Severe Eye Staining

[~Myschafis~]

Ahh ok Thanks for the reply PF

[Steve]

Im not saying it was failed DUE to staining, who ever the vet was said that the staining occured due to the issue resulting in the failed eye test.

maybe you misunderstood or i did, what i am saying is failing an eye test before or after eye staining occurs have absolutely nothing to do with each other. maybe as you got this information through someone else the information was muddled somewhere along the line. i am not sure that the person that has this dog if you tell her maybe would not appreciate everyone talking about their dog.

Have to agree with you Sue isn't that against forum rules??

No this isnt against forum rules because in this case the owner has given permission for the thing to be spoken about but even if they hadnt nothing has been said here to identify the owner or the dog.

well I find that very interesting as there were a couple of posts removed from the sibe thread even though, no kennel, website or person's name was ever mentioned. I don't see the difference?

As I dont have a clue what posts you're talking about I cant comment on them but often the person who is being spoken about will report the thread and request they be removed. As no one has done that this time and the person in question has given approval for the dog to be spoken about its hardly the same situation.

Really the whole point is that you cant know whats going on behind the scenes and all the things that need to be taken into account when a decision is made so critising why a post is removed or edited and being upset because either Troy or I are taking sides is a no argument. I have never known Troy to just take sides when he's making a call about taking posts out and I think its quite strange that both sides accuse us of the same thing.

[TempesTal]

One of my dogs had slight staining around 1 eye that appeared when she was about 4 years old. I knew it wasn't going to be a big issue as she had already received 3 clear eye exams in the preceeding years. It was purely and simply a blocked tear duct. It was unblocked when she was in for another procedure and the problem disappeared. As far as I'm concerned staining doesn't have to mean a major problem. It would be something that I would get checked out though.

Edited May 8, 2008 by TempesTal

[Clyde]

Just a little snippet of useless info... when I fed my Shitty x tinned wet food he had terrible staining and wet eyes constantly - switched him to a quality kibble and barf patties - no more eye goobers and no more staining.

[anyka]

Found some things on staining etc I have added a few points here

"Inflammation of the Eyelid(s) (Blepharitis)

An inflamed eyelid is usually the result of blepharitis. This is an infection of the eyelid's edges, which become sore, red and encrusted with scaly skin. Signs may include a thick discharge from the eye(s); spasm of eyelid muscle, especially when exposed to light; swelling and hardening of the eyelid; abcesses; scales and crust; inflammation of the inner surface of the eyelid (conjunctivitis) and loss of skin due to scratching or rubbing (excoriation).

Causes include

Allergies to drugs, soaps, shampoos, and food.

Insect bites or flea bites.

Cat claw injury.

Chemical burns

Parasitic infections such as dermatophytosis, demodicosis (dogs and cats), and sarcoptic mange (dogs).

Chronic inflammatory conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Dermatitis caused by nutritional imbalances, including zinc deficiency (Siberian huskies, Alaskan malamutes, puppies) and fatty acid deficiency.

Endocrine system disorders (hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism in dogs) can contribute to the development of chronic blepharitis.

Congenital eye abnormalities such as entropion (when the margins of the eyelids begin to turn inward), lagophthalmos (the inability to close, or poor closure, of the upper eyelid), trichiasis (when the eye lashes are misdirected toward the eye ball and scratch its surface) can contribute to the development of blepharitis."

more details about other issue staining etc can be seen @ http://www.gopetsamerica.com/dog-health/eye-problems.aspx

Some more info

Tear stains, how to keep them clean.

Many pet owners wonder why dogs have watery eyes which causes staining on the hair below their eyes. This condition has a name, it’s called Epiphora. When the hair is wet from excess tearing it becomes a breeding ground for yeast and bacteria to grow. Not only is it unattractive but may be very irritating for the pet. The discoloration may also produce an odor. Tear staining can be traced to health and diet, as well as genetics. Here are some useful tips to help your pet stay "stain free".

