Eye diseases in dogs range from common conditions like conjunctivitis to serious inherited disorders. Early detection preserves vision and prevents suffering.
Eye pain is often underrecognized in dogs who compensate by reducing activity rather than showing obvious signs. Glaucoma causes severe pain comparable to human glaucoma - a throbbing, intense pain that is constant while pressure is elevated. Entropion causes chronic irritation equivalent to having a lash rubbing the eye continuously. Inherited conditions like PRA are entirely preventable through responsible breeding - using genetic tests before mating eliminates the condition from offspring. Breeding dogs with known heritable eye diseases to produce offspring that will inevitably suffer represents a serious ethical failure in canine welfare.