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Vets Warn Trendy, Flat-Faced Dogs Are Going Blind Because They Can’t Close Their Eyes

Vets Warn Trendy, Flat-Faced Dogs Are Going Blind Because They Can’t Close Their Eyes

French Bulldogs and Pugs were some of the worst affected.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

English and French bulldogs, along with Pugs, Boxers and other trendy, flat-faced dogs are going blind.

Veterinarians have conducted a study into these popular breeds and found years of inbreeding are causing serious problems, according to the Daily Mail.

The inbreeding to create a pedigree species has changed the shape of some of these dogs, which makes their eyes stick out from their head and cause difficulties in closing their eyelids shut.

The 'abnormally large' stretching of the eyelids can cause a problem called macroblepharon, which reduces eye protection.

That, in tandem with ulcers and eyeball erosion, is resulting in some of these trendy breeds going blind.

Pixabay

A team of vets from Lisbon and Leipzig universities have published a study in the Irish Veterinary Journal and they found around half of the 93 dogs examined had macroblepharon.

This includes the widely popular French bulldog, which was the worst breed affected by the condition, along with Shih Tzus, Pugs, English Bulldogs, Boxers, Pekingese and Boston Terriers.

The team said in the study: "As these breeds grow in popularity, veterinary hospital teams are treating more and more dogs of brachycephalic [flat-faced] breeds with a wide variety of problems caused by breeding for a characteristic short-nosed flat-face.

"The number of these patients is increasing in small animal practices. Their personalities, wrinkly faces and appealing large eyes have turned them into popular pets.

"This popularity is thought to exist because humans find the large and round eyes, as well as the round face very appealing."

In the study, they found 20 dogs, particularly pugs, were affected by a condition called entropion, where the eyelid turns inwards.

Pixabay

There were a whopping 41 pets who had ulcers on the surface of their eyeball, with five having them on both eyes.

A further 33 dogs had corneal pigmentation, which can cloud the cornea and lead to blindness, and, again, pugs were the worst affected.

Shih Tzus and French Bulldogs were identified as the worst breeds for corneal fibrosis, which is scarring on the cornea, with 23 dogs affected in total.

The team of vets concluded in their study that more work was needed to ensure breeders were conducting their business safely and responsibly.

Pet owners are also encouraged to be on the look out for any issues with their pet's eyes and undergo regular ophthalmic check-ups.

In addition to blindness, many of these breeds also suffer with a breathing issue called Brachycephalic Airway Obstructive Syndrome.

Featured Image Credit: Pixabay

Topics: News, Animals