chihuahua puppy in a dress

In our last post we covered Five Things You Can Do for your Pet’s Health. Some of you have asked if/when we’d be covering health topics relating to exotic pets and what exotic pet health insurance might cover. I promise, we’ll get to that soon. You can imagine, there are a lot of animal health related issues to discuss and we’re going for the low hanging fruit first by covering more common animals and ailments before we get to those cool exotic animals. Today we’re going to narrow the focus a bit and discus genetic health concerns. Specifically, genetically inherited eye diseases in small dogs.

Just like humans, small dogs can be affected by inherited health problems. When it comes time to choose a vet pet insurance plan, it is important that you know about these diseases so that you can find out if they are covered by the particular plan that you are interested in. Knowledge is power! The more prepared you are BEFORE you speak to a veterinary insurance representative, the better! Below is a list of the most common genetic eye diseases that affect small dogs.  Keep in mind that not ALL small dogs inherit these genetic diseases but as I mentioned before, the more you know about the type of dog you own, the better.

Eye Diseases

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): In a nutshell, progressive retinal atrophy involves the deterioration of the retina and can cause partial vision loss.  Lhasa Apsos and Schnauzers are prone to this problem. For more on this topic, visit our post on Progressive Retinal Atrophy.

Keratitis: Also known as dry eye this condition is caused by impaired secretion of tears. There are many treatments for this condition including: the use of artificial tears, steroids, flushing of the tear ducts and antibiotics.

Glaucoma: This disease develops from the buildup of pressure in the vitreous fluids of the eyeball. Signs of glaucoma include an enlarged eyeball and cloudiness. This condition can be painful and will need to be treated by a veterinarian or canine eye specialist via medications and possibly, surgery. Glaucoma often affects old dogs and dogs that have suffered eye injuries. My old Beagle suffered from glaucoma and eventually had to have her eye removed. Unfortunately, Beagles often develop eye problems as they age.

Cataracts: Not only do humans develop cataracts, dogs do too! Cataracts occur when the lens of the eye becomes opaque.  If not treated cataracts can cause a loss of vision, however, cataract surgery is not as successful in dogs as it is with humans. Pugs are especially prone to develop cataracts.

Entropion: This condition is a genetic fault that exists in the skin surrounding the eyes of small dogs (especially small dogs that have wrinkly faces!). This disease involves the inversion of the eyelid and can cause chronic irritation. Quick diagnosis of Entropion is important so that surgery can be performed. Small dogs that are prone to this condition include: Pug, Paillon, Pekingese and the Shih Tzu.

Trichiasis: This disease affects small, longhaired dogs that have abnormally positioned eyelashes growing from their upper eyelids. Surgery (that includes the removal of the lashes) will correct this problem.

Distichiasis: Caused by a double row of eyelashes that irritate the cornea, Distichiasis can be corrected thought surgery.

Epiphora: This condition causes the excessive production of tears. When you see a small dog that has constant tear stains under their eyes, they most likely have this condition. Treated with prescription eye drops and duct flushing, this disease affects many short muzzled dogs such as the Pekingese and Shih Tzu.

Certainly not all small dogs develop genetic eye diseases, but it is important to know the signs so that you can keep an eye (sorry, I couldn’t resist) on your dog’s health. Most of the eye diseases mentioned above can be treated and cured especially when early diagnosis is involved. If you are considering a veterinary pet insurance plan, be sure to ask about what coverage is available for the treatment of various eye diseases. Some plans may cover a wide variety of eye treatments and prescriptions, while others may offer no coverage at all.