When you are raising a dog many things are gonna make you wonder, worry, or concern about them. Similar to what happens with your first child.
They need constant care, attention, and love.
One of the things that worried me so much is when my dog’s eyes started to turn blue as I thought they were going blind, so I looked it up and found some useful information that really helped me, and maybe it will help you too.
What happens when my dog’s eyes turn blue? Your Dog’s Eyesight gets weaker and their vision blurrier when their eyes turn blue, but they don’t necessarily go blind. TIt’s caused by a condition called Nuclear sclerosis lenticular sclerosis, which happens to middle-aged and senior dogs and appears as a bluish transparent haze.
If you were worried, don’t be. This is not nearly as bad as your mind might have made you believe, however, it is cause for concern especially if this happened suddenly, and it needs your attention.
So, let’s go together and find out what does it mean when your dog’s eyes turn blue, when you should be worried, and what can you doin this situation….
What Causes Dog’s Eyes To Turn Blue?
There are three reasons that could cause a dog’s eyes to turn blue; lenticular sclerosis, cataracts, and glaucoma.
What is lenticular sclerosis?
It’s a term for the bluish transparent haze that develops in the eye lens due to aging ( from middle-aged to senior dogs), you can see it as bluish discoloration or cloudiness that appears on the pupil and it makes it less clear.
They can still see but their vision will be more blurry, it’s kinda like if they were wearing dirty glasses, however, it’s not something to worry about as it’s a normal age-related process.
Symptoms
- Evenly gray (kinda bluish) pupil
- When the pupil dilates, it is easily noticed
- If you looked at it from the side the opacity will be more obvious than from the front.
What are cataracts?
It’s also cloudiness that makes the eyes look a little bluish, it develops a crystalline lens which looks a little blue in the light.
It changes from a small dot to the whole lens, it will cause them a problem in their sight because it doesn’t permit the image to form on the retina, in conclusion, they will lose their vision.
Symptoms
- Watery eyes
- Squinting
- Signs of vision loss (can’t see their food, bumping into walls, or can’t recognize familiar faces)
- Unwilling to jump or climb
- Scratching or rubbing their eyes
- Difficulty seeing in the morning or in a dimly lit place
- The pupil size will change
- Change in the eye color
- Cloudy eyes
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a much bigger problem, it’s really painful for them and they will end up losing their eyesight.
It builds up fluid in the eye and this fluid will put pressure on the eye, and the more the fluid builds upon the eye the more the pressure increases.
It affects one eye at a time, the white part will turn red and will be a little swollen and they will look like they are popping up from their head.
Symptoms
- Signs of pain
- Sleeping more than usual
- Watery eyes
- Tilting their head a lot or being head shy
- Dilated pupils
- Cloudy eyes
- Blue appearance in the eye (it could also appear as hazy in some dogs)
- The white part of the eye turns red
Should You Worry that your dog’s eyes are turning blue?
If your dog wasn’t born with blue eyes, you should be worried when their eyes turn blue and you should take them to the vet. Depending on what is causing the eyes to turn blue, they could develop problems with their eyesight and could end up losing their vision if they are not diagnosed and treated.
If you have a golden retriever, you don’t necessarily have to worry about your puppy having blue eyes. You can learn how can golden retrievers have blue eyes here.
At the end of the day, it really depends on the condition that is causing their eyes to turn blue, and that’s why you will need to consult their vet first to know what is going on with your dog and get an accurate diagnosis.
If it is lenticular sclerosis you should not worry it’s a normal process. It’s related to their age and that’s why it appears in middle-aged and senior dogs only.
This condition doesn’t lead to blindness but it makes their vision a little blurry and cloudy, which is normal for any aging animal.
However, both cataracts and glaucoma are causes for concern indeed and can lead to serious consequences, including losing eyesight completely.
Glaucoma can not be cured but, fortunately, it can be controlled by laser, eye drops, surgical operations, or pills. To prevent vision loss, as soon as the symptoms appear take them to the vet.
The good news is cataracts can be cured by surgery and they can restore their vision again, their vet will discuss the surgical options with you and will recommend what’s best for your dog’s vision. The surgery will be similar to human surgery.
What to do if your dog’s eyes are turning blue?
Whether it’s lenticular sclerosis, cataracts, or glaucoma, you should take them to the vet if their eyes turned blue for an accurate diagnosis. Only the vet will tell what’s better for them.
They could just give them eye drops, pills, or something more serious such as laser or surgical operations.
The sooner you take them to the vet the better chances they will have to prevent any loss of sight.
Related Questions
How can you tell if your dog is going blind?
If they are going blind the signs will be noticeable for example they can pump into a wall, you, or the furniture, they will avoid jumping or climbing, and they won’t recognize familiar faces. Also, they won’t be able to locate their food or drinks by sight. make eye contact with them as a test.
Do dogs’ eyes change color when they go blind?
Yes, it does, the first thing to look for if you think that your dog is going bling is the eye color if changed into a blue, gray, haze, or cloudy. You can easily see it by looking at their eyes and most conditions are age-related so when they become middle-aged make a regular appointment with their vet.
Why are my dogs’ eyes turning GREY?
It’s common for dogs when they are getting older that their eyes color changes. It can change into grey, blue, haze, and cloudy. In some cases, it’s a condition that is non-related to age like glaucoma. However, if your dog’s eyes are turning grey take them to the vet even if it’s age-related.
