Routine veterinary care is essential for optimum pet health, but pet owners must play their part by remaining vigilant and observant between veterinary visits to detect illness signs at home. Some eye conditions present with obvious physical changes, but others can exhibit more subtle or difficult-to-detect signs. Pets cannot communicate their discomfort directly, but their body language and daily behaviors can be clues that something is amiss. The Veterinary Vision Center team explores common behavioral signs that may suggest eye disease and should prompt a veterinary visit.

#1: Blinking, squinting, or flinching in pets

One easily identified behavioral sign of eye disease in pets is excessive blinking, squinting, or flinching. Excessive blinking, or keeping one or both eyes partially closed, usually indicates pain or irritation on the eye’s surface that could be caused by a corneal ulceration, for example. Squinting or frequently flinching in bright light can indicate a light sensitivity or a perceived glare, which can occur because of intra-ocular disease processes, such as cataracts or uveitis.

#2: Rubbing the eyes in pets

Pawing at the eyes or rubbing them on carpet or furniture indicates discomfort or itching—a common feature of corneal conditions, such as dry eye. Occasional rubbing can be normal, but persistent or vigorous rubbing can indicate your pet has eye disease that needs veterinary care. In many cases, the rubbing can make eye disease worse, and these pets may require an Elizabethan collar (i.e., cone) to ensure they do not injure themselves. 

#3: Hesitant movement in pets

Aging pets develop changes in their lenses (i.e., the normally clear structures behind the pupil and iris) that cause the lens to harden and appear slightly hazy, which leads to mild vision changes. Some pets with this condition, called nuclear sclerosis, show no significant change, but others may struggle with depth perception and be hesitant to move about or climb stairs in dim light.

#4: Vision loss behaviors in pets

Blinding eye conditions can come on slowly or strike suddenly—sometimes overnight. Pets who lose vision in one eye often act normally, but they may startle more easily when approached from one side, get into tiffs with housemates, or bump objects in their periphery. Sudden vision loss in both eyes leads to confusion, anxiety, inability to navigate, and bumping objects. Slow vision loss often becomes noticeable first in dim light and then progresses to poor vision, despite normal lighting conditions. 

#5: General pain signs in pets

General behavior, appetite, or activity changes can signal a pet feels pain somewhere in their body. Painful eye conditions, such as glaucoma, can lead to vague lethargy, irritability, or refusal to eat. However, some pets can adapt to low-level, chronic pain, and their problem can be harder to detect. Differentiating eye pain from other body areas requires thorough physical and ophthalmic examinations.

What to do if you suspect eye disease in your pet

Most eye diseases in pets cause appearance changes, pain, or reduced vision, or a combination of several of these signs. If you notice behavior changes at home that could indicate an eye disease, such as disorientation, hesitancy to move around in low light, bumping into objects, or rubbing at the eyes, schedule a visit with our veterinary ophthalmologist to evaluate and treat the problem. For pets in pain, the first stop may be your primary veterinarian or emergency clinic to narrow down the pain’s possible sources and administer medications to ensure comfort.

Tuning into your pet’s behavior is essential for recognizing potential eye disease, and once a problem is identified, early intervention is critical to preserve your pet’s vision and comfort. Contact Veterinary Vision Center to schedule an appointment if you notice potentially eye-related behavior changes in your pet, or for your pet’s next routine eye health check-up.