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Am I Being Paranoid? - Updated


Kokoro
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Hi All

I have a 6 month old English Cocker boy named Winston and ever since I have had him his right eye has been a bit weepy.

His left eye waters very little, but his right always has a line of wet fur extending from the corner of the eye down his nose. There is no gunky build up or colour to the fluid, it is clear and watery like tears. I asked my vet about it and she said it was perfectly normal for Cockers and that I could wipe the area with some salty water each day if i wanted to.

I know Cockers can have eye problems (I got my boy from a breeder and both his parents were PRA and FN clear and I have copies of the test results) but I was wondering if maybe I should take him to an eye specialist (do they have those for dogs?) or at least another vet for a second opinion because my vet was very blase when i asked her about it and she didnt even look at Winston's eye, I got the feeling she just gave me a stock standard answer.

So, what do you think? Should i find a specialist or am i just being paranoid?

:thumbsup:

Edited by Kokoro
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but I was wondering if maybe I should take him to an eye specialist (do they have those for dogs?)

Yes they exist, I don't know who it would be in SA though.

or at least another vet for a second opinion because my vet was very blase when i asked her about it and she didnt even look at Winston's eye, I got the feeling she just gave me a stock standard answer.

I'd probably get a second opinion from another vet. She sounds like she might have been a bit casual about it. Not that it's likely to be anything terribly serious, but it might be easily fixable.

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What does the breed say?.

Is there an eye lash that keeps irritating the eye?

I havn't asked the breeder actually but that might be a good idea.

He does have *really* long eyelashes, I have had a look and it doesnt look like there is anything in his eye but I have heard that sometimes eyelashes can grow inside the eyelid. Is there anything I should be looking for in particular to evidence this? Is it something you can see with the naked eye?

He doesn't have a hairy face, his mutton chops have been groomed :thumbsup:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks to everyone for their replies :(

Just to update I took Winston to another vet and he has been diagnosed with Distichiasis - improperly placed eyelashes. He has some tiny eyelashes growing on the inside of his eyelid which is irritating the eye and causing it to weep. The treatment is cryosurgery to freeze the hair follicles with liquid nitrogen. So he is booked in at the vet to have the surgery on 26th October.

It must be pretty irritating to have an eyelash constantly sticking in your eyeball so I am glad the little guy will be getting some relief but surgery is always a bit nerve racking, probably more so for me than the dog! ;)

Also for those in SA I found out there is an eye specialist here called Dr Read (Magill area) but you need a referral from your regular vet to get an appointment with him.

Since the vet said the disease is hereditary I am guessing I should also contact the breeder to let her know. I am a little nervous about this as I don’t want her to think that I am criticizing her in any way (I know nothing about breeding!) but it would be the courteous thing to do right?

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Glad you have found out the cause :cry: He will be much more comfortable after treatment! :rofl:

I asked my vet about it and she said it was perfectly normal for Cockers and that I could wipe the area with some salty water each day if i wanted to.

Hopefully you will pass on the diagnosis to this vet- so she may look a little closer next time someone brings a pup in with a weepy eye :eek:

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And this is precisely why, in every thread where somebody mentions that their dog has eye staining or weeping, I tell them vet NOW! (Not sure why I missed this thread or it would have received the same treatment).

You just don't mess with eyes. Many vets don't see a lot of eye issues so cannot diagnose beyond the very obvious. Far better to get a second opinion or a referral to a veterinary opthalmologist for a full workup, even if all that comes out of it is a clean bill of health.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Glad your dog is going to be ok. Distichiasis is quite common in Cockers and can vary from a couple of stray eyelashes to an almost complete row of them growing inside the eyelid. It is hereditary but it can also be devilishly hard to find dogs that don't have it.

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Thanks to everyone for their replies :thumbsup:

Just to update I took Winston to another vet and he has been diagnosed with Distichiasis - improperly placed eyelashes. He has some tiny eyelashes growing on the inside of his eyelid which is irritating the eye and causing it to weep. The treatment is cryosurgery to freeze the hair follicles with liquid nitrogen. So he is booked in at the vet to have the surgery on 26th October.

It must be pretty irritating to have an eyelash constantly sticking in your eyeball so I am glad the little guy will be getting some relief but surgery is always a bit nerve racking, probably more so for me than the dog! :)

Also for those in SA I found out there is an eye specialist here called Dr Read (Magill area) but you need a referral from your regular vet to get an appointment with him.

