Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian and this article is not a substitute for veterinary care. Any information found on this site is meant to serve as a starting point for a conversation with your dog’s veterinarian about what options or treatments are appropriate for your dog’s specific needs.
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Are you concerned about your older dog who seems to not see objects as he used to? If your senior dog is losing vision, what can you do about it? What should you be looking for?
Dogs, like people, tend to experience changes in their eyesight as they grow older. Since they don’t need to concern themselves with reading any fine print, many of these changes can initially go unnoticed.
However, knowing the signs of visual deterioration in dogs and some of the predisposing factors can lead to earlier detection and may give you more treatment options.
Spotting Vision Loss in Older Dogs
Dogs are expressive creatures. Since they are inherent pack animals, they are less inhibited about telling you something is wrong than cats, but only if you are paying attention. Some problems, however, will require deeper observation to detect.
Signs of vision loss
Uncharacteristic clumsiness
Bumping into walls or other stationary objects
Apprehensive or anxious behavior in an otherwise calm and confident dog.
Sudden unwillingness to go outside after it is dark
Cannot seem to locate food or water bowl, toys, etc.
Not as playful as usual
Startles or shies easily
Disorientation
Increased separation anxiety is almost universal in patients suffering from visual impairment.
A change in the appearance of one or both eyes – cloudiness, change in color, visible material or specks
Common Causes of Vision Loss in Aging Dogs
• Diabetes – sudden blindness can be a primary symptom in early diabetes diagnosis. The Samoyed is a large breed with a higher incidence of diabetes.
• Glaucoma – increased pressure in the inner chamber of the eyes that is often hereditary.
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy – certain breeds like the Bullmastiff and Old English sheepdog are susceptible to develop this degenerative disease of the retina. It is sex-linked in Siberian Huskies (mostly males have it).
• Suddenly Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome
• Cataracts – changes to the lens that partially or completely blocks light to visual processing structures of the eye. Dogs with diabetes can be more susceptible to acquiring cataracts.
• Lenticular sclerosis – normal aging changes to the lens can cause mild compromise of vision. This condition can be confused with cataracts.
• Dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) – similar to the condition in people, KCS patients do not produce enough of an aqueous film over the eye and lids to keep them healthy.
• Macular degeneration – degeneration of the central part of the retina in older dogs. Vision loss can range from mild impairment to complete blindness.
• Cancer – tumors can affect the eyelids or the eyes and associated nerves.
Allergies tend to worsen with age, and one of the symptoms can be reddened swollen whites of the eyes or conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis can also result from foreign irritants in the eye, dry eye, and eyelid abnormalities.
This covers conditions commonly affecting dogs as they age, but older pets do have eye problems from other factors that may have been present when they were younger. Entropion or ectropion, where the eyelids roll inward or outward, can cause eye injuries later in life or can worsen with time if never repaired.
What You Can Do to Help Your Dog with Vision Loss
Although the loss of eyesight will not affect your dog to quite the extent it would affect you, preservation of vision as long as possible is a desirable and reasonable achievement.
Many eye conditions in older dogs stem from oxidative stress. Supporting your dog through his or her life with plenty of antioxidants may slow or halt certain eye conditions later in life. It is not too late to start an antioxidant regimen, even if your dog is already a senior.
Avoid irritants to your dog’s eyes when reasonably possible. For larger dogs that like to travel in cars with the windows down, they make goggles to protect canine eyes. This may be a blessing for senior eyes that are already prone to dry out and be vulnerable to microscopic debris. Goggles may serve your dog well on windy days also.
Keep the hair around your dog’s eyes clean and trim, especially if you have a long-haired breed like a giant schnauzer, Old English sheepdog, or Bouvier. Not all long-haired breed have much hair directly around their eyes, but in older dogs, it can become matted.
If your dog’s eyes become red and swollen, you can use warm water or warm saline solution and a gentle cloth and wipe them or apply a compress.
Like yourself, protect your dog from direct sunlight. Keeping your dog indoors during peak sun hours may save his sensitive eyes from free radicals.
The other element to take into consideration in the eye care of elderly pets is their eyes are more susceptible to injury if they do lose their sight. Bumping into furniture or other things can cause scrapes or ulcers to the surface of the eye or cornea.
Nutrition For Vision
It is easy to provide nutritional support for your dog’s eyes too. Not only do some foods improve vision for aging eyes, but they also supply important antioxidants. It is generally best to feed a high-quality diet with foods as fresh as possible.
•Blueberries are full of antioxidants and contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two eye-beneficial carotenoids. Acanthocyans are phytonutrients that improve night vision. Rutin, resveratrol, and quercetin are flavonoids that may help macular degeneration. Blueberries may even be present already in your dog food.
•Broccoli may protect the retina. It contains lutein and zeaxanthin.
•Carrots contain lutein and lycopene that protect the eyes not only against free
•Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, help protect against macular degenerative processes in the eyes.
•Eggs – Sulphur protects the eyes from cataract formation. Eggs have an abundance of both sulfur and cysteine which produces the compound glutathione, found to protect the lens. They also contain lutein and zeaxanthin.
•Pum
Vitamins that support the eyes, particularly in older dogs, will ideally come from whole food sources, many of which are listed above. They include Vitamins A, C, D, E, and K, the vitamin B complex (vitamin B-6, B-12, folate, biotin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and thiamin), and choline.
Herbs For Vision
You may ask about holistic herbs and therapies for older dogs’ eyes. There are several you may use, but generally after first consulting with your veterinarian.
• Astaxanthin is an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. It may relieve symptoms of dry eye and protect the retina from free radical damage.
• Marigold contains an abundance of the potent carotenoid, zeaxanthin.
• Bilberry herbs may be helpful in the prevention and slowing the progression of cataracts. Bilberry appears to improve circulation through the eye.
• Eyebright is an herb that can actually help inflammatory conditions of the eyes, such as conjunctivitis. It can be formulated into an eyewash.
Is your dog losing vision as he gets older? What have you tried to help them? Let us know in the comments!
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