Bringing Dog Vision in Focus

Veterinary ophthalmologists are often asked, "How well do animals see?" Visual function involves a combination of many factors, including: the field of view, depth perception, acuity, perception of motion, and color differentiation. All of these functions must then be integrated by the brain to produce useful vision. Although we are unable to ask our pets to read an eye chart, through comparative studies, it is possible to make some educated assumptions about their vision.

Most humans have the ability to see all the different colors of the electromagnetic spectrum, and consequently perceive all its' colors. Man's best friend is colorblind, but, fortunately, his survival does not depend upon the ability to see colors. His keen sense of smell compensates for his inability to see colors, and enables him to differentiate between things.

Extensive scientific testing on dogs supports the conclusion that they live in a colorless world. The testing done primarily focused on the dogs' responses to colors for food. Dogs could not tell the difference between one color, a signal for food, and other colors, that were not for food. Similar tests conducted on cats produced similar results, which led scientists to conclude that they, too, are colorblind and live in a gray world.

The inability of most animals to see colors, from an evolutionary standpoint, is quite simple to understand. Many colorblind animals have dull-colored coats, hunt for food in the dark of night, or graze in the dim twilight hours. Their other senses have developed to the point where the lack of color vision in no way impairs them. For them, life in a colorless world is neither a handicap, nor a threat to their survival.

The only animals, other than man, scientists can conclusively say have color vision are monkeys and apes. Both can be trained to open a colored door, behind which is food, and man can be trained to open a refrigerator door of any color!

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  • "Absolutely fantastic ! Dr Holbrook came to my house because my Carlos was so sick and about to die , I had taken him to another vet that does neuter/spay if you have shelter kitties ( mine are) and the next day he was dehydrated and wouldn't eat and had a terribly high fever.... Two days .... I called and Dr. Holbrook made him feel better by the very next day . Gave him meds for appetite, fluid, antibiotics and even came by the house to check and give further attention if needed . They have gone above and beyond their jobs .I have never seen such personal care or concern for my kitties in my life .... . I have to say in my opinion if your not happy with the care here you probably won't be happy anywhere! They are genuinely good people and great communication. Thank you Dr Holbrook for saving carlos life !!"
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