Posts tagged "DogEyes"

Many people wonder whether dogs see in color like humans do, or only in black and white. Does it matter to your dog if you humiliate him by making him wear a blue sweater, or will a yellow one be just as humiliating? Modern science has the answer:

Dogs see in color, but not very well.

Eyes have two cells that receive light: rods and cones. Rods tell us how bright or dim a light is, i.e. how "white" or "black" it is. Cones tell us what color the light is. Humans have three kinds of cones that each detect color at different wavelengths, which are basically yellow, violet, and green. Just like old television sets have little squares of blue, green, and red to make up the full picture, every color we see is a combination of cones working at different intensities.

Color blind humans are missing one type of cone. Dogs only have two types of cones, the yellow and the violet, so technically, all dogs are color blind by human standards. For dogs, orange, yellow, and green are seen as yellow, blue-green is seen as white, red is seen as close to black, and there is little distinction between the blues as they get darker. The diagram on Psychology Today shows the differences between the visible light spectrum for dogs and that for humans.

Dog eye discharge -- we've all dealt with it. In fact, it's a rare morning when our pups wake up without a bit of icky goop in the corners of their eyes. Yes, we know: eeeewwww.

However, there's a difference between the harmless daily discharge that occurs in all dogs and dog eye discharge caused by an infection or disease. According to PetPlace.com, abnormal dog eye discharge can appear suddenly or gradually and can come in many forms, including somewhat clear and watery, mucoid (or gray and rope-like), mucopurulent (meaning it's a thick yellow-green color) or bloody. Watch the tissue around the eye for irritation and puffiness, and remember that, generally speaking, more discharge means a more serious problem.

These different types of dog eye discharge have a few possible causes. A problem with the tear duct can prevent normal tear drainage, or there could be excess tear production caused by eye pain. Inflammation of the eyelid, cornea, iris or blood vessels in the eye can cause this, or it could be due to another problem, such as corneal ulcers, lens displacement, or another defect within the eyelid.

If your pet seems otherwise perfectly normal, try cleaning the area with a warm, damp cloth and flushing the eye with saline solution, says Natural Dog Health Remedies. However, you should never use human eye drops or other human eye medications on your dog.

If the problem isn't resolved in a couple of days, or if your dog seems at all bothered by the eye (acting differently or rubbing the area), get to your vet right away for an accurate diagnosis.