This “desirable” confirmation breeds for excessively large eye openings, resulting in ectropion. (Basset Hound, Bloodhound) These breeds are bred to have a droopy look about them with sad eyes, long ears, and floppy skin. Some breeds are more prone to each of these disorders than others: Ectropion in Dogs

The upshot of bad lid conformation is that plastic surgery (called blepharoplasty) is required to correct these defects-and not so inexpensively, either. In fact, most dogs with even mild to moderate entropion or ectropion 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 that are too dry or eyelid hairs perpetually rubbing on the delicate cornea).ĭepending on their severity, these eyelid issues can cause pain (typical) and even eye loss (not as rarely as you might think). Other issues like eyelid masses, extra eyelashes that grow toward the cornea (dystichia), and excessively large eye openings (macropalpebral fissures) are not all genetic in origin, but have also become more prevalent. Sagging droopy eyes (called ectropion) and lids turned painfully inward (called entropion) have become much more exaggerated in many breeds of dogs due to changes in desired breed traits. One major category of breed-related health issues that has grown over the past decades is eyelid issues. These changes have many health implications. Bulldogs have become more severely brachycephalic, and Shar-Peis have become wrinklier. Dachsunds have become shorter and Bull Terrier’s faces have become more sloped, as has the rear end of German Shepherds.

Over the past 100 years, breed confirmation of many of our favorite dog breeds has changed dramatically, and not always for the better.

Droppy the little pups