Information on Eye Diseases in Dogs

 Eye Diseases in Dogs

Although there are many eye diseases in dogs, most are very easily treated. These afflictions are not age restricted but can occur at any age in the dog’s life. Some, however, are more common during either the early years or later years for the dog. This is especially true if the heredity or physical features are associated with the condition. The more common eye diseases in dogs are a cherry eye, corneal ulcers, entropion, glaucoma, and pannus.

Each of these afflictions has different symptoms and appearances. Cherry eye is a bit unnerving to see since the third eyelid will swell and appear as a cherry looking mass on the outside of the eye. A milky appearance will cloud the cornea of the eye that is red or the dog will squint the eye. This is due to an infection of the eye which has spread to the cornea because of a wound. The condition of entropion is genetic and results in the dog’s eyelids constantly rolling upward so that the inner eyelid is showing most of the time. This means that the eyelid is no longer protecting the eye which makes it vulnerable to damage.

Glaucoma, another hereditary condition, is too much fluid pressure in the eye which causes the eye to become inflamed and can cause dislocation of the lens of the eye. This results in blindness. Although not a common eye disease in dogs, Pannus, which is a very rare condition, results in a fleshlike growth to grow atop the cornea. Sadly, German Shepards are more prone to this condition. These are the most common eye diseases in dogs.

When you know what these eye diseases in dogs look like, you can recognize the problem and give your vet a more accurate description so that he will know if you should take the dog in for an exam or not. Since many of these diseases could strike at any given time or place, it is vital to remember that all of these conditions should be medically treated. But if you know the signs before the condition gets any worse, the vet may be able to do early treatment and save the dog’s sight. Many of these eye diseases in dogs start out with the same symptoms so it is important to let a vet do an accurate evaluation so that proper treatment can be pursued.

There is encouraging news, however. Most of these eye diseases can be treated successfully. In the case of the cherry eye, a simple surgery is done and the dog recovers rapidly and goes home the same day barring complications. Most of the corneal ulcers can be removed with no damage done to the eye itself. Entropion itself can be repaired with surgery which will result in better use of the eye muscles.

Eye diseases in dogs can be reversed, but early treatment is the key. So if you suspect a problem with your dog’s eyes, seek vet help immediately in order to avoid permanent damage to the dog’s eye. Don’t ignore these problems because it could lead to permanent blindness.

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