Pets

Dispelling the Myth: Dogs Can See in Color, Research Shows

This is a great question. Can dogs see in color? The age-old myth is that dogs do not see in color. They see black and white. That's actually not true. So research suggests that dogs are similar to people that are red-green colorblind or what's considered deuteranopic, meaning they have a difficult time distinguishing red and green, but they tend to see blues and yellows much better. Those are the receptors in their eyes that they have that they can distinguish blues, yellows, and shades similar to those, but red and green may be much more difficult for them. So when you're picking out those toys for your dogs, research suggests that the ball that's blue, the ball that's yellow, they're going to be able to see those and distinguish those much better than, let's say, toys that are red-green, things like that. So yeah, dogs do actually see in color, research shows.

Dogs do see in color, but they have difficulty distinguishing red and green. They can easily distinguish blues and yellows, so when picking out toys for your dog, you should opt for blue or yellow ones.

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Dogs can see in color, contrary to the popular belief that they only see in black and white. Research suggests that dogs are similar to people who are red-green colorblind, meaning they have difficulty distinguishing red and green. However, they can see blues and yellows much better. Dogs have receptors in their eyes that allow them to perceive blues, yellows, and shades similar to those colors. So when choosing toys for your dogs, opt for blue or yellow ones as they will be more easily distinguishable to them. Dogs do have the ability to see in color, as supported by research.

I think my dog got sand in his eyes. How can I rinse them?

Clearing Your Dog's Eyes: How to Rinse Away Sand

So the question is, I think I got sand in my dog's eyes. How can I rinse them? So this happens a lot where dogs go out for walks either on the beach or out in the woods and they get various debris, sand, dirt in their eyes. A couple simple things that you can do. So you can go to your local CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, any of those pharmacies and pick up something called iWash or eye irrigating solution. You don't wanna get contact lens cleaner or anything like that, just a simple iWash. And what you would want to do is gently hold their eyelids open and just take that bottle and lightly flush into each eye for maybe about five to 10 seconds and then wipe away around the eye with a paper towel or a washcloth or something like that. And that would hopefully remove any of the debris that's on the eye. You can also use an over-the-counter lubricating gel. The best ones usually have hyaluronic acid and some examples of those would be Genteel Gel, Sustain. There's also Refresh. Any of those can be used to lubricate the eyes and you don't need a prescription for those and those may be soothing to the eye to help them get over this episode. If they have any other issues where they're squinting or seem to be uncomfortable, may be good to visit a veterinarian.

If your dog has sand in their eyes, you can use an over-the-counter eye wash solution or lubricating gel to rinse and lubricate the eyes.

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If you suspect that your dog has sand in their eyes, there are a few steps you can take to rinse them. First, you can visit a local pharmacy like CVS, Walgreens, or Rite Aid and purchase an eye irrigating solution called iWash. Avoid using contact lens cleaner and opt for a simple iWash solution.

To rinse your dog's eyes, gently hold their eyelids open and use the iWash solution to flush each eye for about five to ten seconds. Afterward, you can wipe around the eyes with a paper towel or washcloth to remove any debris.

Additionally, you can use an over-the-counter lubricating gel that contains hyaluronic acid. Examples of such gels include Genteel Gel, Sustain, and Refresh. These gels can help lubricate the eyes and provide soothing relief. No prescription is needed for these products.

If your dog continues to show discomfort or squinting, it may be best to consult a veterinarian for further evaluation and care.

Blocked Tear Duct in Dogs: A Closer Look at Symptoms

What does a blocked tear duct look like? In dogs, the most common way that these blocked tear ducts will present is usually with abnormal staining below, typically just one eye, as the blockage may just be one eye. You can occasionally see it in both eyes, but you'll see either excessive wetness or tearing below the eye or staining, where the fur looks much darker, so either brown or dark red in appearance, and that may be a clue that we have a blockage. The tear duct itself starts on the inner part of the lower lid at this area called the tear puncta. There's actually two of them, one up here, one down here, and then it actually goes down the tear duct into the nose, and then tears eventually just slowly come out the nose that we just don't realize it over time, and so a blockage could occur anywhere along that course, from anywhere up here near the tear puncta all the way down through the nose as well. So if we have a suspicion of a blockage, we may actually do a tear duct flush to see if it is blocked and nothing's coming out the nose, and then if that seems to be the case, then the next step may be further testing to image this area with either X-rays or a CT scan to try to see if we can find where the blockage may be and if that's something that we could treat and fix so that we can resolve it.