Make sure your are keeping your pet healthy: Have your pet examined twice a year by your veterinarian. Watch for ear infections, gum problems, yeast or bacterial infections of the eye (especially Red Yeast) and for stopped up tear ducts - (your pet will show signs of dry eyes).

Pet’s Diet: What is he eating? If you see the words “Artificial, Food Additives and Preservatives“ in your pet food, that is most likely the problem. Cereals such as wheat can cause allergies in both cats and dogs which will and can cause tearing. Minerals in some water can also increase tear staining. If this is the cause, you can which your pet to bottled or filtered water and be sure to use a stainless steel bowl.

Keep your Pet’s Eyes Clean: Hair in the eyes will cause irritations and it feels very bad and will make the eye tear. Eyelashes can grow at abnormal angles and poke the eye, so ask your groomer to trim up that area.

Wash your pet’s face frequently if he is prone to getting dirty. Comb out the hair when it is wet and slippery to remove eye matter. Keep the shampoo out of their eyes to avoid irritation and if you do get soap in the eyes, rinse with clean water immediately.

[Tutumaiao]

Im not sure whats going on here but it feels like its a bit nasty and sarcastic. I think part of the problem is that one is seeing 'eye exam' as those conditions listed; Congenital eye diseases examined in Aust and NZ are CEA (Collie Eye Anomaly), MRD (Multifocal Retinal Dysplasia), TRD (Total Retinal Dysplasia), CHC (Congenital Hereditary Cataract), GHPV (Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous), PPM (Persistent Pupillary Membrane) and G (Goniodysgenesis).

Non Congenital eye diseases checked on examination are GPRA (Generalised Progressive Retinal Atrophy), RPED (Retinal Pigment Epithelial Dystrophy), HC (Hereditary Cataract), PPL (Primary Lens Luxation).

as being tested but you may be forgetting that these are not the only eye conditions which are of a heritable nature which will most definitely cause tearing and should cause a failed eye test.

Firstly, I didn't find the post of Hotwyr to be nasty or sarcastic in any way, shape or form - now you may have, however as individuals people will always read into something written how they see fit and each individual will view any post, not just Hotwyrs uniquely.

Hotwyr also replied to the following:

This dog is not mine. I have notified the owner of the thread, they might come in here and 'enlighten' you.

which could also be deemed a tad nasty and sarcastic.

Myself, I don't find either posters posts offensive.

That being said...

getting back to the topic at hand.

The Eye Examination Certification is not all that complex. A dog will either be affected or unaffected from the conditions listed above.

For the Siberian Husky Ophthalmologists are specifically looking in regards to hereditary conditions the following - Goniodysgenesis, Hereditary Cataracts, Corneal Dystrophy and PRA.

I bred a litter of beagles once which failed their eye tests because 3 in the litter had districhiasis.

Epiphora or blocked tear ducts are not the only eye condition which causes tear staining and any vet can pick up several eye issues which are not on the above list which will cause this which are not associated with the actual tear duct.

Entropian,trichiasis,districhiasis ,corneal ulcers are a few .These are seen by the naked eye so they dont come under the things normally looked at by a specialist eye vet because the assumption is that they will be picked up in any vet surgery.That doesnt mean the causes are not genetic or that anyone is saying something which isnt true.

Distichia is NOT a hereditary condition of the Siberian Husky. In fact there are dogs in Australia, US and Canada of which have been diagnosed with Distichia of which have all passed their respective countries eye exams.

For those that don't know Distichia are Extra Eyelashes found right on the eyelid edge, and they grow from glands in the eyelid edge.

In addition to Distichia, dogs may be affected by Ectopic cilia, again NOT a hereditary condition in the Siberian Husky.

Etopic Cilia are usually single eyelid hairs that are growing the wrong way, and they actually grow right onto the eye.

Entropian is a condition in which the eyelids fold INWARD, eyelashes rub against the cornea of the eye causing irritation, this is also NOT a hereditary condition of the Siberian Husky.

