![]() ![]() If you notice any of these signs, be sure to make an appointment with a professional for a full diagnosis, and as recommended above, annual eye exams are the best tool available to make sure you catch an eye condition as early as possible. However, the same signs and symptoms can also exhibit in more serious conditions such as cranial nerve abnormalities, Horner's syndrome, glaucoma and PRA, among others where treatment may be available and needed. Other symptoms that are sometimes noticeable with iris atrophy include holes that appear in the iris itself, visible rough edges around the pupil and unequal pupil sizes (or sometimes what looks like a double pupil).īecause this is a common condition associated with aging, iris atrophy on its own is not something that is treated (but if your dog is squinting severely in the sun you might want to consider helping them out by giving them goggles that protect them from the sun and act like sunglasses). Another thing you might notice is that your dog's eyes seem shinier at night - this is a light reflection in the back of the eye and is often referred to as "eye shine." This may make your dog more sensitive to bright sunlight, so you'll probably see them squinting a lot if you're out on a bluebird day. When this occurs, it makes it harder for the iris sphincter muscle to constrict the pupil, letting too much light in. If it's really bright out, the iris will restrict more light from getting in by shrinking the size of the pupil (this uses the iris sphincter muscle).Īs a dog gets older, it's common for the iris muscle to begin to weaken. ![]() For example, if it's dark out, the iris will let more light in, enlarging the pupil (this uses the iris dilator muscle). Depending on the amount of light available, the iris then controls the size of the pupil. The iris is the colored part of the eye, and it's actually made up of two muscles that work in tandem to control how much light reaches the pupil. It refers to atrophy of the iris muscle in the eye over time. ![]() Iris atrophy is common in older dogs and is usually noticed in dogs around 8-years-old. Above picture from Instagram: What is iris atrophy, and can it be treated? Today we'll look at both Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) and iris atrophy as well as the key differences. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, be sure to check it out. We recently created a comprehensive guide to pannus, an autoimmune disease that affects the cornea and can lead to blindness if left untreated. Educating yourself on the signs and symptoms of eye conditions is the second best thing you can do to help your dog have good vision for as long as possible, but the absolute best thing you can do for your dog is to have an annual eye exam by either a vet or a veterinary ophthalmologist (eye specialist) - this will help ensure if your dog does have a progressive disease or condition that you can begin treating it as early as possible. Eye conditions are a common in dogs, but there's a huge spectrum between conditions that are a normal progression based on age and diseases that need treatment throughout your dog's lifetime. ![]()
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