Joseph Roetheli, PhD
Highlights:
Dogs can see in the dark, but not in the same way that humans can.
Your dog still sees better when light is present, so keeping a light on for your dog when they need to move around is preferable.
Understanding how your dog’s body works is essential to being a proactive and caring pet owner.
You’ve probably heard some stories about how dogs may or may not be able to see in the dark. While many stories exist about dogs having some type of X-ray vision that allows them to see perfectly in the dark, their vision is more closely related to our own.
Understanding how dogs’ vision works can help you make sure that your dog can see properly on evening walks or in the middle of the night if they are allowed to roam freely in your home.
Together, we’ll talk about dogs and their night vision, what to do if you think your dog’s vision may be in jeopardy, and how you can protect their vision from decline.
Dogs’s eyes are anatomically similar to human eyes. They have the same basic parts:
This means your dog sees much in the same way you do. The cornea collects light and sends it back to the lens. The lens reflects the light onto the retina through the iris and pupil, and the retinal cells send the information collected in the retinal cells to the brain for interpretation.
Your dog’s eyes have some bonus features that your eyes do not have.
The tapetum lucidum is particularly important in discussing a dog’s night vision.
Have you ever noticed that your dog’s eyes seem to glow at night when light is reflected onto them? This is because of the tapetum lucidum.
This structure is made of reflective tissue and helps increase the amount of available light inside the retina. Many mammals have this feature, which is why a raccoon attempting to cross the road in your headlights also has ominous, glowing eyes.
The tapetum lucidum helps your dog see better at night than you do, but they still don’t see perfectly. Light must be present for them to see, which means they don’t have X-ray vision, and they don’t have the same vision that a human wearing night-vision goggles has. Instead, they can collect more of the available light to see a little better than us.
There are a few other structures that also help with this ability.
These features mean that your dog is capable of seeing a bit more in terms of movement, shapes, and objects in dimly lit situations than you can, but it doesn’t mean that they can see perfectly.
They still see best when they are in brightly lit areas. For dogs that are allowed to roam freely in the home at night, it can be very helpful to leave a nightlight on so they can easily see how to get to their water dish or doggy door if they need to go out.
Some dogs may experience vision problems early in their lives. Most dogs will experience a decline in vision with age. As dogs enter the senior years of their lives (which vary by breed) they naturally lose some of their vision.
Though it isn’t painful, it can be disorienting for your dog. If you’ve noticed your older dog bumping into objects, they may be experiencing age-related vision loss. If you have a younger dog that seems to be having trouble with vision, something else could be causing their vision issues.
One way to test your dog’s visual acuity is to use their ability to see at night. Because they can see better at night, you can test their vision by dimming the lights and placing a non-hazardous object in a hallway. If your dog bumps into the object, they may be having vision problems.
Cataracts change the transparency of the lens of the eye. In a healthy eye the lens is clear, allowing light to pass through easily. Cataracts cause the lens to become opaque, making it harder for light to be collected and sent to the retina.
A dog with cataracts may first begin to lose night vision, since cataracts will affect how much light is collected in the eye. Cataracts can be corrected, but the older the dog and the cataract, the more difficult the process will be to remove the cataract.
Dogs that have glaucoma may also be at risk of losing some or all of their vision. Glaucoma causes changes to the pressure in the eye. Fluid in the eye does not drain properly, causing pressure that can impact the optic nerve.
The optic nerve is essential for vision, making glaucoma a very big problem for your dog’s eye health. Symptoms of glaucoma are not typically visible in the eye itself. Your dog may experience eye pain and paw at its eye.
The eye may water or bulge, and your dog may experience lethargy. If you notice any of these symptoms, have your dog seen by their veterinarian immediately.
The best way to protect your dog’s vision at home is to ensure they get regular veterinary check-ups and be mindful of noticeable changes in their behavior. If you notice something strange, like your dog bumping into objects or being less active, schedule a visit with their veterinarian.
In addition, feeding your dog a balanced and nutritious diet is key to supporting healthy vision. The eyes need nutrients like healthy fats, protein, and vitamins. Specifically, vitamin A and vitamin E are supportive of eye health.
Most dogs get the balanced nutrition they need from their kibble, but if you are offeirng your dog treats, you may be reducing their kibble intake to account for those extra calories. Reducing kibble is important, but also important is making sure the treats you give your dogs are nutrient-dense so that your dog gets the essential vitamins and minerals they need to thrive.
Yummy Combs® provides a solution with 44% chicken protein and 12 wellness ingredients to give your dog a complete, balanced, nutritious treat.
The treat that quite literally does it all is Yummy Combs. Yummy Combs were designed to offer you a way to help support your dog’s oral health at home while simultaneously keeping them safe and checking all the boxes for nutrition.
Giving your dog a Yummy Combs treat per day can help meet their nutrition needs, keep their teeth clean, and their bellies happy.
Your dog sees better than you do at night, but not so good they can see in total darkness. Taking care of your dog’s vision is important. If you notice changes, talk to their veterinarian. In the meantime, offer them treats that support their nutrition needs, like Yummy Combs.
Sources:
Can Dogs See in the Dark? | PetMD
Spatial relationships among the cellular tapetum, visual streak and rod density in dogs – PMC
Age-Related Vision and Hearing Loss in Dogs: What to Know
Canine cataracts | Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
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Always feed the right treat size for your dog’s weight category. Always supervise your dog when feeding treats. This product is an adult only dog treat. Always provide ample fresh water for your dog.
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