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When you think of goggles, your dog wearing them may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But your dog’s eyes are prone to many of the same irritants that affect people, including sunlight, wind and dust.
Protecting your dog’s eyes with goggles can be important in a variety of situations.
How are Dog’s Eyes at Risk?
Any dog at work or play in the outdoors can be susceptible to eye trauma and injury from many things such as seeds, sticks and grasses.
Why Riding in a Car or Motorcycle Puts Your Dog’s Eyes at Risk
Many dogs love hanging theirs heads out the window during a car ride. Maybe your dog sits in a side car when you’re out on the motorcycle? The simple pleasure of feeling the wind in their faces shouldn’t be tainted by unexpected debris or a bug that suddenly hits your dog’s eye at high speeds.
Why Do Dogs Need Goggles?
Whether you have a working dog or you’re just out with your best friend enjoying the simple pleasures of a hike in the woods or a motorcycle ride, it’s best to keep your dog’s eyes protected with eye goggles.
Eye goggles are commonly used in active dogs to prevent injury due to sand, debris, sticks and brush as well protection from re-injuring the eye after surgery or trauma.
What is Pannus?
Pannus is also known as chronic superficial keratitis. According to the Animal Eye Clinic of Waterloo Region in Cambridge, Ontario:
“It is a slow progressive degenerative disease of the cornea which may also involve the third eyelid. Pannus is characterized by pink tissue developing on the lateral aspect of the cornea which slowly progresses across the field of vision. This leads to a loss of vision. It usually occurs bilaterally.”
Vets treat Pannus with topical anti inflammatory therapies, but reducing sun exposure through using protective eye wear is also recommended. Pannus often affects dogs in the Rocky Mountain region because of the area’s strong UV rays and higher elevations.
Pannus Dog Breeds
Of all dog breeds, German Shepherds are most susceptible to Pannus. Other breeds including Greyhounds, Collies and Golden Retrievers can also be affected by Pannus.
Best Dog Goggles for Pannus
Dog goggles can help dogs affected by Pannus as well as help limit their exposure to ultraviolet rays with lenses that filter out these wavelengths.
When looking at all the available dog goggles on the market, the best choice for Pannus dog goggles from Rex Specs.
Helpful Features
Rex Specs dog goggles have several features that put them a cut above the rest:
- Because they have a large single lens, Rex Specs provide far greater coverage and protection for your dog.
- The spherical, single-lens design also provides a better range of view.
- Strap system allows your dog to have complete freedom of jaw movement
- Each pair of goggles comes with 2 interchangeable lenses – one clear lens and another lens of your choice. That means your dog can have protection from the brightness of daylight with a tinted lens; at night, you can swap it out for a clear lens to give your dog better vision in the dark.
- You can purchase extra lenses separately.
- Ventilated design around the frames and anti-fog-treated lenses help keep fog away.
- All lenses are rated ANSI Z87.1, a baseline standard used to test the impact resistance of eyewear.
- All the lenses are rated UV 400 to block 99% or better of UVA and UVB light rays.
- You don’t need any tools to change lenses.
Customer Ratings
On Amazon, Rex Specs Dog Goggles have excellent overall customer ratings. Most reviewers call this a 5-star product, favoring them due to their fit, comfort, durability and the wide range field of vision provided by the visor-type design. Others praise them for their dog’s willingness to keep the goggles on and the short window of time needed for dogs to get used to them compared to other goggles they’ve tried. Wearing the goggles is, of course, essential for any eye protection to be effective.
How to Help Your Dog Adjust to Wearing Goggles
Your dog will likely resist wearing goggles the first few times you attempt to put them on. This is common. So read these tips from Rex Specs to help train your dog to wear goggles.
Ready To Buy
You can find your perfect fit and lens/frame color combination from 20 different styles on Amazon.
See Current PriceTechnical Specifications
- Size Small Goggles
- Fit most dogs from 10 to 30 pounds, depending on head shape and facial structure
- Size Large Goggles
- Fit most dogs from 30 to 100 pounds, depending on head shape and facial structure