Do Dogs Wear Glasses?

Do dogs wear glasses?

Kristin Fischer, DVM, DACVO

As a veterinary ophthalmologist, in social settings, I get asked this question often:  Do dogs wear glasses?  The short answer is no, not really. 

Most dogs are within about 0.5 diopter of emmetropia, or near normal (20/20) vision.  Some breeds tend to be more nearsighted or farsighted; however, most have near-perfect vision. 

If you wear contact lenses or glasses, your refractive error is measured by your ophthalmologist or optometrist.  This is the process when they use different lenses and ask you if the eye chart is in focus (“better or worse?”) repeatedly.  This ultimately narrows down how well you can see, and if it is not perfect, they can make recommendations for prescription lenses (glasses or contact lenses) to correct your refractive error.

You would likely not even notice if your dog’s vision was off only slightly (within 0.5 diopters or less). The most common symptom of vision impairment in a dog is simply running into objects, or lack of ability to navigate their environment.  Many owners do not pick up on subtle vision changes, often attributing them to age, clumsiness, or normal pet behavior.  Pet’s often have significant visual limitations before they are perceived by their owners because they do not have to read or drive, and they live in relatively constant or consistent environments.  

Most vision limitations in our pets are due to a problem within the eye, and not necessarily something as simple as refractive error that could be corrected with glasses.  Veterinary ophthalmologists can perform a test called streak retinoscopy to evaluate whether or not your pet has a refractive error, and determine if they are near or farsighted.  This is considered something of an academic test, performed most often in university settings, since treatment for mild refractive error in animals is not common.

Corrective contact lenses and glasses in the form of Doggles or Rex Specs have been used for working dogs and agility dogs to help correct refractive error.  Some limitations with corrective contact lenses in animals include their inability to alert their owner if the contact lens is abnormally placed or falls out, as well as the presence of a third eyelid (or nictitating membrane) that can push the lens off the ocular surface. 

There are some ocular surface conditions that can be exacerbated by increased UV light exposure, and protective eyewear in the form of Doggles or Rex Specs may be recommended.  Many are used as fashion accessories as well, and we can all agree that even if not necessary, dogs look pretty adorable in their glasses!