Maintaining Healthy Eyes in Dogs and Cats
Treat your pets' eyes in the same way as you treat your own eyes and the eyes of your family. The eyes reflect the overall health of your pet, so provide it with an excellent diet and nutritional support. Here are some other tips for maintaining your pet's eye health:
- Don't let your dog or cat ride in the car with its head out the window. Foreign substances can easily lodge in your pet's eyes and cause an infection or injury.
- Avoid exposing your pet to pollutants, dust and chemicals that can irritate its eyes.
- Beware of the dry plant seeds and foxtails that are prevalent in early fall. Dogs running through fields and on trails are very susceptible to getting them lodged behind their third eyelid.
- Schedule a yearly checkup for your pet. Veterinarians are able to diagnose many diseases before symptoms arise, by examining an animal's eyes.
Natural Treatments for dogs and cats with eye disorders
Good nutrition plays an important role in the overall health of your pet and can help to maintain healthy eyes and vision. When an animal has severe vitamin deficiencies or is malnourished, cataracts and other eye disorders can develop.
There are several vitamins, botanicals and other nutrients that help to nourish the eyes:
Vitamins A, C and E have antioxidant properties which fight free radicals that can damage the lens of the eye.
Bilberry extract (Vacciuium myritllus) derived from a fruit similar to the blueberry, contains active ingredients for eye health and proper vision. The berries are rich in the antioxidant anthocyanosides -- the red pigments that are beneficial in ophthalmology and vascular diseases. Nicknamed "the vision herb" bilberry has a substantial body of research that confirms its benefits for human eyes. This herb is very helpful to animals with early stage eye disorders, or for animals that have a genetic predisposition to eye problems.
Zinc is a mineral linked to good vision and may protect eye tissue from damaging light and inflammation. Zinc is found in healthy retinal tissue.
Lutein, a carotenoid found in dark, leafy greens, is also found in the retina of healthy eyes where it acts as a shield against harmful light and may help protect the eyes against damage from ultraviolet radiation.
Quercetin is a natural antioxidant bioflavonoid that protects cells from damage by free radicals.
Alpha Lipoic Acidis the "universal antioxidant" because it works in both water and fatty tissues, providing antioxidant protection to all your pet's cells. It restores numerous biological functions that become diminished with aging and helps to prevent cataracts.
Mixed Carotenoids contain antioxidants found in carotenoid-rich food, that is, produce that are rich in color. Two specific carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, provide antioxidant protection in the macular region of the ey and have been found to reduce the incidence of caratacts.
Grape Seed Extract has a high content of compounds called oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs), which are potent antixodiants. They provide a wide range of antioxidant benefits: supporting healthy skin, providing cardiovascular support, improving blood circulation and reducing the risk cataracts.
It is often difficult to make sure that your pet is getting enough vitamins and minerals in their diet. If you are looking for a supplement that provides nutrients specifically for the eye, consider the following product:
Ocu-Clear by Thorne Research
Ocu-Clear has a comprehensive blend of carotenes, botanicals, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients for optimal vision support. Bilberry, known as the "vision herb" and lutein a carotenoid, provide antioxidant protection to the eye.
To purchase or read more about Ocu-Clear...
To treat and prevent eye infections, consider this product:
Eye-Heal by PetAlive
PetAlive Eye-Heal contains a blend of pure and natural ingredients in an herbal tincture and will effectively treat and prevent eye infections in dogs and cats as well as improve general eye and visual health. Natural herbal ingredients (Meadowsweet, Burdock and Rosemary) have astringent, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and are excellent for soothing and healing infections of the eyes and conjunctiva.
To purchase or read more about this product...
i-Clenz from PetAlive
PetAlive i-Clenz contains a blend of natural, cleansing ingredients in an herbal tincture and will effectively clean unsightly tear stains around the eyes of cats and dogs as well as improve general eye and visual health. Also helps to control bacterial and fungal growth which can contribute to staining. Great for helping show dogs look their best!
To purchase or read more about i-Clenz...
To learn more about specific eye disorders, click on these links: Cataracts, Conjunctivitis, Feline Herpes Keratitis, Eye Infections, Tear Stains and Glaucoma.
If your pet has an eye condition you'l like to learn more about, send us an email and we will try to include it in future updates to this website. See our Contact Us page.
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