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.

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.

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.

At what age should I start watching out for cataracts?

Cataracts: Age isn't the only factor, be aware of underlying causes

At what age should I start watching out for cataracts? This is a great question and the answer it could be at any age depending on the underlying cause to the cataract and what a cataract is is a cloudiness inside the lens and the lens is the oval like structure that sits behind the brown or blue part of our eye which is our iris and the purpose of the lens is to serve as basically the fine focus of the camera it's what focuses light rays directly on our retina which is in the back of our eyes so that we can form a very clear image of what we see and so if we develop any cloudiness in that lens that is what's called a cataract and the most common reasons we'll see cataracts just like people which is age-related or see now cataracts that's probably the most common thing that we see in our field but there are other causes so diseases like diabetes many dogs will develop cataracts related to being diabetic eventually after being diagnosed with this disease we will see cataracts and very young dogs as well either referred to as congenital cataracts if they have them from birth or juvenile cataracts if they develop them at a very young age if some dogs can develop cataracts at six months or a year or a year and a half on of age unfortunately related to their genetics so if you ever notice a cloudiness inside your dog's eye or they seem to be having trouble seeing and bumping and stumbling into things it may be a good idea to see a veterinarian or a veterinary ophthalmologist so that we can look and rule out something like cataracts

It is important to watch out for cataracts at any age as they can be caused by age-related factors, diseases such as diabetes, or genetics. If you notice that your dog is having trouble seeing and bumping into things, it's a good idea to see a veterinarian or Veterinary ophthalmologist to rule out the possibility of cataracts.

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The age at which one should start watching out for cataracts can vary depending on the underlying cause. Cataracts are characterized by cloudiness inside the lens of the eye, which is responsible for focusing light onto the retina. Age-related cataracts are the most common type, but there are other causes as well.

Diseases like diabetes can lead to cataracts, and dogs with diabetes may develop them at a young age. These are referred to as congenital cataracts if present from birth or juvenile cataracts if they develop early in life. Some dogs may even develop cataracts due to their genetics, as early as six months to a year and a half of age.

If you notice cloudiness in your dog's eye or they are experiencing vision problems, such as bumping into things, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian or a veterinary ophthalmologist to rule out cataracts or other potential issues.

Dogs' Color Vision and Visual Acuity: Debunking Misconceptions

How well do dogs see? This is a great question and there are a lot of misconceptions with dogs vision in general. So one of the biggest is that dogs do not see in color and research suggests that is not true. Dogs do see color. They tend to be similar to people that are considered red-green color blind or deuteranopic. As far as their visual acuity, how well they see, dogs are considered to have vision about 2065 or 2070, which would mean that dogs would see something in focus from 20, let's say 20 feet away, whereas a person with normal vision would see that in focus from about 65 feet away. So their visual acuity is not as good as people, but there are trade-offs because dogs tend to have much better night vision than we have as humans and one of those trade-offs is their visual acuity, but they tend to compensate for that with some of their other abilities such as their good sense of smell whenever they get close to objects, their sense of hearing, their sense of touch. So despite their visual acuity maybe not being as good as what people, the visual acuity of a person is, they compensate for that very well and it also is an interesting side note as a veterinary ophthalmologist, those differences in vision guide what we do for things like cataract surgery. So with people, when they remove a cataract from inside your eye, there are certain artificial lenses that are placed and as a veterinary ophthalmologist, we do cataract surgery in dogs as well, but we have to use different lenses based on the different visual acuities of those animals. So that's one of the big differences that would come into play during our cataract surgeries.

Dogs do see color and have a vision that is about 20/65-20/70, which is lower than humans. They compensate for this with their other senses such as smell, hearing, and touch, and it guides the way cataract surgeries are done in dogs.

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Dogs' vision is often misunderstood, so it's important to clarify some misconceptions. Contrary to popular belief, dogs do see in color. Research suggests that their color vision is similar to that of people with red-green color blindness. However, their visual acuity, or how well they see, is not as sharp as humans. Dogs have a visual acuity of about 20/65 or 20/70, meaning they can see something in focus from about 20 feet away that a person with normal vision would see clearly from 65 feet away.

Although their visual acuity may be lower, dogs have compensatory abilities. They have superior night vision compared to humans and rely on their other senses, such as smell, hearing, and touch, to navigate their surroundings. These abilities help them overcome any limitations in their visual acuity.

It's interesting to note that these differences in vision also impact veterinary ophthalmology, particularly in cataract surgery. Just as humans receive artificial lenses after cataract removal, dogs undergo similar procedures. However, the lenses used in dogs are specifically chosen based on their different visual acuities.

Overall, dogs may not have the same visual acuity as humans, but they make up for it with their other sensory strengths.

What happens when an animal loses an eye?

One-eyed wonders: How animals thrive after losing an eye

What happens when an animal loses an eye? Yeah, this is something we see a lot in our field, and animals lose eyes for various reasons. Typically, it's because they have a disease that causes pain, but the eye is, the prognosis for vision is poor, and there is no reason to keep that eye. So in those situations, we would look to remove the eye for their long-term comfort, since the eye was serving no good purpose. The great news is that dogs do excellent with one eye. It really does not slow them down at all. Their quality of life is great, and the change to their vision tends to be minimal. We maybe see some mild changes with their depth perception, and they may have a bit of a blind spot on that side where they lost the eye, but they adapt great. So regardless of the reason that a dog may lose their eye, if the other eye is healthy and in good shape, they will adapt very well with very little adjustment period, because dogs just tend to do great with one eye. So overall, they can do excellent.

Animals can adapt well to losing an eye, typically due to a disease causing pain. They may have some minor changes to their depth perception and a blind spot on the side where they lost the eye, but overall they can do excellent with one eye.

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When an animal loses an eye, it is often due to a disease that causes pain and offers a poor prognosis for vision. In such cases, the eye is typically removed to ensure the animal's long-term comfort since the eye serves no useful purpose. The good news is that animals, particularly dogs, adapt remarkably well to having only one eye. It does not significantly slow them down or diminish their quality of life. While there may be minor changes in depth perception and a blind spot on the side of the lost eye, dogs adjust easily. As long as the other eye is healthy, they adapt quickly and thrive with one eye. Overall, animals can do excellently even after losing an eye.

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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.”