Increasingly often diseases of the eyes occur in pedigree dogs. Read about which eye diseases are common in dogs here.
1. PLL – Primary Lens Luxation (detachment of the lens from the eye)
" Priority affected:
A total of 17 breeds including Miniature Bull Terrier, Australian Cattledog, Jack Russel Terrier, Parson Jack Russel Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier.
" Symptoms:
In the initial stage, eyes water easily, the dog blinks and often pinches the first affected eye together. Later, there may be opacities of the cornea.
Symptoms can always disappear at the beginning of the disease, so owners initially consider the eye change to be more harmless than it actually is. In addition, PLL often does not break out until the age of 3 to 6 years.
" Consequences:
The disease leads to complete blindness if detected late or without treatment, since both eyes are always affected.
" Treatment:
In any case, surgical intervention is necessary, which, depending on the progress of the disease, may promise only moderate or no success.
2. Hereditary cataract – cataract caused by hereditary factors
Hereditary cataract is considered to be the most common cause of this eye disease.
" Priority Affected:
French Bulldog, Australian Shepherd, Miniature Australian Shepherd, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Retriever, Miniature Poodle, Toy Poodle, West Highland White Terrier, Cocker, Schnauzer.
" Symptoms:
There is a bluish discoloration of the lens. Later further lightening to white in the final stage. Simultaneous decrease in vision.
The disease always affects both eyes, although in different chronological order. Progress can be made within a few weeks, but can take years to occur. Owners often do not recognize the disease until the dog's declining vision becomes noticeable.
" Consequences:
Blindness, painful increase in intraocular prere, iris inflammation with lens dislocation, glaucoma.
"Treatment:
Treatment is only possible by means of surgical intervention. Depending on the circumstances, surgical intervention is up to 80 percent successful.
3. Hereditary entropion – rolled eyelid
Often it is the lower eyelid of the eye that rolls inward, toward the eye, in its entirety. Although this disease is hereditary, the disease does not have to be apparent in young dogs, but can also develop over time.
" Predominantly affected:
Chow Chow, Labrador, Retriever, Shar Pei, English Bulldog, Pointers, Rottweiler, Sheltie, Bouvier de Flandres, Collie, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Newfoundland as well as many short noses such as Pekinese, Pug, French Bulldog, Shi Tsu, Boston Terrier, Lhasa Apso.
" Symptoms:
The hairless eyelid margin is not visible after a certain period of time, because it curls up. The dog blinks frequently. There is lacrimation of the eye.
" Consequences:
Inflammation, corneal ulcers, sprouting of blood vessels, pigmented keratitis (corneal inflammation with pigment deposits), blindness, chronic pain.
" Treatment:
In young dogs in the early stages of entropy, the eyelid can often be straightened using temporal fixation without surgical intervention. If this treatment is not or no longer possible, the only option is the appropriate surgery.