eyes so that if they appear odd, you can seek veterinarian care.
The sclera is the white portion of the eye that rims the “clear windshield” part of the eye (cornea). A thin pink membrane (conjunctiva) covers the sclera and can become inflamed and swollen (e.g. with allergies). Sclera is normally white at the top of the eye and somewhat pink at the bottom.
It is critical to understand how your dog’s eyes seem in their natural form. Take baseline reference photographs as well as photos/videos of any eye concerns that you are concerned about. The eyes of a dog should be bright, sparkling, clear, and of similar size. The pupils should be the same size as well.
In the dark, flash a light into your dog’s eyes to see what the “eye-shine” in the pupil space looks like. If it appears foggy, this could indicate the development of cataracts. If discharge is present, consider whether it is moist, sticky, ropy, or crusty, as well as its colour: is it clear, grey, yellow, green, red, brown, or reddish-brown? When are you going to watch it? Is it present all the time, or only in the mornings?
Discharge is common in normal dog eyes; some healthy dogs have a little grey bead of discharge or a small dry grey/brown crust (“sleeper”) near the inside corner of the eye. Contact your veterinarian if the discharge becomes profuse or changes colour.
The type and intensity of eye pain vary depending on the problem:
A corneal ulcer, for example, creates an acute, stabbing discomfort.
A deep, persistent, throbbing ache is caused by intraocular inflammation (uveitis) or a lens sliding out of position (anterior lens luxation).
A dull, migraine-like pain is caused by increased intraocular pressure (glaucoma).
When it comes to pain, dogs can be either tough or sissy. Squinting is always a warning sign, although some dogs with eye pain do not squint and instead sleep more, move less, and/or eat less.
Excessive discharge can occur in conjunction with clinical indications of eye discomfort. As previously stated, eye discharge might be grey, yellow, green, or crimson. Its consistency might range from watery to stringy or thick like pus (i.e. mucopurulent discharge). The discharge can be clean as well, but it may leave a reddish-brown mark around the eye. If one of the eyes is held somewhat more closed or entirely closed, there is an issue. If your dog rubs at either eye with a paw or on the carpet or sofa, this is another indicator of pain.
