Blind Dogs: What To Consider?

Tips: how to overcome the day today

Blind dogs have extremely limited vision, so they need our help daily. We give you seven tips to help your dog and improve his quality of life despite blindness:

avoid noise

If your dog has gone blind, he may become more skittish than other dogs. Keep this in mind and try to avoid loud and sudden noises. Announce your arrival before entering the room.

Distribute feeders around the house

Dogs have an extraordinary sense of smell and can find food even when they are blind. However, we can help them find food and water more quickly and safely by distributing several feeders around the house.

Another tip: place a mat under the feeder to keep the area clean.

flat areas

Small doorway kennels and high edged beds can be challenging for blind dogs. Therefore, it is advisable to offer them flat blankets for resting and equipping hard-to-reach rest areas with ramps.

rest areas

For blind dogs, everyday life is harder to get through than it is for healthy dogs. Therefore, they need more rest options to replenish their strength. Offer him enough shelters where he can get away from the daily tumult.

Hazard Protection

Although blind dogs have a good sense of smell, there are many odorless objects that they do not see, such as furniture or stairs. Therefore, keep the house tidy and close the doors. You can fence off dangerous obstacles and cover sharp corners with soft guards where possible.

Belt

Romping in nature or a meadow off-leash can throw your blind dog off balance. You might trip, twist your leg, or miss other hazards. Therefore, from now on, he has to trust you. Outside the garden of the house, take him on the leash so he can find his way around for you.

Patience

Important: Unfortunately, your dog will now have a harder time following your commands. So give him time to focus on his other senses (smell, touch, and hearing).

Symptoms: what are the most important signs of blindness in dogs?

The symptoms depend on the percentage of vision that the dog has lost. If the eyes no longer see anything, the clinical picture is clearer than when he has only lost sight in one eye.

Depending on how limited your dog's vision is, you may notice the following symptoms:

• Apathy

• Disorientation: the dog bumps into objects or bumps into walls.

• skittish attitude

• Changes in behavior: he seeks your closeness more or is aggressive.

• You may have one or both lenses cloudy.

• Dilated pupils

• Depending on the cause, the affected eye is swollen or shrunken.

• You may pass a clear or purulent discharge (epiphora).

Diagnosis: how do you recognize blind dogs?

If you want to know if your dog is going blind, you should take him to see the vet. He or she will perform a special eye exam that will include the following tests. You can do these tests yourself at home:

1. reflex test

The veterinarian can inspect the ocular function by provoking the threat reflex (close the eyelids when an object approaches) and the glare reflex (dilation of the pupils when light strikes). If the dog does not respond with any reflexes, this indicates that the eye has limited functions.

1. cotton test

The vet drops a cotton ball in front of the dog at a distance of about 30 centimeters. This cotton is odorless and does not make noise. If the dog's eyes do not follow the cotton, this indicates that the animal has visual problems. But be careful, as this test only works if the dog is attentive.

1. test with obstacle

For this test, the vet places an odorless object in the room. Now you must guide the dog in the direction of this object. If the dog doesn't see it and bumps into it, the vet will conclude that the dog's eyesight is impaired.

If the vet suspects that your dog has gone blind, they will run further tests. With a strip of paper, he will check the dog's tear production. To look at the front part of your eye in the dark, he will use a slit lamp.

To evaluate the back of the eye, you will use an ophthalmoscope. Next, he will rule out possible injuries by staining the eye with a special dye (fluorescein). To determine intraocular pressure and rule out glaucoma, you will use a tonometer.

Treatment: How are blind dogs treated?

Treatment of blindness in dogs always depends on the underlying cause.

If the dog's retina is intact, the specialist can treat a cataract surgically.

Instead, glaucoma can be treated, to some degree, with eye drops and infusion therapy. However, if the dog continues to be in a lot of pain, the vet will also recommend surgery or removal of the eye.

There is no general treatment for retinal detachment. This depends on the underlying disease and the magnitude of the detachment.

Causes: what are the triggers?

The eye is a complex sensory organ. It is made up of different tissues and is essential for the dog's sight. In addition to external influences (eg, injuries or chemical stimuli), other diseases can damage the eye and cause the dog to go completely or partially blind.

blindness due to age

It is normal for vision to worsen with age. This is because the nucleus of the lens gradually becomes cloudy.

waterfalls

Some diseases cause cloudiness of the lens, so that light no longer reaches the back of the eye. In dogs, cataracts can be congenital or acquired.

The latter can happen, for example, if the dog injures its eye or suffers from a metabolic disorder. If your dog has diabetes, the level of sugar in the blood increases, and sugar is deposited inside the lens.

More information on this topic is in the article Cataracts in dogs

Glaucoma

Naturally, the eye forms aqueous humor that moistens the surface. If it produces too much aqueous humor or it cannot escape the intraocular pressure increases. This pressure gradually damages the eye and causes irreversible and painful damage. The consequence is that the dog goes blind.

Depending on the cause, specialists divide glaucoma into primary and secondary:

Primary

Hereditary malformations in the iridocorneal angles make them too narrow and make expulsion difficult. The following breeds are most likely to get primary glaucoma:

• American cocker spaniel

• border collie

• English cocker spaniel

• smooth-haired retriever

• shar pie

However, other dogs can also get it if a spontaneous genetic mutation occurs at embryonic age.

Secondary

If the aqueous humor cannot be expelled due to an acquired obstacle, veterinarians speak of secondary glaucoma. For example, the eye may be so swollen from inflammation that fluid cannot drain out.

Retinal detachment

If the neurosensory retina detaches from the pigment epithelium, the sensory cells in the retina needed to see (photoreceptors) die. Inflammatory fluids or hypertension are common causes of these two layers separating.

Eye tumors or bleeding from injuries can also cause the retina to detach and lead to blindness in dogs.