Vet advises dogs to wear sunglasses to protect their eyes

It took three weeks to train Celine to wear her sun goggles but now she is used to them

Active dogs that enjoy running on the beach, or joining their humans out cycling or stand-up paddle boarding, might benefit from wearing sunglasses.

Eastcott Veterinary Hospital in Swindon, Wiltshire, said visors or goggles could help protect "very active dogs" or those with certain conditions.

Miluse Vojtiskova's 14-year-old poodle Celine has developed iris atrophy with age and cannot filter brightness.

She said Celine's goggles had given her pet back "a normal quality of life".

"She can walk outside now and she can do anything she did before," she added.

Ms Vojtiskova first noticed there was a problem with her poodle when she jumped in front of a car one day.

"She began to become jumpy in the sunshine," she said.

Celine and her owner receive "nice reactions" to the goggles when they are out, especially from children

The specialists at Eastcott Veterinary Hospital told Ms Vojtiskova that Celine's iris had become weaker as she had aged, meaning her iris muscle was not strong enough to pull the pupil tight.

"So when it's very bright she struggles and it hurts her," said Ida Gilbert, head of Ophthalmology at Eastcott Referrals.

"That shocked me because I had no idea she was in pain," Ms Vojtiskova said.

"We are happy"

Celine now wears the sunglasses outside of the house.

Ms Vojtiskova said her pet "knows" they are working.

"If it is a sunny day she will hide or just freeze.

"Now she can do what any dog can do. We are happy," she added.

"They think it's fashion but many people ask and I say 'yes there's a medical reason for it'," said Ms Vojtiskova

Ms Gilbert said the sunglasses meant the centre did not have to perform any surgery on Celine which was "brilliant".

"Essentially, cutting out UV light and the brightness has made her able to then resume her normal life."

The vet said eye protection was "absolutely appropriate in many different settings" for animals.

"Some dogs out there could benefit from being on them. It could even reduce the amount of medication they would require," she said.

For example, she said, there was an inflammatory condition in German Shepherds called Pannus, which became worse with UV light exposure.

Ms Gilbert said "active dogs", such as those that join owners in stand up paddle-boarding or cycling or running on the beach, should also be considered for eye protection.