Then on the flip side of Entropian there is Ectropion.

This is a condition in which the lower eyelid turns OUTWARDS. It is one of the notable aspects of newborns exhibiting Harlequin Ichthyosis. Ectropion is also found in dogs as a genetic disorder in certain breeds, the Siberian Husky NOT being one of them.

Then Corneal Ulceration.

Corneal ulcers are one of the most common eye issues in dogs. They are caused by trauma, detergent burns, and infections.

Other eye conditions can cause corneal ulcers, such as entropion (already described above) Distichia (already described above), Corneal Dystrophy (will get to this later) and conjunctivitis (dry eye). There have been only a few cases where corneal ulceration was caused by the canine herpes virus.

Superficial ulcers involve a loss of part of the epithelium.

Deep ulcers extend into or through the stroma and can result in severe scarring and corneal perforation. Descemetoceles occur when the ulcer extends through the stroma. This type of ulcer is especially dangerous and can result in perforation.

We had a pup which at 4 days of age developed Descemetoceles, his eye was removed. Its was NOT hereditary. It was Immune-mediated.

The location of the ulcer depends somewhat on the cause.

Central ulcers are typically caused by trauma, dry eye, or exposure from facial nerve paralysis or exophthalmos.

Ulcers in the inferior nasal cornea may be caused by foreign material trapped under the third eyelid. We had a bitch of which got a grass seed trapped under the third eyelid which developed this form of Ulcer of which has since also passed a eye exam.

Entropion or distichia (described above) may cause ulceration of the peripheral cornea due to irritation on the cornea.

Ulceration of the cornea is NOT genetically related in the Siberian Husky.

There is NO hereditary disease aside from Corneal Dystrophy of which affects the Siberian Husky and the Cornea.

That doesnt mean the causes are not genetic or that anyone is saying something which isnt true.

In regards to the Siberian of the conditions you described - they are NOT Genetically related to the Siberian.

No one is saying that what Mickatie said isn't true, just that it doesn't add up.

Not having a shot, however, if one comes in on a thread with a statement that is only half supported with no evidence or condition reported then people are going to ask questions to try and ascertain the condition in which a dog failed its eye exam in which as she stated tearing was a symptom of the condition.

The other thing that is confusing is that its been stated twice now by two different posters that the owner of 'said dog' gives permission for 'said dog' to be discussed. How then do we not know what the condition is? Surely the condition has been discussed for approval to be sought to post on this dog???

So getting back to Tearing:

As mentioned in a previous post -

'Excessive tear staining is a result of a medical condition called Epiphora.

Properly formed tear ducts connect the eye area with the naso-pharyngeal area and provide a drainage between these areas.

When the tear ducts are closed, shallow, or narrow, the tear ducts overflow because there is an inadequate (or closed) channel for the passage of fluids.

This excessive fluid causes staining.'

The causes of tearing unrelated to Epiphora referenced from Eye Care Handout:

1. Irritation - This causes an increase in tear production. Such conditions include extra eyelashes, ectopic cilia, conjunctivitis, entropion, corneal ulceration.

2. Decreased tear drainage This causes an overflow of the tears. Tear duct blockages, punctal atresia, medial entropion, are causes for the decreased drainage.

The most common cause of increased tear production is conjunctivitis. Long term treatment with cortisone drops is usually required in dogs.

Other causes of irritation to the eye include entropion, ectropion, extra eyelashes, ectopic cilia and hairs on the inside eyelid corner. In most cases surgery is required to correct these problems.

Again, none of the above are genetically related in the Siberian, nor are they common place.

Can Corneal Distrophy be linked to staining at all?

Short answer to this question is NO, there is no relationship between the two.

Corneal dystrophy affects the cornea or the outer transparent portion of the eyeball. In most cases, Siberian Huskies with this disorder have an abnormal collection of lipids in the clear cornea of the eye which results in a hazy or crystalline opacity. Ophthalmologists describe the location of the opacity as anterior, mid, or deep stromal.

