# Permanently dilated pupils



## Emraa (Jun 4, 2009)

My sister adopted an 11 month old Heinz 57 a month ago. I'd always thought there was something odd about her eyes and yesterday my sister told me her pupils are permanently dilated. Is this some kind of blindness or brain damage?
She's a lovely girl but mad as a box of frogs and quite fearful of things she doesn't know.
Any ideas??


----------



## Kittenfostermummy (Jul 25, 2011)

It could be a sign of glaucoma or even detatched retinas. Does she seem to be able to see? Does she bump into things? I would take her to the vets for a check up as the fact that her eyes are not constricting will be damaging the back of the eye with light. The eyes constrict when a light is shone in them to protect the back of the eye. Get a pen torch and quickly shine it in the eye and see if it responds. Don't keep it pointed at the eye for too long especially if it doesn't react to the light. 

Again I will say I deffo advise taking her to the vets as this is something that needs looking into. I work in a vets so know a few things plus I have just had one of my cats eyes removed due to chronic glaucoma so have recently been doing a lot of research on the matter. HTH xxx


----------



## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Yes, the vet asap. And I'd check with the rescue, to see if they had picked up on it - and if not, why not?


----------



## Emraa (Jun 4, 2009)

She doesn't bump into things but she is scared of alot of things until she gets brave enough to approach and check it out. She is going to see the vet Wednesday. I'm annoyed the rescue never said she had a problem - bad practice.


----------



## Kittenfostermummy (Jul 25, 2011)

Good luck at the vets! How long has your sister had her for? Is she insured? Sometimes it is good that the rescue haven't picked up on a problem if she is insured and has been for atleast two weeks as it shouldn't be classed as pre-existing. If the rescue had picked up on it and then she was insured it would be pre-exisiting.


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Emraa said:


> My sister adopted an 11 month old Heinz 57 a month ago. I'd always thought there was something odd about her eyes and yesterday my sister told me her pupils are permanently dilated. Is this some kind of blindness or brain damage?
> She's a lovely girl but mad as a box of frogs and quite fearful of things she doesn't know.
> Any ideas??


Permanently dilated pupils can be a sign of eye diseases glucoma being one of them that is a pressure build up in the eye. Glucoma can mean blindness and removal of the eye having to be done if its not treated. Glucoma though can be managed and treated successfully usually so that doesnt have to happen. He really does need to see a vet to find if there is any underlying causes, if there is then at least there is a chance that it can be managed before it does too much damage depending of course what it is.


----------



## EmCHammer (Dec 28, 2009)

One of my friends dogs has just recently had to have an eye removed and I can't recall which of the two it was out if detached retina or glaucoma. Vets think she had been blind in this eye since birth but you would never have known. 

She was diagnosed with this years ago and has been fine for ages I am not sure what changed after some 6 years of being fine. 

My dog had dilated pupils towards the end when he had a brain tumour.. But they were not huge and obviously noticeable.. He had alot of other behavioural symptoms first so don't get too worried .. But still worth checking out at the vets..


----------



## Emraa (Jun 4, 2009)

Kittenfostermummy said:


> Good luck at the vets! How long has your sister had her for? Is she insured? Sometimes it is good that the rescue haven't picked up on a problem if she is insured and has been for atleast two weeks as it shouldn't be classed as pre-existing. If the rescue had picked up on it and then she was insured it would be pre-exisiting.


Thankfully she is insured and has been since they got her 5 weeks ago. 
I'll keep you all updated.


----------



## Kittenfostermummy (Jul 25, 2011)

Emraa said:


> Thankfully she is insured and has been since they got her 5 weeks ago.
> I'll keep you all updated.


That is good news, trust me it can get expensive if it is a problem like glaucoma. Just to see the specialist vets were, £200+ for the first consult and then £100+ for second and third (and there would have been more times but he needed both eyes removing) Then there was drops on top of that and then eventually the cost of the op to have his eyes removed. Thank GOD for insurance is all I can say!!

