Signs a Dog's Vision Is Failing

Watching your beloved pal get older is never easy. He slows down quite a bit, isn̵7;t nearly as active and clearly has problems seeing. But failing vision isn̵7;t always tied to just older dogs. Blindness or vision problems can occur at any age. Several signs will let you know that something isn̵7;t right with his line of sight, warranting a checkup with your veterinarian.

  1. Playing with His Food

    • You might think it̵7;s annoying that Bubba always knocks over his food dish during supper. He̵7;s not intentionally trying to make a mess; he genuinely can̵7;t really see where his food his. Sometimes batting around the food dish, spilling it or taking food out and moving it to another location are cues that your pooch isn̵7;t able to see as well as he should. Dipping his paw in the water to detect the water line is another big red flag.

    Bumping Into Things

    • Bumping into things is an obvious sign that your canine can̵7;t see clearly. He̵7;s misjudging objects and their distance from him. Watch for bumping into the wall while walking down the hallway, missing a step while coming down the staircase, ramming straight into your legs or running right into the edge of the sofa. He might even fall into a bush or tree while you̵7;re out on your evening walk if he's not seeing clearly.

    Seems Scared

    • Imagine how you would feel if you woke up one morning and there was a permanent curtain in front of you or if that light switch never came on. You̵7;d surely feel scared and uneasy in your new dark environment. Your pooch feels the same way. He knows he̵7;s home, but as his vision keeps declining, he starts feeling less comfortable with his surroundings. He̵7;ll seem startled when you approach him and could even snap at you if you reach down to pat him on the head -- he didn̵7;t see your hand coming at him after all and you scared him. Odds are, he̵7;ll hang out in the same spot all day, right where he feels safe.

    Visual Signs

    • You can sometimes tell that your buddy̵7;s vision is failing simply by looking at him. His eyes become cloudy, change colors or reflect a lot of light. Typically these signs are common with age-related vision loss. If his eye problem is due to an injury or infection though, he could have extraordinarily watery eyes, an obvious tear or scratch on his pupil or thick discharge building up on his tear ducts.