Someone has suggested that my BC may have problems with her eye sight. I haven't really noticed anything different, so i'm not entirely convinced, but i have read that sometimes it is very difficult to tell as they can rely so well on scent and hearing. However as she has suddenly become agressive towards dogs i would like to rule out any physical causes. (although i'm pretty sure it is purely behavioural!) How do vets check for problems with eye sight? As far as i know her parents were not tested for CEA or PRA, so i do not know how susceptable she would be.

There are plenty of specialists who can examine your bitch's eyes, but your own vet should be able to tell you if there is anything obviously wrong & can refer you to your nearest specialist. Obviously she doesn't have to read off a chart :D, the vet may put some drops in her eyes to dilate the pupil & then examine the eye with a small light & ophthalmoscope. A specialist may use other methods, but as long as you can hold her still while the vet gets close up to her eyes she won't have any discomfort. One of the first signs with eye problems is often an unwillingness to go out in the dark. Have you noticed anything like this with her? (of course, she may just be like my bitch & be afraid of the dark!). it is difficult to tell just by watching behaviour, but not at all difficult with a proper examination of the eyes.
HTH

With CEA it is usually just an area of sight affected. A dog might well have a blind spot and of course something placed in that blind spot could then startle her when it suddenly appears in the region of good sight.

The normal eye test is exactly as Anwen says, drops to dilate the pupil then a visual inspection. The only different test is for Glaucoma but that is not likely to be the trouble here.

If you want to know your nearest BVA/ISDS ophthalmologist PM me your rough area and I'll let you know.

Best wishes, John

Hi, to add what John & Anwen have said, it`s not an ordinary vet who does the testing, it`s an opthalmologist vet whos qualified to do the testing :) My vet examined my Bonnies eyes twice & totally missed the fact she had pra! Also she never showed any fear of darkness or other dogs(still doesn`t), the only thing that alerted me was an unusual colour of her eyes in the dark & her missing the frisbee/ball while playing in the dark, she was just a fraction off catching them that little bit where as in daytime she was always spot on!

Christine, Spain.