How Do Dogs See?

Published by Lance Kugler, MD on September 8, 2015

Do you have a lovable dog that you can’t imagine life without? We all can relate to the prints dogs leave on our hearts. We hold them near and dear to us. But have you ever wondered how your dog sees the world? Do they in fact view it the same way we do? If not, how do they see differently? Kugler Vision in Omaha has the answers to these questions.

Dogs’ Night Vision

Cats are the champions of night vision in the pet world; however, dogs can navigate in dim light almost as skillfully as their feline friends. Dogs also have the ability to see in the dark because of the structure of their eyes. Dogs have large pupils that allow more light to enter. Their retinas have numerous light and motion sensitive cells, called rods. Rods distinguish light from shadow.

Dog eyes have a mirror-like membrane called a tapetum lucidum at the rear of the eye, which allows the light to rebound to the retina instead of being absorbed by the rods. This allows dog’s’ eyes to take in more light, allowing them to see better than humans in the dark.

Do Dogs See Better than Humans?

man and woman with pet dog

Dogs see differently than humans, and in some cases better. Humans view the world in living color, while dogs see mostly shades of gray. Dogs have some color vision, but it is not as bright as that of humans.

We humans see in color because our retina’s have more cone cells. Cone cells distinguish color. Dogs see mostly gray because their retinas have more rods. Rods require less illumination to detect the gray spectrum.   Dogs are able to see more clearly than humans in twilight or semi-darkness. Also, rods are sensitive to motion, which makes detecting movements easy for them. This is useful to them while hunting at night or on guard duty.

Your Eyesight

A dog’s vision is roughly estimated to be 20/75. Unfortunately, it is not practical for dogs to have glasses or contacts. Glasses and contacts are big enough hassles for humans! If a dog sees 20/75 and your vision is worse than your dog’s, it is time for you to consider LASIK. You can change the way you see the world for the better with LASIK! There many benefits of receiving LASIK such asdog in glasses

See if you are a LASIK candidate today by completing our online self-test. You can also text or call us at 402.558.2211 or contact us here to find more information on improving your vision.

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