Chow Chow Ocular Disease: Four Problems From One Anatomy

Entropion, distichiasis, cataracts and glaucoma all appear among the breed's ten documented health issues. That is an unusually high concentration of ocular problems for one breed and it should shape how often the eyes are examined.

It is often apparent in puppyhood. Young dogs are sometimes managed with temporary lid tacking to relieve the rubbing while the head finishes growing, with definitive surgical correction performed once the face has matured. That timing decision belongs to a vet who has examined the dog, since correcting too early risks over- or under-correction.

A suddenly painful eye, a cloudy or bluish cornea, a visibly enlarged eye, a dilated pupil that does not respond to light, or a dog holding the eye shut and refusing to have the head touched. These can indicate acute glaucoma or a deep ulcer, both of which cause permanent damage within hours.

No. Nuclear sclerosis is a normal hardening of the lens in older dogs that produces a bluish haze but little vision loss. A cataract blocks light and does cause vision loss. They look similar to an owner and quite different through an ophthalmoscope, so the distinction needs an examination rather than a photograph.

Sometimes. Fine, soft extra lashes causing no corneal changes are often monitored rather than treated. Stiff lashes producing squinting, discharge or corneal damage need the follicles destroyed, usually by cryotherapy or electroepilation, and plucking them at home makes matters worse because they regrow stiffer.

Yes, and it is arguably more important in this breed than hip screening, given that four of ten documented issues are ocular. Ask for a recent eye examination certificate on both parents from a qualified ophthalmologist, not simply a note that the eyes look fine.