Common Eye Issues In Dogs
If youre a dog parent, you may already have experienced eye issues in your dog. Theyre not uncommon in our canine friends. Its not just senior dogs who experience eye issues a number of conditions can occur at all ages and across all breeds.
Its never easy when our pups start having health problems but recognizing the signs of a problem early can help ensure the ailment doesnt advance to something worse.
Here are nine of the most common eye issues to look for in dogs.
Common Vision Problems In German Shepherds: Eyeing The Vision Issue Among Gsds
German shepherds in general are considered healthy dogs. In fact, what better evidence is there, other than the fact that they are called upon by national governments to protect their citizens as a part of the k9 Human dog police units.
However, it is true that selective breeding to allow for the best line of German shepherds to breed has also led to the perpetuation of certain genetic fault lines.
Eyes too have become a victim of these selective breeding techniques. Apart from these, certain external and environmental factors can also contribute to vision defaults in these magnificent beasts.
However, lose no hope! Most of these diseases are curable by intervention, provided you remain fully aware and always have an eye on your Canine friends optimal health.
To help you get a hang of the vision issues that might plague your German Shepherd, here are some of the most common vision problems in German shepherds are:
Treatment Of Vision Problems In Dogs
Typically, the conditions that cause loss of vision for dogs will not go away on their own. Early intervention is essential when it comes to helping your dog cope with their loss of vision, or to treat the condition and perhaps preserve your dog’s eyesight.
In some cases, conditions that could lead to blindness may trigger other health issues, or your dog’s blindness could turn out to be a symptom of a larger medical concern. Making an appointment with your vet for a full examination is the best way to prevent further complications, and possibly save your dog’s sight.
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Living With A Blind Dog
Take advantage of your dogs other senses. Flavor extracts, like vanilla, or natural essential oils, like lavender, can be used to scent mark important places in your house and your dogs toys. Always use caution with essential oils, though. Many are very irritating and some can be toxic if ingested.
Speak when you approach or before you pet him, so you dont take him by surprise. Keep a radio or TV playing when you are out of the house to give him a reference point to orient to and help muffle loud outside noises. And walk with a heavy step when approaching your dog, as the vibrations from your footfalls will cue him you are coming.
Prepare your dog for being out in the world by teaching him a cue like say hello that lets him know a person is about to approach him. This will help prevent him from being startled by well-meaning people on the street who simply want to pet him. And be sure to warn people to first approach your dog verbally and then let him sniff them. Only let them touch your dog if your dog seems comfortable in the situation. Exercise similar caution with other dogs, as well.
What Can Be Done For Pannus In Dogs
Treatment. The mainstay of treatment for Pannus is the routine application of topical anti-inflammatory medications, including steroids, cyclosporine, and/or tacrolimus. These drugs suppress the immune system locally to the eye. Treatment is initially aimed at reversing as much of the corneal changes as possible.
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Home Remedies To Treat Eye Infection In Dogs
These type of eye infections are not serious and can be treated at home.
- Wash your dogs eye with lukewarm water with a little bit of salt.
- Take a warm cloth and apply with light pressure to your dogs eye for about 5-10 minutes to reduce the swelling.
- Eye infection creams does half of the work of treating eye infection.
Pannus In German Shepherds
Pannus is a common autoimmune disease in German shepherds and causes the immune system to attack the eye.
A change in the eye occurs progressively and scar tissue and blood vessels infiltrate the cornea and can result in blindness if the entire surface of the cornea becomes affected.
Pannus, also known as superficial keratitis, affects both eyes and is known to be a hereditary condition. Below is some information about pannus as well as symptoms and treatment options.
- German shepherds who are diagnosed with pannus at an early age have a more severe effect and are less responsive to treatments.
- Middle-aged German shepherds seem to be affected more frequently due to an inadequate immune system.
- German shepherds between 4 and 7 years of age have a greater chance of developing pannus.
- It is believed that high levels of exposure to UV or ultraviolet sunlight increase the chance of a German shepherd being affected by pannus. Areas that find more German shepherds suffering from this condition are high-altitude locations where there is plenty of sunlight such as New Mexico, Arizona, and the Rocky Mountains.
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Retinal Disorders In Dogs
âProgressive retinal atrophyâ is the name for a group of retinal disorders in which rods and cones die off there is no treatment. Dogs who get PRA do so because theyâve inherited a defective gene. Although PRA strikes more than 100 breeds of dogs, different genes are responsible. Therefore, breeds differ in the age at which the condition appears, how fast the condition progresses, and the ratio of males to females among affected dogs.
