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Dogs and cats rely on their eyesight for everyday adventures — from chasing toys to navigating their homes and greeting their favorite people. But when vision problems creep in, the signs can be subtle, and owners may not know how to help.
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences ophthalmology resident Dr. Laura Donohue discusses the causes of blindness in pets, how to recognize early warning signs and how to support pets’ quality of life through the transition.
Sniffing out
the culprit
Some pets are born blind, while others lose vision later in life. Vision loss in pets can result from a wide range of issues, from surface-level damage to deeper retinal conditions.
“When I think about the causes of blindness, I consider anything that could prevent light from reaching the back of the eye,” Donohue said. “That’s where the retina lives, and it’s responsible for converting light into electrical signals that travel to the brain.”
Common causes of blindness, typically associated with aging, genetics, or how the body changes over time, include:
•Corneal disease, which occurs when scarring, pigments, or blood vessels cloud the cornea
•Cataracts, which occur when the lens becomes cloudy
•Retinal disease from age-related degeneration or detachment of the retina
•Optic nerve damage that blocks signals to the brain
•Congenital issues, such as underdeveloped or nonfunctional eyes at birth
“If the cause of blindness is painful, sometimes the only treatment option is to surgically remove a pet’s eye(s),” Donohue said. “It sounds dramatic, but removal of the pain often enables the animal to return to a better quality of life than they had before.”
Tell-tail signs
Because dogs and cats rely heavily on smell and hearing, owners may not notice their pet’s vision loss right away — especially if the loss happens gradually.
Many pets compensate so well that blindness may only be discovered during a veterinary exam.
“If a dog or a cat is born blind, you might actually never know,” Donohue said. “Dogs and cats adapt so well to their environment and find ways to get done what they need to get done — like having fun, eating, drinking and walking around the house.”
Sudden blindness, however, is usually more noticeable. Pets may appear confused or hesitant as they lose their visual map of the world.
“Signs of acute vision loss — meaning really quick loss of vision — are things like not being able to navigate the house, getting lost outside, not being able to catch treats, being really hesitant, standing very close to the owner’s leg during walks, and being overly cautious on stairs,” Donohue said. “A common early sign of retinal degeneration in dogs is being hesitant in dim or dark lighting.”
Recognizing these changes early can help owners seek veterinary care sooner, giving pets the best chance at treatment or supportive adjustments.
‘Paw’-sitive
adjustments
Although vision loss can be distressing, most pets adapt quickly with support from their owners, including simple changes in the home environment.
“You could get pieces of carpet, like carpet runners, and put them in places near stairs or different rooms to help give the pet tactile feedback,” Donohue said. “Or you could use subtle, pet-safe scent cues in different rooms to give them a scent indication that they are in a new place. If owners note any changes to breathing, etc., after incorporating a new scent, they should discontinue its use and seek veterinary guidance.”
Maintaining a consistent layout is also important.
“Don’t move around your furniture much, because your pet will make a mental map and be able to navigate through things very well once they get adjusted,” Donohue said.
If your pet has suffered vision loss, it is important to make noise when you approach them so that they can hear you coming, especially if they are sleeping.
With or without these adjustments, pets who have impaired vision can still enjoy their favorite activities, including playtime.
“Even if a pet goes blind, I would still keep up all their favorite activities and just adjust them,” Donohue said, adding that with patience and routine, most pets adapt within a few months and resume normal activities. 
Vision loss may change how pets experience the world, but with a few thoughtful adjustments and plenty of support, blind dogs and cats can continue to live full, happy lives.
Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk.
Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center will host its 12th annual Barbershop Bash at Skinner’s Barber Shop here, offering free prostate screenings 9 a.m.-noon Saturday.
And the cancer center will also be distributing free colorectal take-home tests to signal possible signs of colon cancer.
The event is in recognition of September being dubbed as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Skinner’s Barber Shop is located at 1001 Railroad Ave. The screenings are open to all men regardless of race, and the colorectal kits will be distributed to men and women of any ethnicity.
Hope Jones, Mary Bird Perkins Bayou regional manager, said this free community event will offer educational resources on prevention and early detection, in addition to the screenings.
