5 Ways to Recognize Vision Loss in Dogs

I have been lucky enough to be Oz’s pet parent for 10.5 of his 11 years, give or take a few months.  I have had the privilege of training him, getting him through his terrible two’s (which in Terriers lasts until they are 5 or 6 years old – who knew?!) and helping him become the adventurous companion he is today. 

I have also had the privilege of caring for him through some puppy gastrointestinal illnesses, several broken bones in his wrist and enough allergies to make 10 dogs itch.  Now that he is a senior dog, I also have the privilege of helping him age gracefully, which compared to the rest is a bit of challenge for me because I still think of him as my precious puppy or my very active adult dog.

It’s not difficult to notice that he has slowed down with age.  However, it was a slow process for me to notice that Oz is losing his vision.  Call me a bad pet parent.  I just thought Oz was becoming a klutz!  It wasn’t until our big 11-day camping trip that I finally realized Oz cannot see well at night.  He wouldn’t move from his little pet chair once the sun went down, not even for a walk or to bark at approaching critters.

It wasn’t until that realization in camp that I began to look back and recognize some of the other signs of his vision loss.  For most dogs, night vision is the first to go and so it is for Oz.  Maybe you have already been down this road.  If not, here are the 5 ways I finally recognized Oz’s vision loss.

5 Ways to Recognize Vision Loss in your Dog

1)  Your dog becomes a klutz.  If the lighting in the house was dim, Oz would trip over toys, bump the corner of the wall while turning into a room and even walk into closed doors.  One night we found him under my bedside table instead of in his crate and assumed since they are right next to each other, he got confused.  It made my heart break a little.

2)  Your dog cannot see the treat in your hand until he smells it.  I would hold out a treat for Oz; he wouldn’t see it.  I have to place it directly by his nose for him to “see” it.  Thankfully, his food and water bowls have been in the same spots since we moved here so he can find his meals quickly.

3)  Your dog is nervous or afraid to walk at night.  Oz used to walk in front of me on our nighttime “business” walks but now he walks directly at my side or just behind me.  A little passing shadow can send him into a barking fit at night because he cannot see what is coming at him, even if it is nothing at all. 

This next one, pet bloggers will understand.

4)  If your dog has cataracts or clouding, they will make his eyes look weird in photos.  This one I really notice now as Oz does have some clouding.  Since cataracts and/or clouding block the light from entering the eye and passing through the lens, the light refracts back at the camera giving the eyes a cloudy appearance in photos.

And finally,

5)  Your veterinarian will confirm it.  I may have been a nurse to people, but that doesn’t make me a veterinarian by any stretch of the imagination.  If you suspect your dog is losing his/her vision, take your dog to the vet for a complete eye exam.  We did and yes, Oz is losing his vision.  Thankfully, it is only his night vision for now.

Later this month, I will be sharing some of the steps we are taking to help Oz cope with his night vision loss…that is, if you all don’t mind reading a post written by me instead of “Oz”.

Have you recognized vision loss in your dog?  

What did you do to help your dog cope?