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