Hereditary eye diseases

Progressive Retinal Degeneration (PRD / PRA) refers to a group of genetic (hereditary) retinal diseases that cause damage to the photoreceptor (photosensitive) retinal cells – rods and cones, leading to their degeneration and ultimately death.
The first signs of the disease that appear in the animal are a violation of twilight (night) vision, the affected animal is poorly oriented in the dark. Further, daytime vision is gradually deteriorating. Owners also pay attention to the constantly dilated, poorly responsive to the pupils of their pet. The dog’s eyes in the dark, instead of the usual bright green, begin to “glow” yellow or even silver. In some dogs with progressive retinal degeneration, bilateral cataract begins to develop, the owners notice that the dog’s eyes become white-blue, cloudy (this is especially noticeable with dilated pupils). These signs, depending on the early or late form of the disease, most often begin to appear at the age of 1 to 5 years, but the disease can manifest itself at any age. Continue reading →