If you notice that your dog is losing their sight, you should contact us immediately. Sight loss can be part of normal aging, or it could indicate a more serious issue. Keeping a journal about how quickly the sight loss is progressing and noting if they can navigate around furniture or stairs, or if they're bumping into things, can be helpful for the veterinarian.

Blindness in dogs can be caused by various conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, thickening of the lens known as nucleus sclerosis, a rare condition called SARS where the retina is attacked by the immune system, or high blood pressure.

Yes, a dog's vision can be tested by an ophthalmologist, a specialty dog doctor who focuses on eyes. The test can measure whether or not there's any eyesight, but we can't conclusively determine the exact vision quality.

I would not recommend using over-the-counter eye drops for your dog. There are specific medicated eye drops that we would administer at the hospital.

If you notice that your dog is pawing at his face, blinking excessively, or showing redness around the eye, or if there is any sort of yellow or green discharge, you should consult a veterinarian. Especially if you don't see any improvement within a day or so.

95% of the time, no. Eye infections typically need treatment, even if they're viral. This could include drops to help keep the eye moist or antibiotic drops if it's become a bacterial issue.

No, I would definitely not recommend treating your dog's eye infection at home. There isn't anything over the counter that will treat an eye infection. Most of the time, attempts to self-treat can make the condition worse.