Uh no, not really. But that doesn't mean you should听put away the shades听for good.听
Humans wear sunglasses to reduce ultraviolet exposure鈥攚hich can lead to听age-related cataracts鈥攖o our eyes. Dogs, on the other hand, have a shorter life span and therefore don't develop UV light damage in their eyes.
Dogs still get cataracts, or blurry, clouded vision, but they're either inherited, caused by diabetes, or develop because of continued lens growth during old age,听says听, an animal eye care veterinarian. 鈥淏ecause of their deeper set eyes [in most breeds at least] and their heavier brow, their eyes are more shaded [by their brows] and have less of a direct angle to the sun than our eyes,鈥 English says.听
But sunglasses may still help old pups or ones with certain eye diseases. In this case, English听recommends Doggles, or dog goggles designed for your canine companion.听鈥淥lder dogs with early age-related cataracts arguably probably have slightly better vision outside on a sunny day if they wear polarized Doggles.”
, a veterinary ophthalmologist, said dogs with Pannus, a disease of the cornea, also could benefit from Doggles because of the decreased UV exposure. 鈥淎 typical case would be a dog in Colorado that hikes a lot with its owner,鈥 Lindley says.听
Take note: Doggle protection only goes so far.听听says听dog sunglasses do not provide protection against debris, so they won't help if your dog is hanging her head out the car window.听
If you do want to go down the Doggles route, you can purchase a pair from a variety of retailers, . DoggieShades, another canine sunglasses retailer, offers $15 sunglasses with an adjustable strap for your dog.听
Bottom line: dogs don't need sunglasses, but if you want to protect your old dog鈥檚 eyes or you want your dog to make a fashion statement听at the park, there's no harm letting her sport a pair of sunglasses.