When your dogs’ eyes roll back for the first time, it can be scary. But don’t worry dog owners— there are several possible reasons why this happens, and most of them aren’t serious.
However, if you have any concerns about your dog’s behavior or health–especially if they are accompanied by other symptoms–you should talk with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Your vet will do some tests to determine the cause, but here are some common causes:
- What Role the Vestibular System Plays in Eye Movement for Your Pup
- Inner Ear Health Concerns Can Cause Eye Rolling
- Severe Dehydration Might be the Culprit
- Eye Injuries and Disease are Cause for Concern in Many Dogs and Behind Eye Rolling
- Cherry Eye, More Common than You Think
- Head Trauma and Neurological Conditions can Cause Unusual Eye Movements
- Nystagmus Can be at the Root of Rapid Eye Movements and Rolling
- Seizures are a Leading Cause of Dog Eye Roll
- Eye Rolling is a Natural Part of Rem Sleep in all Animals, Including Dogs
- Blood Work and Other Tests are Needed for Your Dog’s Exam to Be Complete and to Receive a Proper Diagnosis
- Treatment Plans for Reasons Why Dog’s Eyes Roll Back, Depending on the Cause
What Role the Vestibular System Plays in Eye Movement for Your Pup
The vestibular system is a sensory organ located in the inner ear that controls balance, eye movement, and head tilting. Your dog may experience abnormal eye movement or head tilting when this system is not working properly.
Inner ear disorders cause a vestibular syndrome in dogs. These disorders are characterized by a fluid buildup within the inner ear, which can result in symptoms like dizziness, vertigo, and nausea, among other signs of discomfort, such as increased sensitivity to sound or light.
Inner Ear Health Concerns Can Cause Eye Rolling
Inner ear problems can be caused by a tumor, ear infection, or other issues. These problems can affect your dog’s balance system and cause them to wobble when they walk. If the inner ear is affected, it may also cause the dog’s eyes to roll as well as its head tilting or shaking their heads.
Another cause for inner ear trouble that leads to the rolling of your dog’s eyes could be due to an inner ear injury. An injury occurs on top of an existing condition such as an infection or disease; then this could result in common symptoms such as rolling their eyes back when your dog is looking up.
Severe Dehydration Might be the Culprit
You may have heard that dogs can’t sweat. While this isn’t exactly true, your dog does not have as many sweat glands as humans do. This means that if he overheats or gets too hot, he won’t be able to cool down as quickly.
If your pup is exhibiting signs of dehydration (i.e., excessive panting) or has been vomiting or having diarrhea within the past few days–or if his eyes are rolling back into his head–the underlying cause may indicate mild dehydration, and treatment should be sought immediately by a veterinarian experienced in treating animals with this health condition.
When your dog is experiencing severe dehydration, it’s important to remember not to aggressively force your dog to drink water. If you do this, it’s likely that your dog, who is already weak, might choke, causing further problems.
Eye Injuries and Disease are Cause for Concern in Many Dogs and Behind Eye Rolling
Eye problems are common in dogs, an eye injury can be painful. Common eye injuries include foreign bodies, scratches, and inflammation (or redness). Common eye diseases include glaucoma and cataracts. Any of these injuries or diseases could cause rapid eye movement that you notice in your dog. If you suspect this might be the case, bring your pup to the vet.
Cherry Eye, More Common than You Think
Cherry eye is a condition that occurs in dogs, and it can be genetic or secondary to trauma. The condition causes prolapse of the dog’s third eyelid. This is usually visible as an abnormally large mass near your dog’s eye, but it may be hidden if your dog has longer fur around his face.
At this point, you may be wondering what a third eyelid is. It is a natural part of a dog’s anatomy. It’s a membrane that covers the eye, and it’s always visible in dogs with eyes open. It provides moisture to keep your pup’s peepers healthy and can be seen as the white part of the eye or pink when pulled back over his iris (the colored part). It helps protect your dog’s eye, especially when your dog is playing, fighting, or hunting, and also produces a portion of the eye’s protective tear film from its glands.
Cherry eye is treated with surgery if left untreated for too long; however, this procedure isn’t always successful because it depends on how much damage was done by the prolapse itself (i.e., whether or not any extra tissue needs to be removed). Total removal of the gland is not usually a recommended part of the surgery, however.
If your pup does end up having surgery on their glands, a whopping 5-20% might experience a re-prolapse of their third-eye gland and need further surgeries to correct the issue.
Some of the most common dog breeds affected by this eye condition are:
- American Cocker Spaniel
- English Bulldogs
- French Bulldogs
- Boston Terriers
- Beagles
- Bloodhounds
- Lhasa Apsos
- Shih Tzu
- Pugs
- Golden Retriever (occasionally)
- Other flat-faced breeds or mixes of the above breeds
Head Trauma and Neurological Conditions can Cause Unusual Eye Movements
Head trauma. A dog can suffer from head trauma if he falls off of something tall, such as a couch or bed, and hits his head on the way down. In other cases, the injury may have been caused by an accident in which your dog was struck by another person or object.