Since the vet said the disease is hereditary I am guessing I should also contact the breeder to let her know. I am a little nervous about this as I don't want her to think that I am criticizing her in any way (I know nothing about breeding!) but it would be the courteous thing to do right?

Hi Kokoro

My boy had/has exactly the same thing. It can happen in lots of breeds. Not sure if it's *always* hereditary but it's a good idea to let the breeder know just in case.

It can be easily missed by the vet too. In our case it developed into entropian (from the irritation of the eyelashes rubbing agaist the eye) but the extra lashes were missed by 3 vets before being diagnosed. When they were finally found the extra lashes it was under anesthetic, by the breeders vet, and they were quite short and deep in the lower rim, so not easily visable otherwise. The surgery to correct it can involve removing the extra lashes and sometime if it has developed into entropian the dog might need a few temporary stitches as well.

Just be aware that even if the lashes have been removed there is still a good chance that they will grow back, often in a different place.

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My boy had/has exactly the same thing. It can happen in lots of breeds. Not sure if it's *always* hereditary but it's a good idea to let the breeder know just in case.

It can be easily missed by the vet too. In our case it developed into entropian (from the irritation of the eyelashes rubbing agaist the eye) but the extra lashes were missed by 3 vets before being diagnosed. When they were finally found the extra lashes it was under anesthetic, by the breeders vet, and they were quite short and deep in the lower rim, so not easily visable otherwise. The surgery to correct it can involve removing the extra lashes and sometime if it has developed into entropian the dog might need a few temporary stitches as well.

Just be aware that even if the lashes have been removed there is still a good chance that they will grow back, often in a different place.

Actually, Entropion is a completely and separate condition. Entropion is a condition where the eyelid itself actually folds or rolls inwards. Distichiasis is where eyelashes grow independently inside the eyelid. It is however possible to have both and if I had a dog with both, it would NEVER be bred from. Two strikes is way too close for me!

What normally happens as a result of untreated severe distichiasis (or entropion) is corneal ulceration which is painful and can be blinding. It can also cause another condition where constant irritation causes pigmentation to grow over the surface of the eye.

And for those who are interested, the "opposite" of entropion (eyelids folding/rolling inwards) is ECtropion (eyelids folding/rolling outwards).

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Since the vet said the disease is hereditary I am guessing I should also contact the breeder to let her know. I am a little nervous about this as I don’t want her to think that I am criticizing her in any way (I know nothing about breeding!) but it would be the courteous thing to do right?

As long as you are polite and not accusatory (not saying you would be!) she shouldn't mind, in fact she should be pleased to be advised it has happened. If breeders aren't told they can't presumably spot issues or patterns that should influence their breeding decisions. Of course, some do like to shoot the messenger. I hope you don't get that response but even if you do, you will have done the right thing.

Best wishes for the surgery.

Edited by Diva
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My boy had/has exactly the same thing. It can happen in lots of breeds. Not sure if it's *always* hereditary but it's a good idea to let the breeder know just in case.

It can be easily missed by the vet too. In our case it developed into entropian (from the irritation of the eyelashes rubbing agaist the eye) but the extra lashes were missed by 3 vets before being diagnosed. When they were finally found the extra lashes it was under anesthetic, by the breeders vet, and they were quite short and deep in the lower rim, so not easily visable otherwise. The surgery to correct it can involve removing the extra lashes and sometime if it has developed into entropian the dog might need a few temporary stitches as well.

Just be aware that even if the lashes have been removed there is still a good chance that they will grow back, often in a different place.

Actually, Entropion is a completely and separate condition. Entropion is a condition where the eyelid itself actually folds or rolls inwards. Distichiasis is where eyelashes grow independently inside the eyelid. It is however possible to have both and if I had a dog with both, it would NEVER be bred from. Two strikes is way too close for me!

What normally happens as a result of untreated severe distichiasis (or entropion) is corneal ulceration which is painful and can be blinding. It can also cause another condition where constant irritation causes pigmentation to grow over the surface of the eye.

And for those who are interested, the "opposite" of entropion (eyelids folding/rolling inwards) is ECtropion (eyelids folding/rolling outwards).

Thanks Ellz

I probably didn't explain it too well :thumbsup:

What we were told is that the contant irritation of the lashes on the eye had caused the eyelid to roll in. But when the vet put a few drops of anesthetic in the eye the lid would instantly flip back out and stay that way for a few hours.

So I guess it was not *true* entropian? When the vet did the surgery he took measurements and said that there was no other reason for it. Since the lashes were removed we've had no more problems with the lid rolling in again :)

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