The eyes are the window to the soul, its said, and who doesn’t love looking into the soul of your beloved cat or dog. But its also true that general body health and vitality may be reflected in the eyes. Sometimes the eyes can give clues to other conditions in the body and so they also reflect poor health or imbalances elsewhere. In Chinese medicine, the eyes are related to the liver, and imbalances in the liver can first be revealed in the eyes. In iridology, discolouration and patterns in the iris can help determine where problems exist before they manifest in the body. Typically as disease is treated the patterns change. Whether these are reliable indicators is arguable, but your veterinarian will look for changes or problems and can make a diagnosis, which is the ideal way to go.
But you can also keep an eye out for changes and seek veterinary attention if you see any of the following:
Discharge
Redness
Rubbing the eye
Cloudiness
Avoiding light
Bulging eyes
Closed eyes
Rubbing the face on the ground
Excess tearing
Looking lost or bumping into things especially at dusk.
If your pet suffers from any eye problem, veterinary attention must be sought. Fortunately most problems are treatable; some require medicines, some surgery and your veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist for difficult problems.
In the meantime it would be ideal to maintain eye health through regular checkups and a good diet. Leafy green vegetables, parsley, any purple or blue berries, carrots, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds are all considered good for the eyes. Supporting eye health through the addition of supplements like Vision Berry helps maintain eye health and hopefully prevent disease or delay the changes that occur with aging.
Veterinary Advice on Eye Care in Pets from Dr Barbara Fougere
The eyes are the window to the soul, its said, and who doesn’t love looking into the soul of your beloved cat or dog. But its also true that general body health and vitality may be reflected in the eyes. Sometimes the eyes can give clues to other conditions in the body and so they also reflect poor health or imbalances elsewhere. In Chinese medicine, the eyes are related to the liver, and imbalances in the liver can first be revealed in the eyes. In iridology, discolouration and patterns in the iris can help determine where problems exist before they manifest in the body. Typically as disease is treated the patterns change. Whether these are reliable indicators is arguable, but your veterinarian will look for changes or problems and can make a diagnosis, which is the ideal way to go.
But you can also keep an eye out for changes and seek veterinary attention if you see any of the following:
If your pet suffers from any eye problem, veterinary attention must be sought. Fortunately most problems are treatable; some require medicines, some surgery and your veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist for difficult problems.
In the meantime it would be ideal to maintain eye health through regular checkups and a good diet. Leafy green vegetables, parsley, any purple or blue berries, carrots, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds are all considered good for the eyes. Supporting eye health through the addition of supplements like Vision Berry helps maintain eye health and hopefully prevent disease or delay the changes that occur with aging.