The Siberian Husky is prone to deep stromal dystrophy which involves triglyceride deposits.

Annular dystrophy also occurs and appears as a doughnut shaped opacity in the peripheral cornea.

Corneal dystrophy is usually seen in young adult dogs and may affect females more than males. Vision is seldom affected and no effective therapy for the condition exists at this time.

Unfortunately, with CD in the Siberian, this condition is now also cropping in maturity and biggest issue is that generally its showing up after animals have been bred with early and its cropping up when they are 5-7 years of age.

From memory though, I do believe that it did coincide with the gonio testing, perhaps it was severe drainage angles that caused tearing such as Steve suggested, but until I get confirmation that is nothing more than speculation. My first post in regards to gonio though was in reference to my belief it did coincide with this particular dog for whatever reason.

Goniodysgenesis refers to abnormal and incomplete development of the intraocular fluid egrss channels inside the eye. Normal intraocular fluid (aqueous humor) is produced inside the eye by the ciliary body (faucet) and then flows around the lens, through the pupil and into the drainage angle (drain) in the front of the 'eye'. The pectinate ligaments are small channels that form tunnels for fluid to drain from the eye.

If an animal has goniodysgenesis, the flow holes are compromised and the animal 'may' have an increased glaucoma risk.

Goniodysgenesis itself is NOT related to tear production.

The normal pressure within the eye is 10 to 25 mm Hg. When the pressure is increased (usually > 30 mm Hg) a diagnosis of glaucoma is made.

Primary Glaucoma in some dogs the outflow of fluid from the eye is blocked by an abnormal drainage angle.

Secondary Glaucoma is glaucoma that develops due to inflammation of the eye (uveitis), lens luxation, blood in the eye (hyphaema), or due to growths inside the eye.

The early signs of glaucoma

1. Redness of the white of the eye

2. Blue, hazy eye

3. Dilated pupil that will not become smaller when a bright light e.g. penlight, is shone into the eye.

There is NO tearing during early stage Glaucoma.

Late stage Glaucoma 'may' cause tearing due to light 'irritating' the eye only.

However, if the dog in question has late stage Glaucoma for tearing to be a symptom of it, it wouldn't take a Ophthalmologist to work that out as the condition is clearly visible to the naked eye and the owner should certainly be aware of it.

I would hope it was not a breeding animal if it has this condition and feel terrible for the owner as by now the dog would be blind.

Also hope this has helped answer the original question.

What causes severe eye staining in Siberian Huskies? Siberian Huskies are not a known breed for eye stains?

As stated above:

The causes of tearing as noted from a Canine Ophthalmologist handout:

1. Irritation - This causes an increase in tear production. Such conditions include extra eyelashes, ectopic cilia, conjunctivitis, entropion, corneal ulceration.

2. Decreased tear drainage This causes an overflow of the tears. Tear duct blockages, punctal atresia, medial entropion, are causes for the decreased drainage.

The most common cause of increased tear production is conjunctivitis. Long term treatment with cortisone drops is usually required in dogs.

Other causes of irritation to the eye include entropion, ectropion, extra eyelashes, ectopic cilia and hairs on the inside eyelid corner. In most cases surgery is required to correct these problems.

Again, none of the above are genetically related in the Siberian, nor are they common place.

You will find irritant/allergies being the main cause of tear staining in the Siberian Husky.

Written enough for this month...lol...back to tend to puppies

[polarpeak]

and no, this is not a question regarding one of my dogs it is a general question

Not my dog (or any dog in particular)

Interestingly enough I have seen a husky that failed eye testing and has severe staining.

but in this paticular case the vet felt the staining was due to a failed eye test

No this isnt against forum rules because in this case the owner has given permission for the thing to be spoken about

I haven't asked this question on a specific dog,

the person in question has given approval for the dog to be spoken

Seems we are talking about 2 different dogs here??? One "hypothetical' and one 'real' dog. Could be causing confusion - still fail to see where the said owners permission was given to talk about the dog's eye problem. If permission was given then surely we would be able to get more information on exactly what the condition and diagnosis was to have caused the eye staining?

