We think National Pet Month is the perfect time for us at Canine Caviar Holistic Pet Foods to talk to pet owners about the importance of a pets eyes and how a pet parent can reduce or eliminate problems by simply looking deeply into your pet’s eyes.
Does a dog’s breed increase the likelihood of eye problems?
A dog’s eye is a specialized organ that can be affected by disease and trauma. Certain breeds of dog are more prone to disease because of the shape of the eye, eyelid or area surrounding the eye. For example a St Bernard has those sad drooping eyelids which are prone to eye infections because bacteria can settle in the lid. The Old English Sheep Dog has all that furry hair hanging over their eyes which can harbor bacteria that can easily get into the eyes. Then there is the cute Pekingese whose bulging eyes offer less protection to damage. The shape of pets eyes can contribute to eye problems that many pet owners simply overlook because they feel the problem is common and not important enough to warrant a visit to their vet.
Can food allergies and yeast production contribute to tearstains?
Food allergies are a big instigator of many eye issues and can cause your pets eyes to become irritated, cause tearstains or hair that appears to be hardened around the eye and many pet parents do not even recognize this as a problem. Most dog owners do not consider looking into their pets eyes for problems. When you remove the cause of the food allergy, (which many times is caused by pet food producers using unnecessary fillers) and begin feeding a pet a True Holistic Pet food like Canine Caviar Holistic Pet Foods, you also remove the irritation caused by the allergy and a pet’s eye will begin to quickly clear up. Another cause of tearstains is a high PH level in your pet’s body that can contribute to a hostile environment where yeast tends to fester. Since the area around a pet’s eyes is moist the area is prone to red yeast growing in the damp environment, so by changing a pet diet to include a food like Canine Caviar that is alkaline based, to reduce the chance for yeast to grow and eliminate the red stains that we often see.
Other eye problems that can be identified by looking into a pet’s eye
Many serious eye problems can be identified by looking into a pets eyes. Glaucoma causes inflammation that closes the drainage passage in a pet’s eye. If glaucoma is not treated immediately to remove the pressure of eye fluid the pet will suffer in pain and eventually blindness will be the result. Since Glaucoma typically affects one eye at a time, some of the signs you may notice by looking into a pet’s eye might be that one eye has a dilated pupil, or one pupil is larger that the other or the eye appears to be bulging. In addition you may notice that a pet might be squinting, has fluttering eyelids, or many times they will just hold their eyes closed.
Cataracts are common in older dogs but don’t forget to look into younger dogs eyes for the disease because there is also a form of juvenile cataract that can cause issues with pets as young as 1 year old. When you look into a pets eye’s you will see a bluish white film over the eyes which is actually a thickening of the lens. Identifying the problem so the lens can be removed surgically is the only solution and since dogs are nearsighted they adapt quite well to removal of the lens.
Seeing the world through your pets eyes!
When you look at the world thorough a dog’s eye like Canine Caviar does, you will recognize the importance of looking into your pets eyes frequently to identify potential problems early. Do not fool yourself into thinking that something is a minor issue and will go away by itself. A savvy pet parent will identify the problem with a trip to the vet and begin treating the issue early on to prevent an even bigger problem.
Understand that pet’s eyes differ greatly from humans because their lens does not focus and is not able to distinguish differences the way a human eye does automatically. A pet may not complain about a problem with their eyes because they do not rely on them the way humans do. A pet’s sense of smell is their greatest asset when you toss that toy across the yard.