I hope it is something simple or if it is glaucoma that you can get it under control quickly and effectively.


----------



## Hannahmourneevans (Dec 16, 2012)

Definitely one for the vet x


----------



## ttgyer (Dec 30, 2012)

hello, i think you need to see the vet urgent
do not wait untill wednesday
my cat woke up one day last month with the same problem in both her eyes
i took her to the vet and she had detached retinas due they think to high blood pressure
i was told if i had left it more than a day or 2 then my cat would have been blind for good
she was given pills and her sight is now returning
..if you google detached retina you will see how important it is to take pet to vet asap within day or 2 to hopefully regain their eyesight.


----------



## ButterflyBlue (Mar 29, 2010)

As others said, think definitely must get vet advice as our mastiff had a heart murmur and was seizing on the floor, took her to the vets and found out it was stress that was causing this - but we didn't know it was a fit as she wasn't foaming at the mouth or anything but the vets said it doesn't need to be a classical seizure because dogs all react differently to fits and it could be that your dog is fitting on the floor but you don't know it because there are all sorts. Good luck keep us updated


----------



## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

ttgyer said:


> hello, i think you need to see the vet urgent
> do not wait untill wednesday
> my cat woke up one day last month with the same problem in both her eyes
> i took her to the vet and she had detached retinas due they think to high blood pressure
> ...


I second that, I had a cat with glaucoma and both lenses detached from their fixings due to the pressure in her eyes. One fell sideways, the other was lying on the bottom of her eyeball. She could still detect light and shade, and would have been able to see some things, but they weren't where her brain told her they were. She just walked in circles until she fell over. I had to PTS, she couldn't adapt and also had kidney failure.


----------



## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

It does sound awfully strange, their pupils are never permanently dilated and it must look odd. I would see a vet today, they are open on New Year's Eve at least they are round here, some only til 4pm. Tell them it's urgent because I wouldn't take any chances with eyes as delaying may lead to blindness.

I'd also consider a brain condition because stroke victims have one pupil dilated and one normal, not saying its a stroke but could be something to do with the brain and seizure as has been suggested. 

Hope it's something treatable whatever it is. xx


----------



## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

David Bowie has one eye with a fixed pupil size, after being hit by a football when he was a kid, so it can happen as the result of an accident. Not likely with both sides affected, though.
Have you seen a vet yet?


----------



## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

Fixed dilated pupils are most commonly caused by neurological problems.

BTW. David Bowie sustained an injury to his eye following after his friend punched him over a girl. He required major surgery and almost lost his sight (dear God! Where would the world of popular music be now, if we had been deprived of DB?) He has a permanently dilated pupil in that eye.

You must ake this dog to the vet immediatly. If it's neurological then it's very serious!!


----------



## Emraa (Jun 4, 2009)

Well the vet has taken a look and says there's nothing to worry about and that her eyes are normal (they don't look it to me, but he's the expert!) So its' s good news.
He also said she is between 2 and 3 years of age but my sister was told she was around 12 months. Surely the vet is right and the rescue wrong???


----------



## Emraa (Jun 4, 2009)

ButterflyBlue said:


> As others said, think definitely must get vet advice as our mastiff had a heart murmur and was seizing on the floor, took her to the vets and found out it was stress that was causing this - but we didn't know it was a fit as she wasn't foaming at the mouth or anything but the vets said it doesn't need to be a classical seizure because dogs all react differently to fits and it could be that your dog is fitting on the floor but you don't know it because there are all sorts. Good luck keep us updated


She hasn't had any fits, it's just her pupils that were of concern


----------



## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Emraa said:


> Well the vet has taken a look and says there's nothing to worry about and that her eyes are normal (they don't look it to me, but he's the expert!) So its' s good news.
> He also said she is between 2 and 3 years of age but my sister was told she was around 12 months. Surely the vet is right and the rescue wrong???


I think rescues sometimes say a dog is whatever age they think will get it rehomed quickly.


----------



## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

I'm glad it's worked out ok and the dog is fine.

Happy ending!


----------