A block tear duct looks like excessive wetness or staining below the eye and is diagnosed with a tear duct flush, x-rays, or a CT scan to find and fix the blockage.

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A blocked tear duct in dogs typically presents as abnormal staining or excessive wetness below the eye. This staining appears as darker fur, usually brown or dark red in color. It is often seen in just one eye, although it can occur in both eyes. 

The tear duct starts at the inner part of the lower lid, known as the tear puncta. There are two tear puncta, one above and one below. From there, the tear duct extends down into the nose, and tears eventually come out through the nose without us realizing it. A blockage can occur anywhere along this path, from the tear puncta to the nose.

To confirm a blockage, a tear duct flush may be performed to see if tears are not coming out through the nose. If a blockage is suspected, further testing such as X-rays or a CT scan may be done to locate the blockage and determine if it can be treated and resolved.

What should I do if one of my dog's eyelids is always drooping?

Dog's Drooping Eyelid: Genetic, Painful, or Neurological Issue?

What to do if your dog has a drooping eyelid. So this could be caused by several things. This could be a genetic thing that dogs were just born with this. That's a condition called ectropion where the lower lids just droop naturally because of their genetics and their breed. That may be something that doesn't need to be addressed. There are other issues that can also appear similar to this. So one would be something causing pain in the eye, an ulcer, an abrasion, inflammation inside the eye. Those will cause either the lid to droop or a third eyelid that dogs have. And yes, dogs actually have a third eyelid that can cause it to elevate and make the lower eyelid look drooping. So that would be another possibility would be something causing pain in the eye. The last possibility would be a neurologic disorder that can cause drooping of the eyelid as well. Depending on which of these conditions it may be, it's sometimes beneficial to see someone like myself, which is a veterinary ophthalmologist. Sometimes you have to see someone else like a veterinary neurologist if it's a nerve issue.

If your dog has a drooping eyelid, it could be caused by several things including genetics, pain in the eye, or a neurological disorder. It may be beneficial to see a Veterinary ophthalmologist or neurologist depending on what is causing the issue.

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If your dog has a drooping eyelid, there could be several potential causes. One possibility is a genetic condition called ectropion, where the lower lids naturally droop due to breed and genetics. This may not require treatment.

Other issues that can cause a drooping eyelid include pain in the eye, such as an ulcer, abrasion, or inflammation, which can affect the lid or the third eyelid that dogs have. Additionally, a neurologic disorder could be a potential cause.

Depending on the specific condition, it may be beneficial to consult a veterinary ophthalmologist or a veterinary neurologist for further evaluation and appropriate treatment.

Can dogs get glaucoma? Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

Can dogs develop glaucoma? It's a great question and unfortunately yes they can. This is something we see very commonly in the veterinary ophthalmology field. What glaucoma is, is a high pressure inside the eyes and if that high pressure stays too high for too long, it will cause pain and loss of vision. And so our eyes, much like dogs eyes, has a normal pressure inside of it and how that pressure is created is by fluid called aqueous humor floating around inside of our eye. And that aqueous humor is created by an area of the eye called the ciliary body or ciliary processes. And so we compare that to the faucet of a sink that is producing fluid. And that fluid flows around our eye, just like the sink in your kitchen. And then eventually that fluid exits the eye out the drain, just like the drain within your kitchen. But glaucoma develops when that drainage area, which is called the iridocorneal angle, either closes or it's clogged with something. So it's just like putting a stopper in your drain, but the faucet is still running and eventually that pressure becomes too high inside the eye to cause a very high pressure, pain and vision loss. So it's a very serious issue that we see and it can occur very quickly in dogs. So important recognition by a veterinarian or a veterinary ophthalmologist to recognize when glaucoma is present and treat that. And there is treatment available and this may be medical treatment, it may be surgical treatment, but there are options available to try to lower that pressure so that we preserve their vision and we don't have an animal that goes blind for this particular reason. So yes, we do see glaucoma frequently, but there are treatment options.

Dogs can develop glaucoma which is a high pressure inside the eyes causing pain and vision loss. The pressure is created by fluid called aqueous humour that is produced by an area of the eye called the ciliary body. If the drainage area of the eye (the corneal angle) closes or becomes clogged, then the pressure may become too high. Treatment options are available to lower the pressure and preserve vision.

