Dog eyes... - Pet forum for dogs cats and humans

athenamor · #1 March 6th, 2007, 05:27 PM

After reading http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=5187 that Jamie posted about the black spot on her pup's eye (beautiful eyes btw), I started thinking about Bourbon's eyes.

Do dogs' pupils dialate? Because his barely "flexes", and he seems to always have the same sized pupils in dim and bright rooms. Now his eyes are getting milky too. Left eye worse then the other. I've read that it happends to older pups, iron deposits I think. He's getting a check up soon (right before our big move yay) and I'll ask the doc as well. Just curious if dog pupils dialate or not.

hazelrunpack · #2 March 6th, 2007, 05:32 PM

The pupils should dilate and contract in response to changes in light, much as human eyes do. I'd definitely have the vet check Bourbon's eyes when you go in. It might just be a diminished response due to the cataracts...but it never hurts to check.

Prin · #3 March 6th, 2007, 06:04 PM

Yeah, they definitely dilate and constrict.
Dilated:

Constricted:

But if your dog is going blind, maybe they might not constrict as much as they used to.
For the milky stuff.. Do you mean the eye looks cloudy or do you mean there's white liquidy stuff in the eye?

athenamor · #4 March 6th, 2007, 07:01 PM

Thanks for the reply

When you look in his eyes, it's cloudy like past the cornea. Almost like you can look through his pupils and see the cloudy blue grey tint. Here's a pic I found online, His are a little more blue/grey then this pup's, but this is how his eyes looked when we first got him. I couldnt get a good pic of Bourbon.

We got him in Aug of 2003 the pound had said he was 5 years old. The first vet we went to agreed, and his current vet said "sounds about right". I did find an article about cateracs and Nuclear Sclerosis.

http://cvm.msu.edu/courses/AP/cataract/diagnose.htm

Prin · #5 March 6th, 2007, 07:02 PM

It depends on the color of the retina too. If the retina has a blueish tint, the eye might look cloudier... But if you're unsure, you can always ask your vet.

Frenchy · #6 March 6th, 2007, 07:15 PM

athenamor, my Daisy was 8 yr old when I adopted her, her eyes were like that too. I noticed the same blue/grey cloud in other older dogs too.

Byrd · #7 March 6th, 2007, 09:04 PM

Could be cataracts as that's what human eyes look like with cataracts.

athenamor · #8 March 6th, 2007, 10:49 PM

thank you all. I will most definatly talk to his vet at his next appt. He seems to see ok, but I think part of me is more worried because I know he's getting up there in age, and I dont think I've had him long enough. The eyes remind me I may only have a few years left in him. He's mixed w/ large breeds, he is large. I know there are exceptions. I'm hopeful to have more then just a few more years left with him. We were so lucky to find him. He's a great dog. I know everyone's dog is great, but he has been my true first dog. The dogs I grew up with, were my mother's. I played with them, and loved on them, but it seems different with my Bourbon. He just helped me through a year long deployment, made me feel safe.

Sorry I think I just needed to vent just now. Totally off topic now

Thanks again. ya'll are wonderful.