[Steve]

Quote Distichia is NOT a hereditary condition of the Siberian Husky. In fact there are dogs in Australia, US and Canada of which have been diagnosed with Distichia of which have all passed their respective countries eye exams.

How does a dog pass an eye exam with Distichia ?

Do you mean they are still breeding with dogs with Distichia because they dont have any of the things a specialist vet needs to look at ?

[Tutumaiao]

Quote Distichia is NOT a hereditary condition of the Siberian Husky. In fact there are dogs in Australia, US and Canada of which have been diagnosed with Distichia of which have all passed their respective countries eye exams.

How does a dog pass an eye exam with Distichia ?

Do you mean they are still breeding with dogs with Distichia because they dont have any of the things a specialist vet needs to look at ?

You would probably be better off asking a Canine Ophthalmologist that question rather than I.

However, being present at one exam where a dog (not my own) was diagnosed with such - notes (Extra Eyelash - ok for breeding, not genetically related), animal has been bred with.

Who am I or the owner to say the Ophthalmologist has no idea what they are doing. If they deem the dog ok for breeding and note it as such, then the dog is ok for breeding.

As I've stated earlier this is not a genetic nor a common issue in the Siberian.

[~Myschafis~]

To try and eliminate any confusion that was caused on my behalf I shall try and give the full picture, however, as the dog ISNT mine, it does make it hard to include all details and hopefully the owner can come in here and fill the gaps so to speak.

The dog in question I don't believe was ever bred, although was shown. He was initially taken for an eye exam NOT because of the staining as they didn't feel that the staining actually had anything to do with a genetic condition or otherwise, after the exam though when the dog had failed (for what exact condition, I am sorry I am unsure of) the Vet did note that he felt the staining was a result of the condition in the eye. After the fact, I believe the owner mentioned it was part of the gonio testing where the Vet found this problem which had resulted in staining.

However, this is a public forum and my answer wasn't to give an absolute diagnosis as to a siberian huskies eye staining, it was simply a comment stating I was curious to see if the drainage angles could be involved due to the experience this lady had. Comments were both given 'for' and 'against' the topic, so I guess the middle road still needs to be found, but it certainly added some dimension to the conversation and I do hope that in all of it Wildchild recieved some very helpful information, as I know I surely have read some extremely interesting posts, and I do have to thank those that have gone in depth and shared their knowledge, the information has been fantastic

Edited May 9, 2008 by mickatie

[Tutumaiao]

I do hope that in all of it Wildchild recieved some very helpful information, as I know I surely have read some extremely interesting posts, and I do have to thank those that have gone in depth and shared their knowledge, the information has been fantastic

Hope what I wrote made some sense in my tired state and was in some ways helpful.

Sorry to hear of your friends dog. Sucks to have a promising dog eliminated from a breeding/showing programme due to failed reports - eye/hip etc.

It will certainly be interesting to know what condition it failed on, abeit, it wont change the fact the dog can not impact a breeding programme though.

Interested out of curiosity and to extend ones knowledge more than anything.

Edited May 9, 2008 by Tutumaiao

[~Myschafis~]

Yes it all made sense.

I would love further clarification though in regards to Distichia and if the condition is not genetic, what action should be taken in regards to breeding programs?

[Tutumaiao]

I do hope that in all of it Wildchild recieved some very helpful information, as I know I surely have read some extremely interesting posts, and I do have to thank those that have gone in depth and shared their knowledge, the information has been fantastic

Hope what I wrote made some sense in my tired state and was in some ways helpful.

Sorry to hear of your friends dog. Sucks to have a promising dog eliminated from a breeding/showing programme due to failed reports - eye/hip etc.

It will certainly be interesting to know what condition it failed on, abeit, it wont change the fact the dog can not impact a breeding programme though.

