Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment describes the separation of the retina—the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye—from the tissue beneath it. When this happens, the retina can no longer function normally, and vision is affected. In dogs and cats, this can occur suddenly or develop over time, and may affect one eye or both. Owners often notice changes in how their pet moves through familiar spaces: hesitation, bumping into objects, or reluctance to navigate in dim light. The pupil may appear unusually large, and in some cases the eye itself may look different—cloudy, enlarged, or with visible changes behind the clear front surface. These signs can appear quite suddenly, or they may develop more gradually depending on what is driving the detachment. This page explores what these changes in vision and eye appearance can signal, the range of underlying processes that can lead to retinal detachment, how the condition is investigated through examination and imaging, and the approaches that exist once a detachment has been identified.