Do Puppies Outgrow Strabismus?

Does your little puppy have one eye that will not look straight?

If you do then you are in the right place because I have listened to the advice of some experts on doggy strabismus and wrote about it below.

Doggy strabismus does not have to be a terrible thing, and you can deal with it by learning more about it.

Dogs can outgrow strabismus. It is not common for dogs to outgrow strabismus, though, and the best thing to do for a dog with strabismus is to get treatment. For instance, a person could have their dog do eye exercises such as watching their finger to build strength in their eye for treatment.

I have written down a lot of treatment options and ways to tell if your dog has strabismus. This should be able to help you to find what is best for your dog. Read on to learn more about doggy strabismus.

Why Does My Puppy Look Cross-Eyed?

Have you picked up your puppy and one of its eyes is not looking at you, even when the other one is? Well, your dog may have strabismus.

Strabismus is a very common disorder. It can be caused by either a genetic factor or an accident.

There are two different parts of the body that could not work that would cause strabismus. If your dog has nerve damage this could cause your pet's eye to wander off into the unknown.

Another option is they could just have weak eye muscles, which would cause the same symptoms. Either way, there are treatment options for both.

The best way to figure out for sure that your dog has strabismus is to take them to the vet.

The vet will be able to look at your dog and figure out why their eye is off and should be able to help you heal your pet.

Can Puppies Outgrow Strabismus?

So, is it possible for strabismus to go away naturally? Could your puppy just outgrow its strabismus? The short answer to this is probably not. It is very unlikely for strabismus in dogs to go away with time. Therefore it is best to bring your pet to the vet because most likely it is going to get worse instead of better.

Your vet could suggest many different things to help your pet. Some may suggest doing exercises such as having your dog track your finger every day.

If it is really bad, though, your vet may suggest surgery. This is a less common option, but there are a few cases where it is necessary.

A more extreme case where this is necessary is when your pet has a tumor behind its eye. Then it will be necessary to remove the tumor to save your dog.

At What Age does Strabismus Go Away?

Now here is the thing, while it is uncommon for strabismus to just go away it is more common if your puppy gets strabismus when it is under the age of 6 months.

So if you want to wait for your dog's strabismus to go away that is the age range in which waiting might be worth it.

Eye muscles go through a lot of growth during this stage in a puppy's development.

Therefore, you might get away with only having to wait till your dog is four to six months of age for your puppy to gain enough eye strength to be able to see straight again.

If you are waiting, I suggest that you check for improvement as your dog is growing. Do an eye range check every day and if it is getting worse instead of better take your dog to the vet.

Why Do Some Puppies have Strabismus?

We have already talked about some of the causes of strabismus, but there are many different causes of strabismus. These include abnormalities in the development of the eye or the muscles of the eye.

It can also be caused by toxic nerve paralysis or inflammation in the brain. Inflammation in the brain can be caused by trauma to the brain.

Another reason for strabismus is trauma to the eye or the eye muscles.

A more dangerous reason for strabismus is cancer of the brain or nerves that lead to the eye. It also could be congenital, which means inherited from a parent.

A breed of dog that is known for having congenital strabismus is Boston Terriers. There is a long line of strabismus that is the Boston Terrier lineage that could present in your pups.

How to Tell if Your Puppy has Strabismus

How can you tell if your dog has strabismus? Is strabismus just one crossed eye? There are several symptoms associated with strabismus, including one or both of your dog's eyes pointing in an abnormal direction.

It is possible for both of their eyes to be crossed. This can be very bad for your dog because if both of their eyes are crossed, they will not be able to see.

Another symptom is that the movement of the two eyes may not be coordinated or fail to move properly.

Other neurological signs can show up if your dog has strabismus. Their pupil sizes might be different from each other.

Your dog could also have weakness or difficulty walking associated with their strabismus.

If you see your dog tilting their head to one side or falling on one side, they likely have strabismus. Sometimes visual problems can be confusing for dogs and therefore affect mobility.

How to Treat Strabismus in Dogs

There are so many different causes of strabismus, but there are many different ways to treat it. If it is hereditary, there isn't really anything you can do.

It is probably going to be a lifelong thing, but it should not impact your dog's life majorly.

The vet could introduce you to some exercises that will help your dog, but majorly he is just going to be a little cross-eyed.

If your dog's strabismus was caused by an injury or nerve damage, the vet may give you an anti-inflammatory medicine to give your dog. This should help treat the issue and bring your dog back to full health.

If your dog has a tumor, it will require surgery. This should help fix the strabismus, but you may have to deal with underlying cancer for a much longer time.

Cindy J.

Cindy is a prolific writer and online researcher who can't imagine life without dogs. There is scarcely a dog topic she has not researched or written about. Her love for dogs and helping dog parents is evident by the thousands of dogtemperament.com visitors who read her articles monthly. Most of all, each topic Cindy writes on helps forge a stronger bond and understanding between her and her happy Catahoula Leopard Dog Jossie.