| Retinal detachment in dogs can occur in just one | | | | potential causes including; congenital, circulatory, |
| of your pets eyes, or it can affect both eyes at | | | | infections, toxins, degenerative disease, cancer, |
| the same time. It can result in reduced vision, or if | | | | immune mediated causes, or a trauma of some |
| it is severe enough, it can cause your dog to go | | | | type. Congenital causes of retinal detachment can |
| blind. It can also cause your dogs eyes to | | | | be inherited, or they can develop with the first |
| hemorrhage or become severely discolored. It | | | | few months of life. |
| may also put so much pressure on the retina, | | | | The most common form is from a skeletal |
| that the pupils will become so dilated that they will | | | | disease, especially in very large breeds, where an |
| show absolutely no light reflex at all. | | | | actual folding of the retina has occurred. It could |
| Treatment must begin as soon as possible with | | | | also be from Collie eye, which affects the actual |
| this condition, or your dog will become | | | | connective tissues of the choroid and the sclera, |
| permanently blind as a result and it could happen | | | | and as the name suggests, is most common in |
| within a couple of days as it is that severe. | | | | Collies or Sheepdog breeds. However, it can also |
| But contrary to some misconception, it is not | | | | be the result of a very poor nutritional intake that |
| always the result of an ocular problem; it is almost | | | | has caused clotting issues and may be associated |
| always the result of underlying diseases or | | | | with a Vitamin K deficiency. |
| condition that is causing all of these problems. | | | | Circulatory problems affect older dogs more |
| Surgery may be required and is successful in | | | | commonly, and the major cause is high blood |
| some cases, but not it all cases. However, there | | | | pressure which results in fluid leaking and bleeding |
| are several treatments that can be tried before | | | | from the blood vessels of the retina. As this fluid |
| surgery is required. | | | | accumulates, it forces the detachment. The most |
| Retinal detachment in dogs is where the | | | | common cause of the high blood pressure is from |
| innermost back part of your dogs eyes, the | | | | chronic kidney disease. Your dogs blood may also |
| retina, has become detached from the outer wall | | | | become too thick as the result of overproduction |
| of the eye.. The retina itself is the thin membrane | | | | of white blood cells or red blood cells. |
| of nerve tissues that lies in the back or your pets | | | | However, one of the most common problems |
| eyes and it connected to the choroid. The choroid, | | | | with circulation is the lack of blood clotting caused |
| which is also known as the choroidea or choroid | | | | by the lack of Vitamin K in your dogs system. |
| coat, is the vascular layer that contains the | | | | This could be the result of an actual deficiency of |
| connective tissues. | | | | the vitamin, or the result of a liver disease or |
| These are the tissues of the eye lying between | | | | leukemia. Infectious diseases may also be the |
| the retina and the sclera and they provide both | | | | cause, especially if the infection is caused by fungi. |
| oxygen and nourishment to the outer layers of | | | | Fungal infections generally attack the skin or the |
| the retina. In dogs, the actual detachment will | | | | lungs, but the retina is also extremely vulnerable |
| almost always occur as the result of an | | | | to several forms of fungal infections. |
| accumulation of fluid that has formed under the | | | | Toxins such as antifreeze poisoning and exposure |
| retina and is the result of something that is | | | | to sulfa products can cause a very rapid retina |
| pathologic, meaning it is related or caused by a | | | | detachment, as can several forms of cancer as |
| disease, either in the eye itself, or somewhere | | | | well as a severe traumatic event that may have |
| else in your dogs body. | | | | affected your dogs head or their eyes. However, |
| Symptoms: | | | | perhaps the two most dangerous causes are |
| Retinal detachment in dogs cause very distinctive | | | | immune mediated diseases and degeneration. |
| symptoms that will be very easy to spot by | | | | Immune mediated diseases are especially |
| owners as there is no one that knows and | | | | dangerous as they cause inflammation to occur |
| understands your dogs eyes better than you do. | | | | that can cause a gradual or a very rapid retinal |
| The first symptom is usually dilated pupils, but this | | | | detachment. There is a syndrome called |
| will not be an ordinary form of dilation as it will | | | | Uveodermatologic syndrome that affects Oriental |
| result in no pupillary light reflex at all. This is the | | | | breeds as well as Arctic sled dogs which is a very |
| reflex that controls the actual diameter of your | | | | strange disease. It attacks any pigmented tissues |
| pets eye in response to light intensity. Under | | | | in the body and causes the pigment to disappear |
| normal circumstances, bright light of any kind will | | | | and can affect the skin, hair, and the lips. |
| cause your dogs pupils to become smaller in a | | | | However, the hardest hit is the eyes. |
| defensive mode. And in the opposite realm, dim | | | | Immune mediated diseases also affect very large |
| light causes the pupil to enlarge. | | | | breeds and the first organ affected is the eyes. |
| If you fully understand your dogs eyes, you will | | | | Degenerative diseases which are generally |
| notice very quickly that something is wrong when | | | | associated with geriatric dogs in their final stages |
| there is no dilation at all. The next symptom that | | | | of life will also cause detachment of the retina. |
| you will see will be either a visible hemorrhage | | | | Retinal detachment can also occur in the final |
| that has or is occurring in their eye, or you will | | | | stages of glaucoma, the result of a complicated |
| notice a strange discoloration of the front of their | | | | cataract surgery, or as the result of a retinal tear, |
| eyes. If the blood from the back of your dogs | | | | very common in the Shih Tzu breed of dogs. |
| eyes moves forward, it causes an inflammation | | | | Summary: |
| and will also change the appearance of the eyes | | | | Retinal detachment in dogs does have several |
| themselves. | | | | forms of very successful treatments other than |
| The final symptom is very self explanatory; your | | | | surgery. Antibiotics can be very successful for |
| dog will have a very sudden and pronounced | | | | fungal infections, corticosteroids can effectively |
| reduced vision or lose their vision totally. If the | | | | stop most immune diseases, and intravenous |
| actual underlying cause is from an infection or an | | | | fluids will help circulatory problems. Vitamin K |
| immune related disease, your dog may go totally | | | | therapy and regular daily doses also very |
| blind within one to three days. Because of this, it | | | | effectively combat clotting disorders. |
| is extremely important to watch for the | | | | However, they all must be administered very |
| symptoms. | | | | rapidly by your veterinarian and only you can |
| Causes: | | | | make that happen by watching for the |
| Retinal detachment can be the result of several | | | | symptoms. |