Dogs can go blind, but you can do something to prevent it. It doesn't happen rarely, so you should always keep your eyes on them in order not to let it happen. For instance, your pet can prevent blindness, live a happy and fulfilling life if you have in mind really good specialists and seek the help of an experienced holistic veterinarian at the first signs of eye disease! To learn more about it, see the following for the shocking reasons your dog can go blind and ways to prevent it from happening.
5 Shocking Causes of Sudden Blindness in Dogs
Dog cataract must be monitored and treated because it can be thicker and denser, increasing his risk of losing vision, according to experienced veterinarians. Opacity in the eye lens of your pet is cataract - it can lead to a blurred vision. However, the condition is unlikely to disturb his vision in the early stages. In fact, it may just be a pinpoint's size, so it can remain unnoticeable. But over time and when untreated, it can grow and cover the entire eye lens - leading to blindness.
What are the causes? A few include eye trauma and old age. It may also be an inherited condition or may develop from birth and progress between one and three years old.
But in most cases, cataract is linked with diabetes.
It leads to inadequate fluid drainage in the eye area due to the pressure that it (eye) receives. When left untreated, it will progress and cause permanent optic nerve damage that can result in blindness.
Primary and secondary glaucoma are its two types. A few symptoms of primary glaucoma, for example, resulting from his eye's inability of draining through the eye's filtration angles are the following.
- Eye blinking
- Front eye's cloudy appearance
- Reddish blood vessels in the white area of the eyes
- Eyeball receding back into his head
- Pupil not responding to light (dilated pupil)
- And worst, vision loss
Seek an experienced holistic pet hospital as soon as possible when you notice any of these symptoms to prevent dog blindness, otherwise, you will not be able to handle this process. They can perform physical tests and make a proper diagnosis of the problem.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
Observe your pet's eyes. Do they become reflective when the light is shining on them? Are his pupils more dilated than normal? Is your dog becoming clumsier when moving or walking in new surroundings? Perhaps, he has progressive retinal atrophy.
A group of degenerative diseases affecting the photoreceptor cells, progressive retinal atrophy, which is not a painful condition, in the beginning, is another cause of dog blindness that happens as the cells deteriorate over time.
[Atrophy refers to either a complete or partial body part wasting.]
Some dogs with PRA also develop toxic cataracts, usually in its middle and late stages. As his eyes' retinal tissues are dying slowly over time, it gives out toxic waste materials coming from the dead cells. These by products are then absorbed by his eye lens that eventually becomes damaged. Cataract, which can be severe, may also develop and lead to vision loss.
A few signs and symptoms of PRA include night blindness, the first symptom of the condition. Dogs with it tend to act nervous at night and can be reluctant walking into dark rooms. They're also scared of bumping into things in a dim environment.
Nerve Inflammation
It is also called optic neuritis, a condition characterized by one or two swollen optic nerves.
Nerve inflammation in the eyes causes impaired vision. It affects both the nervous and ophthalmic systems of the body.
A few symptoms to watch out for include partial vision deficiencies and the sudden or acute onset of blindness.
What can reveal reduced vision or blindness in one or both eyes is a physical examination, and results can include reduced light reflex of pupil dilation.
Also, an anterior surface examination can reveal if your pet has a focal hemorrhage or a swollen optic disk.
[Optic nerve, also called cranial nerve, functions by taking visual information and transmitting it to the brain.]
Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDS)
Also called SARDS, this condition affects the retina and can lead to irreversible or the sudden blindness.
[Did you know that the retina could look normal in the early stages of the disease even if it is no longer working?]
Dogs with SARDS can show symptoms, such as failure of tracking treats, difficulty in night navigation and stumbling. But over a rapid course, the condition can lead to permanent blindness.
Diagnosis of Blindness in Dogs
Proper diagnosis can rule out any existing medical condition, such as Cushing's disease and diabetes.
The holistic vet will perform a complete physical examination of the pupil reaction, body temperature, blood pressure, reflexes, breath sounds, weight, pulse oxygen level, heart rate and respiration.
Possible tests may include,
- Complete blood count
- Comprehensive metabolic panel
- Urinalysis
- Serum chemistry analysis
- Tonometry
- Blood urea nitrogen
- Bilirubin
- Serum cholesterol
- Blood glucose
Other tests may also include,
- Serum alanine aminotransferase
- Electroretinography
- Acth stimulation test
- Ocular ultrasound
- Serum alkaline phosphatase
You should tell him or her about the symptoms you're noticing in your pet along with his eating patterns and abnormal behavior. If possible, you must also bring your dog's vaccination and medical records.
What Exactly To Do To Avoid Blindness
Do not let your dog suffer from a terrifying experience but help him live a quality life with good vision. Watch carefully for vision difficulty signs in dogs. And at the first signs of any of the diseases mentioned above, take your pet to a holistic veterinarian. The sooner he's diagnosed the more he can prevent blindness.