PRA appears during puppyhood in the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Cairn Terrier, Collie, Gordon Setter, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Miniature Schnauzer and Norwegian Elkhound. In contrast, some breeds usually donât develop PRA until adulthood. These include the American Cocker Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel, Labrador Retriever, Lhaso Apso, Miniature Poodle, Portuguese Water Dog, Tibetan Spaniel and Tibetan Terrier. PRA occurs mostly in males in the Siberian Husky and Samoyed. Genetic tests for PRA are available for several breeds.
Treatment Of Pannus In German Shepherd
The treatment for chronic superficial keratitis involve:
- If you notice any of these symptoms, visit the veterinarian immediately.
- Topical corticosteroids.
- Immune modulating drugs like cyclosporine.
- Blood test may be recommended for better understanding.
- Chronic superficial keratitis mostly requires lifelong treatment but early treatment has high chances of curing the disease.
- Dogs with pannus require ongoing treatment to prevent the eye lesions from returning.
- Regular check-ups are mandatory to see if pannus is under control.
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Do German Shepherd Have Eye Problems
German Shepherds are mostly infected by a chronic superficial keratitis also known as pannus. It is an immune-mediated condition affecting the clear part of the eye. Pannus occurs mainly among middle aged German Shepherds, though other breeds are also affected by this condition. If not treated, your dog may become blind.
Chronic superficial keratitis is a hereditary condition that develops as the dog gets older. Pannus is caused when your immune system attack the healthy cells by mistake. This is known as autoimmune disease.
Pannus can progress depending on many factors such as excessive sun exposure and genetics. Pannus is, most of the times, caused by genetics, so it is difficult to prevent the disease but treatment may help a bit.
What Is Pannus In Dogs
The scientific name for pannus is Chronic Superficial Keratitis . Its an autoimmune disease that affects the cornea part of the eye. Pannus is most commonly found in breeds such as German shepherds, border collies, and greyhounds but is not limited to these breeds only.
CSK occurs when the cornea is damaged by UV light rays. The dogs immune system sends small blood vessels to the cornea in an attempt to repair the damage. Since corneas do not have blood vessels, the immune system assumes these vessels are a foreign invader and attack the corneal tissue and vessels.
The attack on corneal tissue leads to the formation of scar tissue. If this goes untreated, it will lead to severe visual impairment and, ultimately, blindness. While theres no cure for pannus, it can be managed and treated in a way that allows your patient to continue living a full and active life.
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Are Eye Problems Common In German Shepherds
When dogs develop visual issues, their quality of life suffers, even if they dont lose their sight completely. Other disorders include the so-called cherry eye, or prolapsed gland of the third eyelid, retinal dysplasia, and progressive retinal atrophy. However, these arent especially common in German Shepherds
Is My Dog Visually Impaired
Dogs are incredible animals, and typically play a significant role within the household as a much loved companion and loyal family member.
As with people, your dog’s eyes can share vital information about their overall wellbeing. Health issues such as liver disease, diabetes, anemia, poisoning, head trauma, pain, auto-immune diseases, and cancer can all present noticeable signs and symptoms in the condition of your dog’s eyes.
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Pannus Or German Shepherd Dog Keratitis
Pannus is unfortunately common in German Shepherd health and affects both eyes and can cause total blindness.
It is caused by inflammation of the cornea and most often occurs at about the age of two. The first and most noticeable symptom is the pink or red membrane at the corner of one or both eyes.
This condition isnt curable, but it can be treated with medicated eye drops. Its important to catch this as early as possible to avoid any scarring.
Are Blue Eyes Normal In German Shepherds
As said earlier, a German shepherd can have blue eyes. Though it looks unique, it is not considered normal and is not accepted by the American Kennel Club rather, it is taken as a fault. Puppies born with blue eye color change their shade as they grow up, but in some cases, it remains the same.
Due to this, blue eyes are becoming increasingly rare as breeders are deliberately not breeding shepherds having this color. Moreover, if either of the parent breeds has brown eyes, the chances are that brown color will take over even if other parents have blue color eyes.
Blue eyes are developed mostly because of recessive genes. A developed breed that has blue eyes in adulthood is more likely to have them as well if both parents breeds have blue eyes.
The blue eye color will also have an influence on coat color. The coat color of a blue-eyed German shepherd will have a blend of blue and sable, blue and black, or blue and tan.
Besides their color, blue eye German shepherds share many of the same characteristics and attributes as any other German shepherd. They share the same level of loyalty, intelligence, and physical needs. The only difference it makes is that blue eye shepherds are not accredited by AKC as purebred.
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Is The Eye Ok
The healthy German Shepherd eye is shining, clear, with no or little red vessels on the white of the eye. Sometimes white slime may ooze out of the eye corners after the sleep. That isnt an illness just take the matter away with a tampon of cotton wool.
If there is too much light, dust, steam or other small particles in the air, the shepherd may blink or squint to protect the eyes from the external impact.
