Carolina Red
10-31-2004, 11:09 PM
Apparently that's what scientists are coming up with now.
Prescription Glasses For Dogs
If Fido is bumping into walls, you might look into prescription eyeglasses
By Dr. Marty Becker
ABC NEWS
Oct. 29, 2004 -- Now dogs may face the backyard taunt of being called "four-eyes." Or you may see a blind dog walking down the street wearing stereotypical dark glasses. No, I'm not kidding.
Doggles, a manufacturer of protective eyewear for dogs, is trying out a line of canine corrective lenses for dogs that can't see far beyond the end of their noses.
First of all, dogs don't see as well as you might think. A dog's visual acuity is considerably less than that of a normal human according to Dr. Stanley Coren, author of "How Dogs Think: Understanding the Canine Mind."
The overall effect for normal dogs is something like viewing the world through a fine mesh gauze or a piece of cellophane that has been smeared with a light coat of petroleum jelly.
"If dogs drove cars, they'd have about 20/50 vision and their driver's license would say corrective vision required," Coren said.
Well, dogs don't drive cars, but they do need to see cars coming down the road. Or squirrels running around the back yard, a set of stairs or Mom holding a treat in her hand.
Just What the Doctor Ordered
For mature mutts that begin to lose their eyesight or for dogs that have lost their vision due to cataracts or unsuccessful cataract surgery, doggie glasses may be just what the doctor ordered.
Historically, there has been nothing to help dogs that were becoming blind as bats. We just let them get by as best as they could with their other senses. But now veterinary-approved canine corrective lenses can give many dogs the gift of sight again.
Dr. Michael Brinkman, a veterinary ophthalmologist in Las Vegas, said the Doggles company has worked with him to produce the corrective eyewear for dogs, which he is currently testing on some of his patients.
In particular, he said, the lenses can be used to correct the farsightedness that occurs in dogs that have had cataract surgery but could not have lens implants. A dog that has undergone cataract surgery without receiving a lens implant will be able to spot a cat across the street but perhaps not see a piece of kibble in front of its food dish. Typically, dogs without lenses are about twice as farsighted as humans without lenses.http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Science/story?id=205640&page=1
The story is a couple of pages, you can see the rest at the link.
I can see faithful dog owners finding interest in this, since they probably would want to help their dogs out, but at the same time it could be something about intelligence. Some dogs are smarter than others, they do train some to do special things. But then again, I would figure eyesight in any creature weakens with age, just like us people.
I'd like to know how much dog owners would have to pay for this. And maybe cats are next.
Prescription Glasses For Dogs
If Fido is bumping into walls, you might look into prescription eyeglasses
By Dr. Marty Becker
ABC NEWS
Oct. 29, 2004 -- Now dogs may face the backyard taunt of being called "four-eyes." Or you may see a blind dog walking down the street wearing stereotypical dark glasses. No, I'm not kidding.
Doggles, a manufacturer of protective eyewear for dogs, is trying out a line of canine corrective lenses for dogs that can't see far beyond the end of their noses.
First of all, dogs don't see as well as you might think. A dog's visual acuity is considerably less than that of a normal human according to Dr. Stanley Coren, author of "How Dogs Think: Understanding the Canine Mind."
The overall effect for normal dogs is something like viewing the world through a fine mesh gauze or a piece of cellophane that has been smeared with a light coat of petroleum jelly.
"If dogs drove cars, they'd have about 20/50 vision and their driver's license would say corrective vision required," Coren said.
Well, dogs don't drive cars, but they do need to see cars coming down the road. Or squirrels running around the back yard, a set of stairs or Mom holding a treat in her hand.
Just What the Doctor Ordered
For mature mutts that begin to lose their eyesight or for dogs that have lost their vision due to cataracts or unsuccessful cataract surgery, doggie glasses may be just what the doctor ordered.
Historically, there has been nothing to help dogs that were becoming blind as bats. We just let them get by as best as they could with their other senses. But now veterinary-approved canine corrective lenses can give many dogs the gift of sight again.
Dr. Michael Brinkman, a veterinary ophthalmologist in Las Vegas, said the Doggles company has worked with him to produce the corrective eyewear for dogs, which he is currently testing on some of his patients.
In particular, he said, the lenses can be used to correct the farsightedness that occurs in dogs that have had cataract surgery but could not have lens implants. A dog that has undergone cataract surgery without receiving a lens implant will be able to spot a cat across the street but perhaps not see a piece of kibble in front of its food dish. Typically, dogs without lenses are about twice as farsighted as humans without lenses.http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Science/story?id=205640&page=1
The story is a couple of pages, you can see the rest at the link.
I can see faithful dog owners finding interest in this, since they probably would want to help their dogs out, but at the same time it could be something about intelligence. Some dogs are smarter than others, they do train some to do special things. But then again, I would figure eyesight in any creature weakens with age, just like us people.
I'd like to know how much dog owners would have to pay for this. And maybe cats are next.