Company Sells Prescription Glasses For Pets
Pets With Vision Problems Can Get Doggles Or Surgery
UPDATED: 11:34 am EST March 3,
2005
DENVER -- Many animal lovers would do just about anything for their dog or cat -- even buy their precious pet eyeglasses or sunglasses.That kind of sentiment has fueled the creation of Doggles, prescription glasses for pets, Denver television station KMGH reported.
If you ever wonder what your dog really sees, rest assured that they do see in color, albeit muted tones."And typically, it's yellows and blues, whereas people have trichromatic vision, we can perceive the entire visual spectrum," said Dr. Steve Dugan, a veterinarian ophthalmologist.But how can you tell if your dog is having trouble seeing?Putting a dog through a makeshift maze is just one of the ways Dugan can test a dog's eyesight.There's also a series of tests, a lot like humans go through, that can help determine the health of a dog's eyes. Dugan sees hundreds of pets a year who have either had an eye injury or are losing their vision.A 9-year-old springer spaniel named Riley is having cataract surgery and getting an artificial lens implanted in one eye. It costs more than $2,000, but since Riley has many good years ahead of him his owners and doctor feel it's worth it."It would be like a person and we were 50 or 60 and went blind and we decided not to have cataract surgery for the next 20 years of our life. We're not going to do that," said Dugan.But in the case where a dog or cat is not a good candidate for an artificial implant, there's something called Doggles. Doggles are prescription eyeglasses for dogs.It's a terrific idea, Dugan said, but admitted, "the biggest limitation thus far with the prescription Doggles is keeping them on the patient."Megan, an 8-year old Boston terrier, had surgery to correct her vision, but if it came down to it, her owners would certainly consider Doggles."If they would help her, I would do it," said Megan's owner, Susan Aanes.The Doggles company also makes sunglasses for dogs and cats. They come in a variety of colors and sizes. The sunglasses run $10 to $25. The prescription eyeglasses start at $75.More Information:
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- To learn more about Doggles, go to Doggles.com The veterinary ophthalmologist featured in the story is Steven J. Dugan. You can reach him by calling (303) 759-0862 or by going to www.eyespecialistsforanimals.com.
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