“Is my dog going blind?”
That’s a popular question. Surprisingly, it’s also one that can be hard to answer, because dogs are really good at adapting to vision loss.
If your dog is already being monitored by a veterinary ophthalmologist for a problem such as glaucoma, the doctor may tell you to bring your dog in right away if you notice any additional signs of vision loss. Again, that can be surprisingly tricky to figure out.
Sure, it’s obvious the dog is going blind when he walks into a wall. But most of the time, your dog’s gradual vision loss will be very subtle. You need to be really aware of what your dog is doing. Below you’ll find a list of subtle signs and symptoms of a dog with vision loss. These blindness signs fall into three main categories:
- Behavior changes.
- Changes to the eye.
- Signs of pain.
See if you recognize any of these blindness signs and symptoms in your dog…
Behavior Changes That May Signal Vision Loss
-Your dog doesn’t respond to hand signals any more, or she gets them wrong. For example, you may use a hand signal for “sit,” and she lays down instead. She may even seem outright disobedient, when the reality is she simply isn’t seeing your hand signals at all. (Note: A dog who is doing blind may still detect movement, so she’ll watch your hand move… but her visual acuity may not be good enough to see the exact hand signal.)
-Your dog doesn’t see stationary objects very well. Often times dogs who are going blind fool us because they still detect movement really well. So they’ll be able to watch the cat walk across the room… and then later they’ll trip over that same cat who’s sleeping (motionless) on the floor.
-Your dog seems more “clumsy.” They stumble going up or down steps. They trip over things in their path. They brush against a wall, a plant, etc. (And yeah, when it gets bad enough then they start running directly into very large objects, like the couch or a wall.)
-Gets confused or runs into things when you rearrange furniture. Dogs who lose vision gradually can fool us into thinking they can still see… until you rearrange the furniture, and you realize they had just memorized everything.
-Not directly honing in on a treat as well as she used to. For example, you hold it in your palm, and your dog has to sniff around to find it.
-Not coming to you in a straight line if you call your dog once from across the yard. For example, she’ll come walking/running in the general direction of your voice… but if you don’t keep making noise, then it becomes clear your dog can’t see you, because she’s not coming directly towards you. (She’ll adjust her path if you make noise and/or if she gets close enough to smell you.)
-You notice your dog walks differently. It may be a high-stepping gait. She may walk more slowly. She may seem slightly unsteady on her feet. She may walk with her head down. She may even walk with her nose all the way to the ground to sniff out her path.
-Reluctance to go down stairs. (Or possibly up the stairs, in some cases.)
-Reluctance to walk around in the dark. This could be a dark room, a dark corner of the yard, etc. She may completely put the brakes on and refuse to go further, or she may just do it really hesitantly. Some dogs with vision problems lose night vision first, so night blindness is often the first clue that your dog is going blind.
-Reluctance to go into unfamiliar places. For example, your dog suddenly may not want to go on a walk… she’s memorized the yard, but she’s not feeling confident going beyond the yard.
-You notice the dog doesn’t play ball as well as she used to. For example, you throw it and she has troubles locating it. Or perhaps she can’t catch it in midair any more. Or maybe she doesn’t take off running until she hears it hit the ground.
-You notice your dog having even more troubles playing on windy days. This is because she’s been tracking the toy with her ears, and a windy day can really screw that up.
-Rain, snow and wind make a blind dog seem reluctant or even confused, even in familiar places like the yard. That’s because the elements can mask the smells and sounds a blind dog uses to navigate,
-She doesn’t see a cotton ball dropped in front of her. (Vets sometimes use this test because lightweight cotton balls don’t make sounds or create much air current, so the dog usually needs to see it in order to detect it.)
-Not blinking when you do the menace test. Dogs have a natural protective reflex to blind when something is coming towards their eye. The menace test takes advantage of this reflex to test for blindness. The idea is to move your hand in a threatening way towards the dog’s eye, which should elicit a blink. Take note that even a blind dog can sense the air current your hand makes and blink reflexively.
-Your dog is fighting with other dogs more often (or for the first time ever). This may be because your dog is going blind, and she can’t see the body language signals other dogs are giving her.
-She gets startled more easily. For example, you touch her and she startles. Or she is walking across the room and another dog startles her.
-She shows any problems with judging height (e.g., jumping on or off something looks clumsy or becomes downright dangerous).
-Starts walking very close to walls, right on the edge of a sidewalk, etc.
-Any sort of confusion or troubles navigating. For example, she may suddenly stop and just sort of get a blank look on her face. Or she may bump around a bit trying to work herself out of the corner of a yard.
–Any signs of pain (see below).
Changes To The Eye That May Signal Vision Loss
Any time you see ANY changes to the eye, get to the vet—preferably a veterinary ophthalmologist. Your regular vet can make a referral.
Here are a few examples of what to look for:
-Redness in the white part of the eye (i.e., “bloodshot” eyes)
-Redness anywhere else in the eye.
-Eye looks blue. (Or any other changes to the color.)
-Eye looks cloudy/hazy.
-Swelling in or around the eye (corner of the eye, the conjunctiva, lids, etc).
-Pupils are enlarged.
-Pupils stay large even in bright light, or the pupils respond slowly.
-Pupils are different sizes.
-You see the dog’s eyes shining at unexpected times (e.g., they glow even during the day).
-The dog’s eyes look different when you take a flash picture of them. (E.G., They don’t reflect light, etc.)
-Eye gets enlarged, bulges, or changes shape. (Eek… get thee to the doctor stat!)
-You can see the third eyelid.
-Tearing.
-Other “gunk” in the eye (could be green, yellow, sticky, bloody, etc).
-Any other changes to the appearance of the eye (bumps, swelling, redness, unusual colors, changes to the surface of the eye, etc)… anything! Consider it an emergency and get in to your vet ASAP if your dog’s eye or eyes have changed in appearance.
Signs of Pain That May Signal Eye Problems
This can vary from dog to dog. ANY behavioral change should be evaluated by a vet. Here are common signs of eye pain:
-Rubbing at the eye with a paw.
-Rubbing eye/face on the carpet, on the furniture, or even on your leg.
-Head pressing (on you, on the furniture, etc).
-Keeping the eye closed.
-Squinting.
-Blinking more often.
-Tearing.
-Reluctance to be touched on the head or near the eye.
-Reduced activity/sleeping more.
-Reluctance to play, walk or engage in other activity.
-Eating less than usual (possibly eating more than usual).
-Drinking more or less water than usual.
-More clingy than usual.
-More withdrawn than usual/prefers to be alone.
-Wants to be in a dimly lit/dark place.
-Seems crabby/snappish with you, others and/or other animals.
-Shaking/shivering.
-Panting.
-Restlessness.
-Whining/crying/howling.
This is not a comprehensive list. If your dog is behaving in an unusual way, shows pain, or you see changes to the eye, then a vet check is in order right away to determine the cause.
If you do find out that your dog is going blind, then don’t hesitate to join the Blind Dogs support group on Facebook. What you’ll soon find out is that blind and vision impaired dogs can lead wonderful, fun-filled lives. 🙂
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Copyright Rebecca Hagel, all rights reserved.
