EYE ENTROPION & HOW TO COPE

All Chows are prone to a condition called Eye Entropion. Entropion is a disorder in which a pet’s eyelid is inverted, meaning it rolls or folds inward toward the eyeball. This can cause eyelashes, hair, or other debris to rub against the surface of the eye, which can be irritating and painful, and can potentially result in ulceration or perforation of the cornea, and even loss of vision. Entropion can develop in either the upper or lower eyelid (or both), and in one eye or both eyes. This is because of their almond shaped eye.

Entropion is not genetic and hopefully doesn't occur, but is very common in this breed as well as some others. As scary as it all sounds, it can be improved or even fixed by a simple eye surgery down the road. A lot of times this will pop up during different stages of growth up until 18 months of age. That said, it can disappear just as quick! DO NOT LET YOUR VET TALK YOU INTO SURGERY TOO SOON! Some will even try and suggest it at 6 months of age, but they are not done growing and have a lot of excess skin yet.

If you notice tearing or discharge pick up some Optimyacin or Polysporin eye ointment and put a bit in one to two times a day. It keeps the eye lubricated (stops the cornea from getting scratched and rids the eye of any infection). Another good thing to have on hand is Sterile Eye Lubricant. It doesn't contain any antibiotics, so it can be used as often as necessary to get them through these times. It can be found at most drug stores.

There are other things you can do to help as well. Sometimes massaging the eyes daily can make a difference. Just gently pull the lower lids down and upper up. Cleaning the fur around the outside of the eye with a good quality Colloidal Silver will kill any bacteria, keeping it from growing and spreading. Read up about Silver here and what to look for before you buy!

Another option if it seems quite bad, is to get the vet to put a small stitch or tack under the eye to keep the lashes from rubbing until the dog is older. Usually by 18 months of age the head fills out and the problem is gone.

Please don't hesitate to contact us about this! We have had this happen with a previous Chow of ours and sure enough, by 18 months old it was gone. If surgery is done too soon and the head fills out, the dog will end up with a “deer caught in the headlights look" as the eyes end up pulled wide open. This can allow dirt and debris to get in and cause infections.

Obviously we understand its difficult to see your pet in any kind of discomfort but jumping into surgery isn't the answer and can leave you with a host of other problems. Before going ahead with any major procedures it's important to weigh out all your options and to wait out the growing stages if possible.