All Dogs' Eyes Are the Same Size!

The Seeing Eye breeds all its own dogs, and keeps meticulous record of any genetic defect that could affect a dog's fitness for work, such as hip dysplasia. Although Vinnie was perfectly healthy, his bloodline had been stopped because of a hereditary retinal defect. Since the Seeing Eye had a definite interest in making sure none of their dog graduates went blind, they arranged for Vinnie to be checked, annually, by a veterinary ophthalmologist.



Even in this age of specialization, it's difficult for me to imagine what it is that makes someone get on the path to become a veterinary ophthalmology. Before Vinnie had to be checked, I had no idea such a specialized vet existed, and was apparently busy enough to have a thriving practice in a smallish city such as Albuquerque.

I bring this up because this doctor, whose name I can't recall, told me something I've never been able to forget. He told me all dogs eyes are the same size.

Initially, I didn't understand what he meant, so he explained. "If you scooped out the eyeball of a Great Dane and a Chihuahua," the vet told me, "And laid them out on the table, the eyeballs would be the same size." What can you say when you're given a piece of information like that?

"Oh."

"The eye is the first major organ to develop in a fetus," The doctor explained. "It's a series of genetic switches being pulled, or not being pulled, as the dog develops, that determine what kind of characteristics they have. A small dog, for instance, has genetic switches for growth flipped to the 'off' position, sometime early during gestation. A giant dog, like a Newfoundland, never has those genes flipped off."


"But all the variation you see in dogs, size, color, temperament, all the variation, takes place on the genetic level after the eyeball has developed. That's why small dogs often seem to have bulging eyes. Their skulls are holding the same size orbs as their gigantic brethren."

The vet allowed that there were minute differences in eye size, and that disease, or bad genetics. could result in an eye larger or smaller than usual, but, all things being equal, all dogs have the same size eyeballs. 

I've refrained from scooping any dog's eyes out to compare size, but as I look at dogs I know, I'm fairly confident the vet was right.

I can find no confirmation, or denial, of this "fact" on the internet. I once spoke to another vet, this one a general practitioner, who adamantly denied the assertion. So I don't know, for sure, but, as is my habit, I go around repeating it as fact anyway. After all, a veterinary ophthalmologist told me. Why wouldn't I believe it? You, on the other hand, are being given this information by some lunatic on the internet. Believe it or not, the choice is yours. I'm simply truthfully sharing what I was told.



I'll say this. What the doctor said makes sense. Little dogs do seem to have enormous eyes, while bigger dogs can seem to have a beadier countenance, and I choose to believe what the specialist contracted by the Seeing Eye told me. It squares with my understanding of neology and dog evolution and development. Mainly, though, I choose to believe this because, in any situation, when the room falls silent, and no one knows what to say, this is guaranteed to cause some sort of reaction:

"Hey, did you know that if you scooped out a Great Dane's eyeballs and a Chihuahua's eyeballs, you could put the Dane's eyes back in the Chihuahua, and vice versa, and they'd fit?" 

If that doesn't start the conversation up, it's probably time for everyone to just go home and go to bed.



© 2009, All Rights Reserved, Rich Sands
ScottsdaleDogMan.com
ScottsdaleDogMan.blogspot.com

Halloween Extravaganza and Special Edition Dog News!!!

Happy Halloween from the Den. Levi, Rocky, Erica and even little Chi-Chi all join me in wishing our readers a safe and happy day (and night).

Because my readers are very busy people doing important things, I've received very few pictures of dogs in costumes. Cindy L. of Manteno, IL, was kind enough to share pictures of her three kids, dressed up for a costume parade. That's Snoopy, at the top of the page. Not only does he genuinely look like a convict, but his expression seems to clearly denote that he's guilty of whatever he was charged with. Chances are he was mostly unhappy to be in a costume, but as was determined a few days ago, sometimes, very infrequently, but sometimes, it's all about us, and if dressing dogs up like truckers or ladybugs (Cindy L's Lucy, the trucker, and Sally, the ladybug. Or is she a dinosaur? An elk? Whatever, you just keep going, Cindy L. of Manteno!) tickles your fancy, than you ought to go right ahead and do it. Just not everyday or anything.

The kitty and dog, above, enchanted Christine M. of the Bay area, but, alas, they are not her creations. The Dogman feels, however, that if Christine just tried, she alone could costume half the dogs and cats in San Francisco! That's the Dogman challenge, accept it, if you dare!

Andrea K. of Southern California, sent me some delightful pictures of dogs with pumpkins carved to look like them. These are some great shots, and if anyone knows to whom credit should be attributed, I would love to do so.

And now, this weeks Dog news:

First, what we all want. More excellent pictures of pets in costumes! This guy has quite a page!

Here's a shocker. Pets are sometimes scared by Halloween. I once put a rubber monster mask on at K-Mart, and Karen's Seeing Eye Dog, Lyric, almost jumped out of her skin!

Web MD now gives pet advice. The Dogman prefers to avoid doctors and vets as much as possible, and here's a resource that can help us do that. Of course, but the Dogman and Levi are among the millions of uninsured Americans, but we remain grateful that we can at least get DYI medical care on the Internet. What a country!

Here's a story about how a service dog helps keep a kid with severe peanut allergies from dying! (The dog to the left is meant to be dressed as a peanut. Thematic continuity is all important in the Den.)

Keeping children with peanut allergies alive not enough for you? Check out this article about how dogs and cats help in the fight against breast cancer. And not just by being emotional support to patients, but by finding the damn stuff! Incredible.

Everyone knows about Snuggies, the infernal blanket with sleeves that's all over TV and Walgreen's and single ladies' shoulders. Somehow the creators of this monstrosity felt they hadn't taken enough money from the American people, so now, as many of you have already seen, they have Snuggies for dogs. Unlike a Halloween costume, this isn't cute. It's just sad.

OK, it's a little cute, but I still disapprove.

Using "America's Funniest Home Videos" as the barometer, it has been scientifically determined that dogs are funnier than cats! The Dogman feels that might be the truth, but he's never known a dog top enjoy subtle verbal humor. Dogs think it's funny when someone falls. Cats, on the other hand, virtually all enjoy Oscar Wilde, Tom Stoppard, and, indeed, any cerebral humor involving word play. But not puns. They'll scratch you up if you try a pun.

Here's a hard working dog who got too into his job. I hope worker's comp is available to this drug sniffing dog who OD'd on Meth. That can't be a pretty scene. I sure hope he's going to be alright. It's a shame he wasn't just sniffing for pot, or he'd be fine!

Finally, for those of us whose pets are getting older, the inevitable might be much farther off than we think. Read here about the world's oldest living dog!

Tomorrow, the Dogman will post his first piece of fiction, a short-short story called "The Dog and el Día de los Inocentes. I think it's some of my best work, and I hope you'll read it.