Get to know your dog's eyes🐕️

Dogs' eyes are their important organs for perceiving the outside world, with unique structures and functions. The following is a detailed introduction to the dog's eyes:

Eye Structure

The structure of the dog's eyes is similar to that of humans, but there are some unique features. The main structures include:

Cornea: located at the front of the eye, it is a transparent film that allows light to enter the eye.
Iris: located behind the cornea, the iris contains pigment that determines the color of the eye and controls the amount of light entering the eye by regulating the size of the pupil.
Pupil: is the channel through which light enters the eye and can be adjusted in size according to the intensity of the light.
Lens: Located behind the iris, the lens is a transparent biconvex lens that refracts light and helps the eye focus.
Retina: Located at the back of the eye, the retina contains photoreceptor cells (optic rod and cone cells) that sense light and convert it into nerve signals to the brain.
Choroid: located between the retina and the sclera, it provides nutrients and oxygen to the retina and contains melanocytes, which help to minimize light scattering.
Sclera: is the outer layer of the eye and is made up of tough fibrous tissue that protects the inner structures of the eye.

In addition, the dog's eye has some special structures, such as the transient membrane (third eyelid), which protects the eye from foreign objects and secretes tears to keep the eye moist.

The shape of the eyes

Dogs have a variety of eye shapes, common almond-shaped, ovoid, triangular and round. Different breeds of dogs have different eye shapes, such as Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever and other breeds of dogs with almond-shaped eyes; Japanese dogs, such as Shiba Inu, have triangular-shaped eyes; and pugs, Shih Tzu and Chihuahuas and other small dogs with round eyes.

Eye color

The color of a dog's eyes is mainly determined by the pigment in the iris, commonly brown, black and blue. Some breeds of dog eye color is very unique, such as the Husky's eyes are gray with a little blue. It should be noted that if the dog's eyes are white and discolored, it may be a manifestation of cataracts and other eye diseases, and should be promptly consulted for medical examination.

Visual characteristics

The visual characteristics of dogs are different from humans. They have a wider range of visual field, but their ability to discriminate colors is relatively weak. The retina of dogs mainly contains optic rod cells (responsible for black and white vision) and a small number of optic cone cells (responsible for color vision), so they mainly rely on black and white vision to perceive the external environment. While dogs are able to distinguish colors such as blue and yellow, they are less able to discriminate colors such as red and green.

In addition, dogs have very flexible eye movements and are able to quickly catch moving targets. Their visual system has also evolved over time to accommodate needs such as hunting and tracking.

Eye Diseases

Dogs are also susceptible to a number of eye diseases such as conjunctivitis, dry eye and glaucoma. These diseases may affect the dog's vision or even jeopardize life and health. Therefore, owners need to conduct regular eye examinations for dogs, timely detection and treatment of eye diseases. Meanwhile, keeping the dog's eyes clean and hygienic is also one of the important measures to prevent eye diseases.

To summarize, dog's eyes are one of the important organs for them to perceive the outside world, with unique structure and function. Owners need to understand the characteristics and care methods of their dog's eyes to ensure their eyes are healthy and maintain good vision.