Identification of Normal Retina's Variations in Kars Shepherd Dogs via Fundoscopic Examination

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to use fundoscopic examination to identify normal variations in the retinas of Kars Shepherd Dogs, which are raised in northeastern Turkey, particularly in the province of Kars and the surrounding area. The study was carried out on 50 healthy Kars Shepherd Dogs of different ages and genders. The tapetal fundus was observed to be granular and green-yellow-blue in color, while the nontapetal fundus was observed to be dark colored (dark brown). No statistically significant difference was found between male and female (P > 0.05) for the existence of these granules in the tapetal region. The optic disc was found to be light pink in color and oval in shape with rounded corners. Although the disc was generally located in the tapetal region, it was also found to be located at the intersection of the tapetal and nontapetal regions. No statistically significant difference was found between the dogs regarding the location of the optical disc with respect to the age or gender of the dogs (P > 0.05). In conclusion, Kars Shepherd Dogs were found to have a granular, green-yellow-blue tapetum, a dark colored non-tapetum, and an optic disc that was light pink in color and oval in shape with rounded corners; therefore we arrived at the conclusion that the color and variations that we found were breed-specific, as were the other morphological characteristics.