Vision defects can trigger obsessive "flies" chasing
Blind or deaf dogs“Flies-chasing” obsessive compulsive behavior (OCD)
A comment about the possibility of dogs with slight bleeding in their eyes pawing at their eye and (and some other people report dogs compulsively staring at non-existent flying insects, or non-real insects on walls - - - all of such comparable behaviors can arise from what an ophthalmologist called "floaters" which are tiny bits of debris or tiny blood specks floating about in the fluid inside the eye-ball. They are most striking-prominent against a light colored plain background, such as indoor walls or the sky and might not be noticeable against a complex featured dark background such as is common outdoors.
Because the "flying specks” were inside the eyeball, the specks move with the dog’s eye movement and if the dog tries to catch it, the dog can die of whirling in circles instead of eating, etc. - as reported! The specks stay fixed if the dog stares like a Border Collie tends to do. That sort of “obsessive compulsive disorder” (OCD) behavior is reported among some breeds of deaf dogs.
Commonly ophthalmologist with human grade instruments are unable to detect specific specks or debris in the human eye, so for humans the diagnosis is typically based on the victim's description, including age, conditions such as diabetes, alcoholism, certain chemical exposures, etc. including family history (genetics- same as dogs).
How do I know about the behavior connections to that sort of eye-disorders? Easy - 30 years of personal experience!
A comment about the possibility of dogs with slight bleeding in their eyes pawing at their eye and (and some other people report dogs compulsively staring at non-existent flying insects, or non-real insects on walls - - - all of such comparable behaviors can arise from what an ophthalmologist called "floaters" which are tiny bits of debris or tiny blood specks floating about in the fluid inside the eye-ball. They are most striking-prominent against a light colored plain background, such as indoor walls or the sky and might not be noticeable against a complex featured dark background such as is common outdoors.
Because the "flying specks” were inside the eyeball, the specks move with the dog’s eye movement and if the dog tries to catch it, the dog can die of whirling in circles instead of eating, etc. - as reported! The specks stay fixed if the dog stares like a Border Collie tends to do. That sort of “obsessive compulsive disorder” (OCD) behavior is reported among some breeds of deaf dogs.
Commonly ophthalmologist with human grade instruments are unable to detect specific specks or debris in the human eye, so for humans the diagnosis is typically based on the victim's description, including age, conditions such as diabetes, alcoholism, certain chemical exposures, etc. including family history (genetics- same as dogs).
How do I know about the behavior connections to that sort of eye-disorders? Easy - 30 years of personal experience!