Ectropion and entropion in dogs and its animal welfare issues

SEP 07, 2009

Sagging, droopy eyes (in the case of ectropion), or lids curled painfully inwards (in entropion) just get me down. These common conditions of the canine eyelids are a source of continual frustration for me.

I mean, what possesses breeders to keep breeding dogs for extreme facial traits that propagate these conditions?

After all, eyelids everted either inwards or outwards are just not meant to be. Depending on their severity, they can cause pain (typical)...and even eye loss (not as rarely as you might think). The upshot of bad lid conformation is that plastic surgery (called blepharoplasty) is required to correct these defects. Not so inexpensively, either.

Imagine a bloodhound with eyes so droopy that he can’t fully close them.

Or a shar-pei, with lids so inverted that multiple surgeries are required to fix them––that is, if the dog is lucky and comes attached to an owner willing to take on this extensive project.

Most dogs with even mild to moderate entropion or ectropion, in fact, suffer for a lifetime with either chronic irritation, frequent infections, “dry eye” (because the tear ducts in the lids are nowhere near the eyes) or corneal ulceration (from eyes too dry or eyelid hairs perpetually rubbing on the delicate cornea).

Does any of this sound fair?

For your information, I’ve compiled a list of breeds that suffer entropion and ectropion:

Ectropion: basset hound, bloodhound, boxer, bulldog, bull terrier, Clumber spaniel, English and American cocker spaniel, Gordon setter, Labrador retriever, springer spaniel, and Shih-tzu.

Entropion: Akitas, American Staffordshire terriers, Pekingese, all bulldog breeds, pomeranians, pugs, Japanese chins, Shih tzus, Yorkshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, dalmatians, old English sheepdogs, rottweilers, Siberian huskies, vizslas, weimaraners, smaller poodles, hound breeds (particularly basset hounds and bloodhounds), spaniels (the Clumber spaniel, English and American cocker spaniel, English springer spaniel, English toy spaniel, and Tibetan spaniel are especially prone), and sporting breeds like setters and retrievers (the Chesapeake Bay retriever, flat-coated retriever, golden retriever, Gordon setter, Irish setter and Labrador retriever are all potentially affected).

A combination of both entropion and ectropion: Great Dane, mastiff, Saint Bernard, Bernese mountain dog, Newfoundland, and Great Pyrenees.

Until the judges who determine breed standards at the highest levels of competition stop rewarding breeders for creating these conformational diseases (by breeding for extreme facial features), we’ll never see an end to it.

For your part, make sure you ask the breeder of your next dog whether the parents are CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) certified. This annual ophthalmologist examination is a must for all of these breeds, IMO. And if more of us start demanding this, just as we do OFA (Orthapedic Foundation for Animals) X-rays for hips, perhaps the breeders and judges will sit up and start to take notice.

Dr. Patty Khuly

3 COMMENTS

eyelid disorders

by Marsha on 09/08/2009 11:22am

Just bec some breeds are more prone to ect/entropion doesn't mean breeders are breeding FOR that trait.In my breed, English cockers,it is certainly not desirable,altho some breed for a "tight eye' ,it's a much less important trait than others.
Of course, any breed could have this (eg my 10 yo doxie has mild entropion).
I will bring this up on my breed chat list.
Love your columns

by Storm Dogs on 09/08/2009 01:13pm

So, breeders WANT their dogs to have saggy eyes just because it's cute? How irresponsible. And no it's not fair to the dogs. Very painful I bet, and a very expensive procedure to fix it!

thank you

by Katy on 09/08/2009 06:14pm

Thank you for this article. The AKC has labeled anybody who disagrees with them an "animal rights activist" and extremist. When the reality is that we have created caricatures of dogs for our own amusement, and pain and suffering for them. The breeders of the Newfy Josh that won Westminster a few years ago did NOT get OFA clearances on his hips and elbows, and now that dog is an ROM, and there are lots of little Joshes running around there, no doubt on bad hips and elbows. To make it worse-- those breeders are AKC judges who participate in judge education seminars. AND, worst of all, the AKC recognized them the following year as Breeder of The Year. Really disappointing. And now, if you want to talk about "responsible breeding", you're a humaniac? Thanks for telling it like it is.

LEAVE COMMENTS

Please login or sign up to leave comments.

Patty Khuly

VMD, MBA

...is a small animal veterinarian in Miami, Florida, where she practices medicine at Sunset Animal Clinic and serves on the board of the South Florida Veterinary Medical Association. She is a graduate of Wellesley College, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and The Wharton School of Business.

As a significant sideline, she writes...a lot. Apart from her daily blogging here at PetMD's FullyVetted, she authors weekly pet health columns for USA Today and The Miami Herald. She also writes a popular monthly column for Veterinary Practice News and serves as regular contributor to Veterinary Economics, The Bark, and the Veterinary News Network.

Dr. Khuly lives in South Miami with her brood of hens, goats, dogs, cats...and humans.