Canine visual acuity: retinal and cortical field potentials evoked by pattern stimulation

The visual acuities (i.e., visual thresholds for pattern detection) of four dogs under neuromuscular block were measured using visually evoked cortical potentials (VECP) and/or pattern-evoked retinal potentials (PERR). Stimuli were phase-reversing square-wave gratings with a mean luminance of 86 cd/m2 and 70% contrast. The mean of the VECP thresholds of two dogs tested was 12.59 cycles per degree (cycles/deg). The mean of the PERR thresholds of four dogs tested was 11.61 cycles/deg. The difference between VECP and PERR thresholds was not statistically significant. VECP acuities appear to be determined at or before the last stage of retinal processing (PERR). Our estimates of canine acuity are 1.3-2 times those reported for cats and 0.2-0.4 times those reported for primates when tested under comparable luminance and contrast conditions.