Blindness In Dogs

The causes of blindness in dogs may range from dog illnesses and diseases to inherited causes or even to eye injuries. There are a number of canine eye diseases that cause blindness in dogs. Here is a list of some of the common dog health problems that might result in blindness.

• Glaucoma in dogs
• Retinal inflammation and infection
• Retinal detachment
• Corneal disease
• Canine cataracts
• Anterior and posterior uveitis
• Optic nerve diseases
• Diseases affecting occipital cortex
• Injuries and eye tumors

It is observed that dogs suffering from diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure or Cushing's disease are increasingly prone to suffering from cataracts or the development of white opacity in the eye lens. An untreated eye infection or strokes are some dog eye problems that result in temporary or permanent blindness. Dogs in their old age may suffer from hazy vision or complete eye blindness. Certain diseases such as glaucoma and uvetis may be painful for the dogs and may thus necessitate an eye surgery.

In addition to these diseases it is observed that certain dog breeds are prone to suffering from eye disorders and blindness. For example retinal atrophy, a disease that causes the retina to deteriorate affects Collies, Poodles, Schnauzers and Cocker Spaniels more than the other breeds. Similarly, retinal dysplasia affects Labrador retrievers and beagles, thus resulting in the displacement of the retina and blindness in specific dog breeds.

Blindness in Dogs: Symptoms
The onset of blindness in dogs is difficult to point out as the other senses of the dog are acute enough to compensate for the blindness. However, you may need to watch out for symptoms or changes in dog behavior such as clumsiness and bumping into things, inability to locate the food bowl, startled easily, loss of interactive behavior and confusion in strange surroundings. Most of the times the dog would be quite inattentive and just stay rooted to a spot. If the onset of the vision loss was a gradual one then most probably the dog would have no problems in adjusting to the familiar surroundings. However, in case of a sudden vision loss, dogs have less time to adapt and may therefore appear disoriented and confused. In such a case it is best to take your dog to a veterinarian for immediate treatment.

Blindness in Dogs: Treatment
For diagnosing the vision loss, veterinarians may recommend diagnostic procedures consisting of complete physical, neurological and opthalmic examination. Other diagnostic tests include complete blood count, serum tests corneal and conjunctival cell samples and CAT or MRI scans. Based on the diagnosis the vet may address the cause of the disease and recommend effective treatment.