Tip of the Month: Is Your Dog Suddenly Barking Out of Character?
Years ago when boarding a regular dog guest, I noticed she was barking - out of character she was barking inconsistently at night and intermittently especially at dawn and dusk. Her owner hadn't noted any unexplained barking patterns. The dog was fine during the day but as soon as the light dimmed she'd bark while starring out to nowhere with a far away focus. When I'd walk her sometimes she'd suddenly stop and glare at things that I knew she'd seen
before and was familiar with. Curious, I took a pphoto of her at night and her eyes showed up green with the flash ('red' eyes are a reflection of blood supply). When taking a closer look at her eyes I saw there was an extra glazey film about them that I hadn't noticed before. Of course... cataracts where beginning to cause a blurry film over her eyes making her second guess her vision as she tried to focus. During dim and dark light she'd just bark, her 'defense becoming her best offence.'
Basically, cataracts appear as a cloudiness that develops in the eye's lens. The lens focuses light into the retina, which absorbs light and transfers information to the brain. When a dog has a certain amount of cloud cover over the lens, the light is unable to reach the retina and results in various degrees of blurry vision. Dogs seem to see shadows, lights, manage better during white winter days and strong light. They are better at recognizing moving objects but extra guarded in low light and once the sun goes down. Cataracts aren't necessarily only problems for old dogs and they can also develop as a symptom of diabetes or other disease that you are yet unaware of.
One thing I have found that helps cataract dogs immensely, is to have a good night light on during dim or dark hours. Walla, as soon as I did this, the barking stopped and calm returned for that cataract dog's world.
If you notice your dog has out of character barking (especially in dim light) or see them kind of staring trying to recognize things, be sure to consult your veterinarian for diagnosis and possible treatment to help your pooch have clearer days and calmer nights.
For more dog training tips, visit my Ask The Trainer page. Ask me about dog-owner training today as well!