“Over the last decade, Skinner’s Barbershop has been a trusted ambassador and partner to the Cancer Center, advocating for men in the community they serve to stay up to date on preventative screenings,” Jones said. “Stakeholders with deep local ties, like Skinner’s, allow us to reach more underserved populations.”
Joining Skinner’s since day one of this endeavor is Clarence Robinson Jr., director of the Morgan City and Berwick Housing Authority. Robinson’s fraternity, the Omicron Psi Lambda graduate Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha River Parishes, climbed on board a few years ago.
“Prostate cancer is a leading killer of all men, especially African-American men, but early detection is a key into stopping this monster that can spread throughout our bodies,” he said.
“Our brothers have realized this and have taken it up as one of our service missions. Yes, a lot of men have issues with the physical aspect of this test, the rectal exam, but fellas, we’re in a do or die situation, especially if you’re 45 years of age, or older.”
Robinson explained that Saturday’s tests will include the rectal exam as well as a Blood PSA Test, but Mary Bird Perkins provides a mobile unit for that day, with private exam rooms.
Appointments are required for all screenings. To make an appointment, call 985-239-5739 or visit pogo.marybird.com. If any abnormality is found, a nurse navigator will assist screening participants with the next steps.
Colorectal cancer remains one of the most common cancers in both men and women and is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, due in part to low testing rates, according to the American Cancer Society. Louisiana is expected to see 2,560 new colorectal cancer diagnoses in 2023 and 870 deaths.
Early detection is critical in the fight against colorectal cancer. The five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is 91% if found at the local stage. However, only 38% of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage.
Behind skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis for men, with roughly one in eight men being diagnosed in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.
Prostate cancer is expected to be the most diagnosed cancer in Louisiana in 2023, with 4,970 anticipated new cases, accounting for roughly 17% of all new diagnoses.
The 10th annual Barbershop Bash event is made possible by sponsor Aetna and partners, Skinner’s Barbershop, the Louisiana Department of Health and the Omicron Psi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

Week 1 kicked off this past weekend, and the cross-river rivals faced off, those rivals being the Morgan City Tigers and the Berwick Panthers.
The series between the two has been back and forth the past few years, with Berwick winning in 2022 and 2024, and Morgan City winning in 2023 and now 2025 with Friday’s 40-14 victory.
The Panthers and Tigers started the game off trading fumbles. The first big offensive play wouldn’t happen until the end of the first quarter, when Berwick's Vincent Dohmann would find Carter Dupius over the middle on slant that he would take 40 yards to the house.
Morgan City would then respond quickly, adding six points to the board after a 60-yard JP McCleary touchdown to Gerrin Hayes.
The Panthers would keep the offensive intensity alive following the Morgan City touchdown. Layf Bella would have two first down catches, including one that went for 22 yards. Maddox Sampey would also rush for 96 yards, the biggest one being a 1-yard touchdown that would make the score 14-6 Berwick.
After the Berwick touchdown, Morgan City’s Lamarion Bird Griffin would not only take over the next drive, but the remainder of the game. He would rush for four touchdowns among his 127 yards, often on direct snaps, along with two catches for 52 yards, including a 45-yarder
Following this drive, Griffin's 1-yard run and 2-point run tied the score 14-14.
The Panthers would start the second half off rough. Dohmann would throw his first interception of the season to TJ Junifer. Following the interception, Morgan City would drive down the field and score a Griffin touchdown. After this touchdown, the game pretty much repeated itself.
Dohmann would throw three more interceptions. Morgan City senior running back Devin Campbell would also score a touchdown and rush for 123 yards.
Morgan City finished by scoring 26 unanswered points.
Bella and Dupuis each had four catches for Berwick. Hayes had four for Morgan City and Allen had three.
This Friday, the Panthers travel to Kaplan and take on the Pirates. Morgan City also is on the road Thursday facing the Slaughter Community Charter Knights.

Submitted photo
PSB’s Bill Marin presents a donation to Debbie Torline, secretary of the Roots and Ribbons Foundation, in support of the upcoming Puttin’ on the Pink 5K. This year’s event will be at 4 p.m. Oct. 4 at Morey Park in Patterson. The event raises funds for St. Mary Parish residents living with breast cancer. Whether you run, walk, or just show up in pink, your support makes a difference.