Risks associated with dilated pupils?

[Cash]

I had the CERF exam done on Cash last Friday at Specialty, his eyes were dilated afterward for about 4 hours.
To be safe, I didn’t return to our set up area, instead I put him in the back of my SUV in the shade (I have tinted windows).

I know when I get my eyes checked and the Doctor dilates my pupils, my vision is blurry, and I walk out with BLACKED OUT glasses from the Doctor, not for vanity’s sake but a precaution.

I am curious about this and I can’t seem to get a consensus...
What precautions should you take when your dogs eyes are dilated?
And to what level are the viable risks of sun damage?

[BostonRott]

I've never been given any specific warnings after a CERF exam, and I've done them at at least 4-5 different places (with different staff).

[flyballmom]

Ya know Catherine, I was wondering the same thing, especially after that worthless piece of...oh I mean wonderful vet that checked our guys eyes. Did everyone know that Rottweilers pupils take an extra long time to dilate, and an extra long time to get back to normal??? If anyone wants the name of an eye doc to AVOID just check with me and Catherine!!

Sorry...vent over.
I kept Blitzy out after her exam, but it seemed to get more and more overcast. Had it been bright sunlight, I think the danger would have been mostly discomfort, followed by possible retinal damage if no protection had been offered. Anyone??

[targonrotts]

when i first started working at the animal clinic many years ago, one of my dogs had an eye infection and one of the techs gave me a bottle of atropine drops to "help clear the red".i never thought of it(to ask a doctor-bad me)and used it...for about 7 days!i noticed my dog squinting when we went outdoors, and crasing into jumps!i freaked out, looked at my dogs eyes, and the pupils were obviously huge,and i didn't know why-i didn't know at that time what atropine did!-and ran to the vet saying-i think my dog is blind!!!!!-after the vet examined his eyes, she asked, have you applied anything to his eyes?-and i said, yeah, these drops so and so gave me.they burst out laughing-and explained to me what it was for.they said, leave alone,don't leave him outside in the sun, so it does not bother him, and about 3 days later-all back to normal!

[moondog]

I did a search last night online, and could find no aftercare recommendations at all...and after watching Blitz and Cash do what dogs do..look UP at their owners with fully dilated pupils (and into the sun or at the very least, the brightness of the sky), it seems very odd to me that there is no risk. Everyone I've asked has said the same thing, they've been told "no problem".

So, given the cautions that are given to us when our eyes are dilated, it seems that the same would apply to our dogs...and we have a tendency to look DOWN when the light bothers our eyes (giving some protection), yet the dogs have a tendency to look UP, directly into the light.