Natural Pet Health

Most dog owners, if not all of them, never consider looking into their pet’s eyes for signs of illness, especially dogs with hair over their eyes.

There is a myth that cutting the hair away from a dog’s eyes will cause blindness, but, in fact, a dog’s eyes are much less likely to become diseased if the area is free of air. Dogs with hair growing over their eyes should either have it trimmed or pinned back.

Glaucoma

The most serious problem that can result from an inflamed eye is a condition called glaucoma. Glaucoma occurs when the fluid pressure within the eye gets too high. It is caused when the passage which drains the fluid out of the pupil becomes too narrow to allow fluid to pass. Glaucoma can and does cause blindness if not treated immediately. Inflammation of the eye is one thing which can cause the drainage passage to become swollen shut.

Many eye diseases in dogs can be successfully cured surgically if non-surgical treatments do not help. In the condition in which the tear glands and ducks are not producing tears, for example, a medication is put into the dog’s food in the form of drops.

If there is any function at all left, the medication will stimulate the glands to again produce tears normally. If the medication does not work, an unusual and creative operation is sometimes performed, whereby a duct of one of the dog’s salivary glands is moved so that it empties out of the eye instead of the mouth.

The saliva moistens and protects the eye just as the tears are supposed to. Logically enough, Pavlov’s theory works with slight alteration a dog who has had such an operation cries when his appetite is stimulated!

There is no doubt that first aid training can really equip you with an ample amount of knowledge on how to apply the strategies and lifesaving techniques. In any given emergency situation, there is a respective remedy that comes along. First aid is always necessary because it is guaranteed to alleviate the pain or suffering of the victim as well as increase the chances of saving the latter’s life. But then again first aid is not only applied to human beings.

Like people, dogs also encounter distressful situations. They break their bones while playing, they choke on some small things, they get injured, they meet accidents on the road, and they also get electrical shocks. All these and more make up the list of accidents among dogs. Now if you are a dog owner, you should know how to tend to your pet whenever it is needed. After all, he is your best friend and your protector.

Dog eye problems can occur at any time. You should pay close attention to your dog’s eyes just as you would their teeth, so that you can catch any possible infections or injuries immediately and have them treated.

Dogs are vulnerable to several diseases and possible injuries due to the structure of their eyes. Always keep watch for signs of discharge, squinting, cloudiness, irritation and redness, or swelling. If your dog starts to bump into furniture, this could be a sign of vision loss.

The most common canine eye problems usually stem from the following:

* Cataracts – an opacity of the lens

* Cherry Eye – the dog’s third eyelid’s tear gland protrudes outward

How do I know whether my pet has an eye infection?

Common signs and symptoms of eye infection in pets include:

* Squinting of the eyes
* Watery or mucoid discharge
* Red or swollen conjunctiva (the pink part just inside the eyelids)
* The iris (colored part of the eye) may also appear dull or cloudy

What causes eye infections in pets?

Infections of the eye and surrounding structures are common in pets and usually involve the conjunctiva, leading to conjunctivitis or pink eye. Causes of infections include various bacteria, viruses like the Herpes virus, foreign material or irritants in the eye and even Lyme disease. Eye infections may become chronic if not treated and can cause permanent damage if neglected.

Report: Are Dogs Colorblind Or Is This A Myth?

If you ask any dog owner or canine enthusiast whether they know if dogs are officially color blind or not, most people won’t have the faintest idea. And guess what, the scientific community is not sure either! However, there are indeed some facts about a dog’s vision that has come through from studies and tests.

So, is your dog really color blind or this claim just a myth? The following scientific article may help clear up some of the confusion while at the same time educating you about color perception in the eyes of a dog:

Report: Canine Eye Problems & Solutions

To understand the various reasons why your dog may come down with a serious eye problem, you need know some important information on the genetic make-up of these animals.

For example, the normal dog has eyelashes on the upper lid only. They are in three to four rows, so close together that they appear as one single row. They are directed away from the cornea.

In abnormal conditions, several eyelashes may be misplaced. These hairs are located so that they are directed toward the very sensitive cornea. The initial irritant may not be associated with these hairs, but will act as the exciting mechanism of a vicious circle.

When it comes to puppy grooming, do not ignore proper eye care and safety. Some dog owners forget the little things when it comes to grooming their pet which can result in health problems in the future. Below are a few puppy eye-care pointers.

1. Guarding your puppy’s eyes from injury is important so be sure to be overly conscious of your puppy’s head when you are playing games that have potential consequences for injury to the eyes. Some example games to be careful of would be when you are kicking a ball around with your pup, playing fetch with a stick, or simply play-wrestling by using your hands.

The eye, in dogs, as in all animals, is the most specialized of the sensory organs. As such, it is highly sensitive to trauma, infection and disease, both acquired and hereditary.

Because dogs can’t tell their owners when they are suffering irritation or pain in their eyes, the eye is an often overlooked area of trouble. Many a devoted dog owner has failed to notice his pet’s eye trouble until it is so advanced that blindness results or the removal of an eye is necessary.

From the tiny Pekingese, whose slightly bulging eyes can become diseased because of inadequate protection, to the huge St. Bernard, whose drooping eyelids can catch and harbor bacteria which cause eye infection, many special breeds are particularly susceptible to certain types of eye disease.