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Dogs can indeed develop glaucoma, which is a common occurrence in the field of veterinary ophthalmology. Glaucoma refers to high pressure inside the eyes, which, if left untreated, can cause pain and vision loss. Similar to our own eyes, dogs' eyes have a normal pressure created by fluid called aqueous humor. This fluid is produced by the ciliary body or ciliary processes, acting like a faucet that generates fluid. The fluid circulates around the eye and eventually exits through the drainage area called the iridocorneal angle, similar to a sink drain.

Glaucoma occurs when the iridocorneal angle becomes blocked or closed, akin to placing a stopper in a drain while the faucet continues to run. As a result, the pressure inside the eye increases, leading to pain and potential vision loss. Prompt recognition and treatment by a veterinarian or veterinary ophthalmologist are crucial in managing glaucoma. Treatment options may include medical or surgical interventions aimed at lowering the pressure and preserving vision. While glaucoma is a serious issue, there are available treatment options to address it and prevent blindness in dogs.

Tear stains in dogs: The mystery behind tap water's role

Does tap water cause tear stains in dogs? So short answer, we don't really know. It may play a small role, but the biggest reason we see as veterinarians for this to occur happens a lot in small little poodles or bichons that have white fur and they have this brown tear staining on the inside. And if we've ruled out any true disease that can cause this, then many times we're left with a congenital issue about how the eye was formed from birth and why this occurs. And this usually involves a little tight ligament on the lower eyelid near where the tear duct is, the tear puncta, and some hairs that grow on the inside part that serve as a wick to wick some of those tears from the eye onto the face instead of going down into that little tear puncta and that little tear duct. So when that occurs, that's what causes the staining. And the actual staining, what causes the brown, is something called porphyrins, which is something that is found commonly in tears in saliva, and it's in varying degrees, but whenever it's exposed and dried in the environment, it can turn brown or rust-colored. And some dogs happen to get this more than others, and that may involve an environmental change, a diet change, a water change, we don't always know what, you know, from the first five years a dog never had it and then starts to develop it, and other dogs develop it from birth. So there's different things that may play a small role, but the majority of the reason for this is the congenital conformation or shape of the face and the eye that gives way for something like this to develop and sometimes get worse over time. And if it is, there are some treatments that are available that can be utilized to try to help the staining, since many times it's just a cosmetic issue, but we may be able to treat that and improve it.

We don't really know for sure if tap water plays a role in tear staining in dogs, but it is likely that the main cause is due to congenital issues with how the eye was shaped from birth and how tears are not properly draining. In some cases, there may be treatments available to reduce the staining.

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Does tap water cause tear stains in dogs? The short answer is that we don't really know. While tap water may play a small role, the main reason for tear staining in dogs, particularly small breeds with white fur like poodles or bichons, is often a congenital issue related to the formation of the eye from birth.

In these cases, a tight ligament near the tear duct and hairs on the inside part of the eye can cause tears to be wicked onto the face instead of draining properly. The brown staining is caused by porphyrins, which are commonly found in tears and saliva. When exposed to the environment and dried, porphyrins can turn brown or rust-colored.

Some dogs may be more prone to tear staining than others, and it can be influenced by factors such as environmental changes, diet changes, or even water changes. However, the primary reason for tear staining is the congenital shape of the face and eye, which can lead to the development and worsening of tear stains over time.

While tear staining is often a cosmetic issue, there are treatments available to help improve the staining if necessary. It's important to rule out any underlying diseases before considering these treatments.

In conclusion, while tap water may have a minor impact, the main cause of tear staining in dogs is typically related to the congenital conformation of the face and eye.

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.

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Joshua Broadwater answers your Pets questions. See all the advice Joshua Broadwater has and get answers to your own Pets questions.

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Dr. Joshua Broadwater has been hooked on treating and curing diseases and helping relieve the suffering of animals – since he got his first microscope at age 12. That passion eventually took on a particular focus – caring for animals’ eyes. Following a residency at the Animal Eye Specialty Clinic in Florida, Dr. Broadwater worked at Lion Country Safari, SeaWorld, and Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex, where he performed surgery to remove tumors from turtles’ eyes. Broadwater is now an ophthalmologist at CARE, where he has a special interest in cornea disease and surgery, cataract surgery, and glaucoma surgery. “I went into ophthalmology,” he says, “because there’s something so special about relieving the suffering of a dog with a corneal ulcer, or controlling a painful condition such as glaucoma, or removing cataracts from a dog that was blind, and suddenly have them see the world again.”