Interested out of curiosity and to extend ones knowledge more than anything.

I knew I would forget something in this lack of sleep state.

Most importantly I hope the dog in question is not/has not suffered, regardless of the condition/symptoms and why the dog failed, its wellbeing is of the most importance.

[Tutumaiao]

Yes it all made sense.

I would love further clarification though in regards to Distichia and if the condition is not genetic, what action should be taken in regards to breeding programs?

Distichia is not a hereditory issue in the Siberian.

It would be up to the Canine Ophthalmologist testing the dog to determine whether or not that dog (Siberian) should be bred with.

So in cases where there is 'a' additional eyelash in a Siberian, and the dog has passed gonio, HD, CD, PRA, the Canine Ophthalmologist will either note suitable for breeding or not...however that would be up to the individual examiner.

If Distichia is pronounced I could not imagine them passing an animal, regardless of whether its not a Heriditory issue in the breed as a abundance of excessive eyelashes can result in other issues such as Corneal Ulcers.

End of the day when it comes to a breeding program the Canine Ophthalmologist would have to determine whether the animal was suitable or not viewing the state of the condition in front of them.

[~Myschafis~]

If it isn't hereditary, can I ask why the dog wouldn't be unsuitable for breeding?

Interesting issue, I wonder if someone was faced with this problem and the dog had been deemed unsuitable for breeding by the ophthalmologist, whether or not they would continue to breed, although considering this isn't that common I suppose experience in this area would be limited?

Does anyone know of a similar circumstance though?

*edited for grammar

Edited May 9, 2008 by mickatie

[Tutumaiao]

If it isn't hereditary, can I ask why the dog would be unsuitable for breeding?

Interesting issue, I wonder if someone was faced with this problem and the dog had been deemed unsuitable for breeding by the ophthalmologist, whether or not they would continue to breed, although considering this isn't that common I suppose experience in this area would be limited?

Does anyone know of a similar circumstance though?

I couldn't answer the top sentence...I'm not a Canine Ophthalmologist who would be responsible for passing or failing a animal.

I just know there are siberians that have been diagnosed with the condition that have been deemed suitable for breeding and it is not a recognised heriditory issue for the breed.

As to whether 'others' if faced with the condition had a failed animal or not and bred with it - who knows?

I personally do not know of anyone that has.

I guess people can also ask the question why people breed with untested animals or animals with other known conditions - who knows?

Provided breeders are responsible and get their dogs eyes tested are are honest and open about the results, hopefuly being well informed we can lesson the occurance of issues arising in the breed.

[TempesTal]

I guess people can also ask the question why people breed with untested animals or animals with other known conditions - who knows?

Provided breeders are responsible and get their dogs eyes tested are are honest and open about the results, hopefuly being well informed we can lesson the occurance of issues arising in the breed.

Well said !!! This is something that amazes me also......and p's me off no end!

[Steve]

This is a peer reviewed study. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/1....1991.tb03168.x

According to this study , distichia is the most prevalent eye disease in Siberian Husky Dogs. Considering how they define a known genetic disorder in a breed I would say that Distichia is a known genetic issue in the breed.

This means that there is a one in 5 chance of it showing in the breed in 1991.If breeders havent taken note of this and bred affected and carrier animals anyway by now statistically it would be a much higher ratio.

<H1 id=top_level_header>Australian Veterinary Journal</H1>Volume 68 Issue 5 Page 161-162, May 1991

To cite this article: RG STANLEY, JR BLOGG (1991) Eye diseases in Siberian husky dogs

Australian Veterinary Journal 68 (5) , 161–162 doi:10.1111/j.1751-0813.1991.tb03168.x

A full ophthalmic examination was performed on 40 Siberian husky dogs using direct and Indirect ophthalmoscopy, gonloscopy and nasolacrimal cannulation. Eight (20%) of the dogs were found to have distichia, 10 (25%) had excessive medial caruncular hairs, 8 (20%) had absence, displacement, or narrowing of the nasolacrimal puncta, 2 (5%) had bilateral corneal crystalline opacities, and 2 (5%) had unilateral areas of lateral corneal lipidosis. Fifty percent of the dogs had some abnormality of the Lridocorneal (drainage) angle. However, In only one of these was the deformity severe enough to require glaucoma prophylaxis. An association between blue lris colour and malformation of the lridocorneal angle was noted.

