4 Things You should Know about Dogs and PRA

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Did you read about the clumsiest dog of Britain a few days ago?  His name is Chester owned by Jim Cockburn.  According to Suzy Austin in metro.co.uk, the 12-year old dog has had 9 surgeries because of his mishaps. 

According to the report, vets are said to have attributed the accident prone dog’s behavior to the onset of a canine form of Alzheimer’s disease. (Read 4 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AGING DOGS for more on this)

However, according to the author, Chester’s owner Jim feels Chester’s eyesight problem could be the reason for his clumsiness. Dogs too suffer from a myriad eye problems, one of them being Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). 

Here are the four most important things you need to know about dogs and PRA. This is the most common eye problem to affect dogs. The name includes under it, various eye disorders.   There is no cure for the ailment. 

This is the most common eye problem to affect dogs. It is a hereditary disease that causes blindness.  It is actually the degeneration of retinal layers that are responsible for vision. The ailment affects a dog early and can progress to blindness by the time the dog is three years or more. 

PRA includes a number of retinal diseases, all of which cause blindness.  With the onset of the ailment  the dog finds it difficult to see clearly in dim light and after some time, even bright light does not help him see.  

2. Symptoms

• Loss of night vision gradually leading up to loss of day vision
• Light reflexes of the pupil become slacker in advanced stages
• PRA tends to lead to canine cataract

3. Diagnosis

• Opthalmoscopic examination
• Eye drops are applied and the dog’s eyes are viewed through an indirect ophthalmoscope
• ERG (electroretinography) confirms the ailment

4. Prevention

• Include vet recommended levels of beta carotene supplements to your dog
• Do not breed dogs with PRA, or dogs that are carriers of the ailment
• Carriers are dogs, which not having the disease still carry the genes from their original lines
• Do not breed dogs of the same family, even if they are not affected by PRA
• Ask to see the CERF (Canine Eye Registry Foundation) certification of the sire and dam of the pup you buy. This certification will tell you that the sire and dam of the dog have been screened for PRA  

Though there is no cure for the ailment, a blind dog can be trained to lead reasonably safe life. When properly trained and managed most dogs can adjust to blindness well.

(Read 4 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AGING DOGS to know how dogs can be helped to lead reasonably happy lives even if they have visual problems)