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No other
organ in your dog’s body contains such
an intricate and complex mechanism in
such a small structure as the eyes. A
thorough examination of the eye can only
be made by your veterinarian, but
hopefully through our brief description
given here, you will as at least know
enough to spot a problem when it arises.
The first seen when examining your pet’s
eyes are the upper and lower eyelids –
specialized curtains to protect the
eyes. Eyelids should be smooth and
sharp. The eye margin or center of the
lower lid should not turn in or turn
out. Be sure the eyelids and hairs on
the nose do not rub the eyeball.
Sometimes these hairs can be distorted
and misdirected and can irritate the
eye. A smooth, pink tissue, called the
conjunctiva, can be seen covering the
inner surface of the lids.
The conjunction helps lubricate the
eyeball and protect it from infection.
The space between the eyelid conjunction
and the eyeball conjunctiva is the
conjunctiva sac. If the conjunctiva is
red or swollen, or if there is a green
or yellowish discharge, an inflammation
of the tissue is present.
The cornea is the clear “front window”
of the eye that bends the incoming light
rays. The cornea can lose its clarity if
it becomes inflamed or injured. Hairs
and twigs can injure the cornea,
especially in pop-eyed dogs. The sclera
is the fibrous coat the gives the
eyeball its ping-pong ball shape and
dull white color. The sclera frequently
takes on a yellow color, (jaundice) in
dogs experiencing liver problems.
The iris controls the amount of light
entering the back of the eye and gives
your dog’s eye its color. The black hole
in the center of the iris is the pupil.
It dilates (gets larger), to let more
light enter in dim light, and constricts
(gets smaller) in bright light.
Cataracts are white opacities that block
the lights passage through the eye, and
can be seen by shining a bright light
into the pupil of the eye. A normal
aging process called senile cataracts,
or nuclear sclerosis, is caused by a
rearrangement of the fibers and a loss
of water in the older lens.
About The
Author
Randy Jones
and his
partner
Brent Jones
have been in
the pet
industry for
a long time.
Recently
they formed
http://www.joncopets.com.
On the site,
customers
can shop for
the latest
dog collars,
dog clothes,
pet supplies
and more.
Check them
out at
http://www.joncopets.com.
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