[~Myschafis~]

Thank you very much Steve for adding that. extremely interesting.

I also find it interesting the note between the colours, I would love to know why they found that, how the different colours can differ the results

[Tutumaiao]

This is a peer reviewed study. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/1....1991.tb03168.x

According to this study , distichia is the most prevalent eye disease in Siberian Husky Dogs. Considering how they define a known genetic disorder in a breed I would say that Distichia is a known genetic issue in the breed.

This means that there is a one in 5 chance of it showing in the breed in 1991.If breeders havent taken note of this and bred affected and carrier animals anyway by now statistically it would be a much higher ratio.

<H1 id=top_level_header>Australian Veterinary Journal</H1>Volume 68 Issue 5 Page 161-162, May 1991

To cite this article: RG STANLEY, JR BLOGG (1991) Eye diseases in Siberian husky dogs

Australian Veterinary Journal 68 (5) , 161–162 doi:10.1111/j.1751-0813.1991.tb03168.x

A full ophthalmic examination was performed on 40 Siberian husky dogs using direct and Indirect ophthalmoscopy, gonloscopy and nasolacrimal cannulation. Eight (20%) of the dogs were found to have distichia, 10 (25%) had excessive medial caruncular hairs, 8 (20%) had absence, displacement, or narrowing of the nasolacrimal puncta, 2 (5%) had bilateral corneal crystalline opacities, and 2 (5%) had unilateral areas of lateral corneal lipidosis. Fifty percent of the dogs had some abnormality of the Lridocorneal (drainage) angle. However, In only one of these was the deformity severe enough to require glaucoma prophylaxis. An association between blue lris colour and malformation of the lridocorneal angle was noted.

The Siberian Husky Health Survey 2005/2006 is the first-ever statistically significant survey of the health of our breed undertaken by Dr. Margaret Slater on behalf of Siberian Husky Health Foundation, USA.

The results and statistics were compiled by Dr. Margaret Slater DVM, PhD, Professor of Epidemiology at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University.

Her findings were Eye problems were the most reported health concern.

About 15% of the dogs included in the survey were considered to have some type of eye problem. The most identified problems were juvenile cataracts and cataracts over eight years of age. Males were 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with juvenile cataracts than females.

Without permission of the SHHF to print the results, I will refer you to the following link:

http://www.siberianhuskyhealthfoundation.o...%20survey-3.pdf

Please see Page 8 - For Eye Diseases.

Note the absence of Distichia being diagnosed in 561 dogs used in the study.

So considering how how they define a known genetic disorder in a breed I would say that Distichia is NOT a known genetic issue in the breed.

Not even mentioned as a known issue in our breeds foremost authority on health concerns on their website either, unless I'm blind?

I could only assume they 'overlooked' the issue or it isn't one?

Robin's results based in 1991 although very interesting based on 40 dogs tested is also very outdated now.

Not once does he or the study relate Distichia as being a hereditary condition of the breed, actually to date no one has related Distichia as being a hereditary condition of the Siberian Husky.

If it was it would be high up there with on the list of concerns with the hereditary conditions of the eye that Siberian breeders are concerned about being - Goniodysgenesis, Hereditary Cataracts, Corneal Dystrophy and PRA.

Until such time as the SHHF, SHA, CERF notify the worlds respective Siberian breed clubs that Distichia is a herditary issue in the breed, it is NOT one.

To date - the SHCV Inc hasnt' been notified as such, has the NSW Club?

As a forward, please note the study of which link is included is very interesting not just in relation to eyes but of other conditions that affect the Siberian.