We begin this week’s “RUFF TAILS” featuring a beautiful 11-month-old Portuguese Water Dog named Finley.
Finn is a smart, happy, loveable, and gentle fella. He melted our hearts from the moment we met him.
He is very easy-going, loyal and eager to please. We feel so lucky to be his forever family.
Welcome Doggie Dialogue
Dogs can suffer from many of the same eye ailments that we do, such as chronic dry eyes, cataracts, glaucoma, and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA).
Unfortunately, “working dogs” often mask early symptoms and are not diagnosed until their vision is significantly affected.
Breeds like Poodles, Terriers, and Cocker Spaniels are more susceptible to cataracts.
Siberian Huskies, Border Collies, and German Shepherds may be more likely to develop CSK (chronic superficial keratitis) commonly referred to as lesions on the dog’s cornea and/or third eyelid.
How can we help prevent these eye diseases?
Proper nutrition is the key and can really be beneficial. In addition to a healthy diet there are important vitamins and antioxidants that our K9’s can benefit from, as well.
Carotenoids like lutein and astaxanthin contain pigments that help protect the eyes from UV and blue light (from electronics). When taken orally, it acts as a natural sunblock for the eyes.
Foods such as carrots, sweet potato and pumpkin are great examples of carotenoids. You can steam these vegetables and add them to your dog’s meal. (no spices). As for pumpkin, we recommend canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling).
Astaxanthin is one of the strongest carotenoids. Foods that are high in astaxanthin are salmon and trout. We recommend steaming plain fish to add to your K9’s meal.
We recommend asking your vet to do an eye exam when you bring your K9 in for their annual checkup, to ensure their vision is still on point.
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