Neurological disorders are associated with rolling back of the eyes and include:
- Brain tumors.
- Head injuries.
- Brain infection (such as meningitis).
- Swelling of the brain (encephalitis).
- Cancerous tumors in your pet’s central nervous system or seizures due to rabies infection.
Nystagmus Can be at the Root of Rapid Eye Movements and Rolling
Nystagmus is defined as an involuntary movement of the eyes. It can occur in dogs and cats, but it’s not very common in either species. Several conditions cause different types of nystagmus, including:
- Eye damage from trauma or disease (e.g., glaucoma)
- Brain injury or tumor
- Seizures
If your pup is experiencing nystagmus, you will notice:
- sudden loss of balance
- disorientation
- irregular jerking movements in their eyes
- head tilting
- lethargy
In addition to the above symptoms, your vet would be able to diagnose your pup with nystagmus by testing their blood pressure, taking x-rays to assess the appearance of both the inner and middle ear and sometimes even conducting an MRI.
Once your vet has a diagnosis and it’s decided that no other serious issues are causing your dog pain, then a treatment plan can begin. In many cases, dogs will receive therapies such as an IV with fluids until your dog regains their balance or even be given sedatives to help them relax and combat nausea and motion sickness symptoms.
Many furry friends see a drastic improvement in symptoms after just 72 hours of the onset of the episode, with head tilting and the dog’s eye-rolling improving over a seven to ten-day period. Many pups are fully recovered and back to their normal, lovable selves in about three weeks.
Seizures are a Leading Cause of Dog Eye Roll
If your dog’s eyes are rolling back, this could be a sign that they are having a seizure.
Seizures are caused by many things, including brain tumors and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), and neurological disease. Dogs may also have seizures even if they aren’t epileptic–it just means their bodies aren’t able to regulate electrical activity in the brain properly.
If your dog has one or more episodes where his eyes roll back and forth rapidly before stopping completely and staying still for several minutes, consider taking him to see the vet immediately because these could be signs of something serious that needs immediate attention before it gets worse!
Eye Rolling is a Natural Part of Rem Sleep in all Animals, Including Dogs
Your dog’s eyes rolling back is a normal phenomenon that occurs during REM sleep. During this stage, your dog’s brain is active and dreaming. Because it’s the same type of activity that happens when you’re asleep and dreaming, it can be easy to mistake your pup’s eye movement for something more serious than it is.
Your pup may be dreaming about chasing squirrels or running through the grass. If you see your dog’s eyes rolling back during the day, it could be REM sleep–but don’t worry! This is completely normal and not something to worry about (it happens more often than you might think).
In some cases, there may be other symptoms like weakness or balance issues as well, so make sure that if any of these things happen, then take them in for an exam right away so we can get them checked out before anything gets worse!
Blood Work and Other Tests are Needed for Your Dog’s Exam to Be Complete and to Receive a Proper Diagnosis
The eyes are connected to the brain, and they work together to process visual information. The brain processes this information, which is then sent back through the optic nerve to control eye movement.
If you’re concerned about your dog’s eyes rolling back, take a look at why it happens in the first place by asking your vet to run some tests.
Your dog’s veterinarian will likely perform some of the following tests to check for medical conditions, in addition to an eye rollback exam:
- Blood work. This can help determine if there is a problem with your dog’s organ function or metabolism.
- Urinalysis–This test checks urine for signs of infection or other problems related to kidney and bladder function as well as infection.
- X-rays or CT scans to check for swelling and injury.
Treatment Plans for Reasons Why Dog’s Eyes Roll Back, Depending on the Cause
Vestibular system problems. If your dog’s eyes roll back due to vestibular disease, there are several treatment options available. Your veterinarian may prescribe medications to help control nausea, vomiting, or dizziness. Surgery is also an option in some cases.
Inner ear health concerns. Many things can affect your dog’s inner ear health, including viruses and bacteria that infect this part of their body; allergies; trauma from falls or car accidents; tumors located near nerves connected with hearing functions. To properly deal with infections, your vet may likely prescribe a round of antibiotics.
If your dog’s eyes have rolled back, it is important to get them checked by a vet. In most cases, the root cause is not serious and can be treated easily at home. Pet owners can also prevent this from happening again by making sure their pet sees their vet regularly.
If your dog’s eyes roll back and you notice any other symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or an inability to walk properly, then it’s best to see a veterinarian immediately. If your dog does not seem sick but just has this habit of rolling his eyes back now and then, then it could be a harmless part of how your dog’s body functions.
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