About German Shepherd Eyes
As it is said, a dogs eyes are a testament to its beauty, attractiveness, strength, and dedication. It tells a lot about a breeds health and overall condition. Among all dog breeds, the German shepherds eyes are considered to be most attractive in the sense that they come with altering eyeshades and have a sharp focus that helps them counter their opponent effectively.
German shepherds are the second most popular breed, not only in the US but worldwide. Their versatile attributes make them the perfect dog for different uses. Loyal, intelligent, highly active, and strong, we all desire to have a shepherd in our home.
A closer look at the German shepherd will show that its eyes are normally brown however, they can also have blue color but in rare cases. Having a German shepherd at your home requires you to furnish yourself with as much information as you can so that you can take care of them the best way.
Talking about the eyes, it is their foremost weapon that needs to be looked after at all stages. From their sharpness, sight, and eye color, you should be aware of the important aspects about the German shepherds eyes. After all, a small issue can lead to blindness if not taken care of at the right time.
Considering its importance, here we are going to go in-depth into the eyes of German shepherds.
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Corneal Distrophy In Dogs
Some dogs develop a condition called corneal dystrophy, which gives their cornea an opaque, cloudy appearance. This common condition is inherited, and is broken down into three types depending on the location in the eye: epithelial, stromal, and endothelial.
Epithelial corneal dystrophy affects the superficial layers of the cornea. This condition can be uncomfortable, and Shetland Sheepdogs appear to be the most susceptible breed.
Gastric Dilatation And Volvulus
Large dogs such as the German Shepherd can also be affected by gastric dilatation and volvulus , also known as bloating. However, in dogs this condition can be fatal. Due to the extra air inhaled during meals or exercise, the stomach can bloat and twist on itself causing a sudden case of GDV that needs urgent medical attention. This German Shepherd health issue can also affect other dog breeds and often requires surgical intervention.Pay attention to symptoms such as retching, vomiting, a swollen abdomen, or excessive drooling and dont hesitate to contact your vet as soon as possible.
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Other German Shepherd Eye Diseases
Being a large dog breed doesnt mean that GSDs are not susceptible to eye diseases. Furthermore, they are genetically more prone to some known canine eye disorders.
- Plasma Cell Conjunctivitis is a known German Shepherd eye infection. It is also an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of the eyes moist tissues.
- Acromatopsia is a retinal abnormality in GSDs. Also known as day blindness disease, GSDs vision becomes blurred and may lose sight of color in bright light.
- German Shepherd eye allergies are usually caused by irritants in the air like pollen, weed and some chemicals.
Vision Loss: Causes And Symptoms
There are many causes of vision loss in older dogs, including glaucoma and macular degeneration.
One of the more probable causes is a cataract, when the lens of the eye is clouded over. A cataract will appear as a hazy, opaque white growth over the eye and often goes hand-in-hand with other illnesses, such as diabetes.
Hypertension can cause a multitude of ocular problems, such as retinal detachment, which could lead to blindness. Untreated infections, chronic dry eye, and tumors or cancer can also cause blindness. Its vital for your elderly dog to have regular visits with his veterinarian, as the sooner the condition is detected and diagnosed, the better the possible outcome.
Signs that your dog is losing his eyesight can be quite obvious. He might bump into walls or furniture or have trouble locating his food or toys. He might stop making eye contact with you. The signs can also be subtler, such as being reluctant to jump on or off the couch, a new level of anxiety, or becoming clingy. Your dog may even begin to show aggression because his vision loss may leave him feeling vulnerable and more inclined to act offensively in an attempt to keep himself safe.
If the loss of eyesight is gradual enough, you may not even notice until you take your dog to a new environment or rearrange your furniture. This is because dogs can adapt so well. If you notice any of the above changes, be sure to book an appointment with your veterinarian.
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How Well Do Dogs See
All of these features equip a dog to be a good hunter under various light conditions. The tapetum lucidum improves a dogâs vision in low-light, as does the high proportion of rods to cones, giving dogs better vision at night than humans. A rod-dense retina also makes dogs excellent at detecting motion and shapes. Because most dogsâ eyes angle slightly to the side, they have a wider field of view than humans. When a wide field of vision combines with a wide visual streak, as in a German Shepherd, a dog can see the whole horizon at once .
With keen senses of smell and hearing, dogs donât need to see well up close in fact, near vision is blurry in long-nosed dogs. Overall vision is also less sharp.
They canât take in as many colors as you can, but their world isnât just black and white.
How Dogs Eyes Work
To understand eye problems in dogs, it helps to know a little bit about how their eyes function. A dogâs eyes work much like a camera. Light enters through the pupil, and the iris controls the amount of light allowed in. Light then passes through the cornea and lens, which focus the light on the retina, a layer containing color-sensitive cones and motion- and light-sensitive rods, which convert light into electrical signals. The cones and rods send these signals via the optic nerve to the brain, which constructs an image from them.
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