A dog is a man’s best friend for they are one of the most loyal creatures on earth. Sadly, they never grow the same as us. At 7 years old, dogs are considered seniors or old where age related problems like decrease visual capacity or even blindness may occur. Some health problems which are age related can be seen in giant breed dogs at 7-8 years old, while large and medium sized breed dogs are considered geriatric (needs medical care) at the age of 10 years or above. Small and toy breed dogs commonly hit geriatric age of 12 years or above.
One of the most common age-related problems in dog is corneal opacity. It is a condition where the transparent structure in front of the eyeball become scarred thus stopping the light from passing to the retina (lens of the eye). It makes the eye looks white or cloudy. This condition could be also due to concurrent infection, nutritional deficiency, or simple trauma.
In the Philippines, there are a lot of age related eye problem encountered by a small animal practitioner. Around 6 out of the dogs above years old have already early signs of corneal opacity which may later led to blindness if not addressed well. Oftentimes, pet owners are not aware that these eye problems can be controlled, treated, and prevented through proper nutrition and supplementation.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are two of the most common eye supplements that will help control this problem.These are carotenoids found in many plant products such as carrots, green leafy vegetables and corn. Research studies show that combination of these two compounds protects the eyes from damage and also promotes better eyesight by revitalizing the eyes. It is also noted that the combination of these compounds works synergistically compared to individual supplementation of the same concentration. Good thing veterinary products which contains both of these eye supplements are already available in the market.