Border Collie with rare eye condition is given miracle ‘doggles’ so he can go outside again

Australia
By William

Border Collie with rare eye condition gets ‘doggles’ so he can go outside again

By Abi Turner for Mailonline

published: | Updated:

A dog who was left almost blind at the age of one has been given the chance to enjoy life to the fullest with special glasses.

Gus the Border Collie was diagnosed with a rare eye condition called Pannus, which affects the cornea of ​​the eye and worsens when exposed to sunlight.

Owner Chloe Godliman noticed a pink, cloudy spot in the corner of Gus’s left eye in the summer of 2021 and took him to the vet along with husband Joe.

The couple, who live in Oban, Scotland, were told Gus’s condition was incurable and could cause blindness in the young pup if left untreated.

Three-year-old Border Collie Gus has been revived, in his new dog glasses, after being diagnosed with the rare eye condition pannus

Chloe (pictured) explained how she and her husband were devastated by Gus's diagnosis and went home to investigate

Chloe (pictured) explained how she and her husband were devastated by Gus’s diagnosis and went home to investigate

Chloe, 28, was devastated and told the Daily record that she and Joe “couldn’t believe what happened.”

She said the news “didn’t get through to me,” and after Gus’s diagnosis from the vets, she decided to investigate Pannus herself.

A child’s mother stumbled upon a company called Rex Specs that sells safe eyewear for dogs that provides UV protection and blocks 99.9 percent of harmful rays.

The glasses are specially designed for dogs with Pannus and without them, Gus, now three years old, would have to stay indoors

The pup was diagnosed with the condition when he was one year old and his owners Chloe and Joe were told he could go blind if left untreated and that it would get worse in the sunlight.

The pup was diagnosed with the condition when he was one year old and his owners Chloe and Joe were told he could go blind if left untreated and that it would get worse in the sunlight.

After researching, Chloe came across Rex Specs, which specializes in UV protective eyewear for dogs with Pannus

After researching, Chloe came across Rex Specs, which specializes in UV protective eyewear for dogs with Pannus

Chloe, from Scotland, is pictured here with Bored Collie Gus enjoying a paddleboarding session on a lake

Chloe, from Scotland, is pictured here with Bored Collie Gus enjoying a paddleboarding session on a lake

Chloe, a medical lab technician, said Gus wouldn’t be able to go out for the rest of his life without the “doggles.”

She explained, “He’s a relative, so getting rid of him was never going to be an option, so we had to figure something out.”

The glasses are gorgeous. Thanks to them, his condition has not deteriorated and he can enjoy being outside.’

The three-year-old pooch attracts a lot of attention while wearing his glasses, with Chloe and Joe often finding themselves having to explain to people that it’s for medical reasons.

Chloe Godliman noticed a pink, cloudy spot in the corner of Gus's left eye in the summer of 2021 and took him to the vet along with husband Joe

Chloe Godliman noticed a pink, cloudy spot in the corner of Gus’s left eye in the summer of 2021 and took him to the vet along with husband Joe

Since Gus wears his glasses, he can go out and enjoy the outdoors again

Since Gus wears his glasses, he can go out and enjoy the outdoors again

Gus is pictured here with Joe and the couple's young child enjoying the sun outside. He wears his special 'doggles'

Gus is pictured here with Joe and the couple’s young child enjoying the sun outside. He wears his special ‘doggles’

The Border Collie doesn’t get phased by wearing his glasses, and Chloe said, “looking cool is an added bonus.”

To help with his condition, Gus has been prescribed steroid drops that help reduce the lesions in his eye.

Treatment does not cure Pannus, but it stops its progression and may reverse some of the changes.

Thanks to the glasses, the Border Collie now joins Chloe and Joe on hikes, wild swims and even mountain biking adventures.

WHAT IS PANNUS?

Pannus or chronic superficial keratitis is an immune-mediated condition that affects the cornea, or the clear part of the eye.

It mainly occurs in middle-aged German Shepherds and Belgian Tervurens, but other breeds can also be affected.

Initially, a non-painful, raised pink mass appears on the cornea, usually on the side or outside (if you imagine the eye as a clock face, the mass will often be found between eight and eleven o’clock). position on the pet’s right eye, or the one to four o’clock position on the left eye).

Both eyes are usually affected, but one may look worse than the other.

The third eyelid often appears thickened and inflamed.

As the pannus progresses, the lesion will flatten and spread, become pigmented or dark in color, and scarring will spread across the cornea. A mucoid discharge may also be present.

In advanced cases, visual impairment may result from the inability to see through the dark pigment that covers the cornea. If the condition is left untreated, the pet will go blind.

Treatment involves the use of topical corticosteroids (usually prednisolone or dexamethasone) or other immune-modulating drugs such as ciclosporin.

Sometimes an injection of steroids can be done under the conjunctiva.

Antibiotics are sometimes needed in cases that have developed a secondary infection.

Due to the influence of UV lighting on pannus, your vet may recommend canine sunglasses (e.g. Doggles®) to provide additional protection, as is the case with Gus!

Source: vcahospitals.com

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