Border Collie with rare eye condition is given ‘doggles’ so he can go outside again
A dog who was left almost blind at one-year-old has been given the chance to enjoy life to the full with a special pair of goggles.
Gus the Border Collie was diagnosed with a rare eye condition called Pannus, which impacts the cornea of the eye and worsens when exposed to sunlight.
Owner Chloe Godliman spotted a pink cloudy patch in the corner of Gus’ left eye in the summer of 2021 and took him to the vets with husband Joe.
The pair who live in Oban, Scotland, were told that Gus’ condition was incurable and could cause blindness in the young pup if left untreated.
Three-year-old Border Collie Gus has been give a new lease of life, with his new doggy goggles, after he was diagnosed with the rare eye condition pannus
Chloe (pictured) explained how she and her husband were devastated by Gus’ diagnosis and went home to research it
Chloe, 28, was devastated and told the Daily Record that she and Joe ‘couldn’t believe what was happening.’
She said that the news ‘didn’t sink in’, and following Gus’ diagnosis from the vets, she decided to research Pannus herself.
The mother-of-one stumbled upon a company called Rex Specs that sell secure eye protection for dogs, which provide UV protection, blocking 99.9 per cent of harmful rays.
The goggles are specifically designed for dog’s with Pannus and without them Gus, now three-years-old would have to stay inside
The pup was diagnosed with the condition when he was one-year-old and his owners Chloe and Joe were told he could go blind if left untreated and that it would worsen in the sunlight
After research Chloe came across Rex Specs, which specialise in UV protection goggles for dogs with Pannus
Chloe, from Scotland, is pictured here with Bored Collie Gus enjoying a paddle board session on a lake
Chloe, who is a medical lab technician, said that without the ‘doggles’, Gus wouldn’t be able to go outside for the rest of his life.
She explained: ‘He is a family member so getting rid of him was never going to be an option so we had to figure something out.
‘The glasses are brilliant. Thanks to them, his condition has not worsened and he is able to enjoy being outside.’
The three-year-old pooch does attract a lot of attention while out-and-about wearing his goggles, with Chloe and Joe often finding themselves having to explain to people its for medical reasons.
Chloe Godliman spotted a pink cloudy patch in the corner of Gus’ left eye in the summer of 2021 and took him to the vets with husband Joe
Since Gus has been wearing his goggles he has been able to get and about and enjoy the outdoors again
Gus is pictured here with Joe and the couples’ young child enjoying the sun outside. He is wearing his special ‘doggles’
The Border Collie isn’t phased by wearing his goggles and Chloe said ‘looking cool is an added bonus.’
To help with his condition, Gus has been prescribed steroidal drops which help to bring down the lesions in his eye.
The treatment does not cure Pannus but does halt progression and can reverse some changes.
Thanks to the goggles, the Border Collie now joins Chloe and Joe out on hikes, wild swimming trips, and even mountain biking adventures.