Droopy And Red Eyes

[Steelstacks]

Bowser has really droopy bottom lids. The bottom part of his eyes also seem red all the time. Is this something I should be concerned with? What can I do about the redness?


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[Vikinggirl]

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Ectropion in Dogs


Ectropion is a condition which describes the margin of the eyelid rolling outward, resulting in exposure of the palpebral conjunctiva (the portion of tissue that lines the inner lids). Exposure and poor tear distribution may predispose the patient to sight-threatening corneal disease. It occurs mostly in dogs; seldom in cats. Breeds with higher than average prevalence include sporting breeds (e.g., Spaniels, hounds, and retrievers); giant breeds (e.g., St. Bernards and mastiffs); and any breed with loose facial skin (especially bloodhounds). There is a genetic predisposition in listed breeds, and it may occur in dogs less than one year old. When it is acquired or noted in other breeds, it often occurs late in life, and is secondary to age-related loss of facial musculature skin tension. It is intermittent, and is often caused by fatigue. It may be observed after strenuous exercise or with drowsiness.

Symptoms and Types

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  [*=left]Protrusion of the lower eyelid, with lack of contact of the lower lid to the eye globe, and exposure of the palpebral conjunctiva and the third eyelid – can usually be plainly seen
  [*=left]Facial staining caused by poor tear drainage - tears spill over onto the face instead of passing from the eye to the nose via the tear ducts
  [*=left]History of discharge owing to conjunctival exposure (the clear moist membrane that covers the inner surfaces of the eyelids and the front of eyeball)
  [*=left]Recurrent foreign object irritation
  [*=left]History of bacterial conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva)

Causes

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  [*=left]Usually secondary to breed-associated alterations in facial conformation and eyelid support
  [*=left]Marked weight loss or muscle mass loss about the head and eye orbits may result in the disease being acquired
  [*=left]Tragic facial expression in hypothyroid dogs
  [*=left]Scarring of the eyelids secondary to injury, or after overcorrection of entropion - a medical condition in which the eyelids fold inward. Scarring may result in cicatricial disease, a diverse group of rare disorders based on new tissue growth over a wound, which destroys the hair follicle by replacing it with scar tissue, resulting in permanent hair loss

Diagnosis


As part of the normal examination a blood test will be conducted to look for bacteria that might be causing the symptoms, and a thorough eye exam will be conducted to look for corneal ulcerations. A fluorescein stain, a non-invasive dye that shows details of the eye under blue light, will be used to examine the eye for abrasions or foreign objects. If your dog falls into the list of breeds that is predisposed to this condition, your veterinarian will take that into account. In non-predisposed breeds, and patients with late-age onset, an underlying disorder will be considered as a causative factor. In patients with inflammation of the muscles that affect chewing, loss of mass in the eye may cause the condition. Nerve paralysis in the eye, a condition associated with lack of muscle tone of the eye muscles, will also be considered.

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[h=3]Treatment[/h]
Your veterinarian will prescribe supportive care in the form of a topical lubricant, or an antibiotic-containing ointment, along with good eye and facial hygiene, which should be sufficient for most mild forms of the disease. Surgical treatment may be required to shorten the eyelid, and for severely affected patients with chronic ocular(eye) irritation, a radical face lift may need to be performed to correct the disorder. Your doctor will help you to develop a treatment plan to treat both the symptoms and any underlying conditions.

[h=3]Living and Management[/h]
This condition may become more severe as your pet ages, and will need to be monitored by your veterinarian on a regular basis so that infections, should they occur, do not become severe, and related eye disorders can be treated with immediacy.

You can treat the red eyes with some over the counter saline eye drops from the pharmacy.
I would also have his eyes checked by the vet to see if he has any eyelashes in his eyes or to see if his droopy eyes are caused by any of the above problems.

 

[Steelstacks]

This is terrible! So he has a high risk of corneal disease amongst other things also! I'm so distraught over this. And he's only 11 weeks old.

Do I need to tell my vet to do a blood test?


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[TyTysmom]

Bowser has really droopy bottom lids. The bottom part of his eyes also seem red all the time. Is this something I should be concerned with? What can I do about the redness?


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Honestly - it doesn't look bad to me. Could be a case of simple allergies. Since the picture is not up close - can you examine his eyes and see if you notice any of his eye lashes are growing inward and touching his eye? If you inspect and find nothing unusual like lashes growing inward - you should be fine. You can try some plain jane simple eye drops. Bulldogs get red eyes alot, yes, Ectropion, and Cherry Eye are also common, but from your picture doesn't look this way.

Does he have any discharge coming from it? Is either eye partially closed vs the other?? Good thing to do is get some simple saline, and wipe his eyes & face when he comes in from outside - just to get the allergens off.

 

[2BullyMama]

I agree with Jessica... it does not look concerning to me. Has you vet made any mention of it? You can use human eye drops... UGH, I forget which ones (I gotta make a list), but will tag [MENTION=2]bullmama[/MENTION], she has that info

Monica's info is great to have just in case there is an issue.

 

[nycbullymama]

I also think it could very well be allergies.

I wouldn't get alarmed. You can always mention it to the vet and they can test for entropian.

 

[ddnene]

You have been given great advice by the gang [MENTION=2894]2BullyMama[/MENTION] [MENTION=13133]TyTysmom[/MENTION]

I have had 2 bulldogs w/eye issues, in fact my bully now will have his second eye surgery tomorrow. When you take him in for shots or checkup I would mention to the vet to check his eyes to see what he thinks… IMO it looks to me to be allergies and OTC drops will help w/that. His face shape will change and his eyelids may not droop like that so I wouldn't become overly concerned at this point. Just keep an eye on him, if you notice him pawing at his eyes or see hazy cloudy areas take him in to the vets for a check.

 

[brutus77]

I agree. Don't panic yet. It is allergy season.

 

[Donnam]

This is terrible! So he has a high risk of corneal disease amongst other things also! I'm so distraught over this. And he's only 11 weeks old.

Do I need to tell my vet to do a blood test?


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Bowser's eyes don't really look bad to me. Just relax and mention your concerns next time you take him into the vet.

 

[Steelstacks]

I will definitely be calm and just ask the vet about it next week when he goes in for his 2nd round of shots. Thanks again everyone for relaxing my nerves. I'm just a nervous first time bully parent.


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[Vikinggirl]

I will definitely be calm and just ask the vet about it next week when he goes in for his 2nd round of shots. Thanks again everyone for relaxing my nerves. I'm just a nervous first time bully parent.


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im so sorry if my list made you more anxious, I don't have any experience with causes of droopy eyes or entropian or what causes it. I looked up what could cause it, because you were concerned and I wanted to learn about it, but didn't mean to scare you. Sorry

 

[bullmama]

Bowser has really droopy bottom lids. The bottom part of his eyes also seem red all the time. Is this something I should be concerned with? What can I do about the redness?




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Believe it or not, your bulldog has very healthy eyes!

I had a puppy with droopy lids too. (Little Man) When I brought it up to the vet he told me it was a VERY good thing, as long as the tissue looks healthy. This means there is no entropion, Distachia, ect. Those are huge bulldog problems. If you can see the actual eye lid lining it is a GREAT thing. (I don't know how old you are, but back in the 80's and 90's I used to put blue eyeliner on that lining )

I have seen thousands of bulldog photos with the tear drop looking droopy eye like this, it is kind of a bulldog characteristic. If they seem red sometimes it may just be from playing or being hot. You should only be concerned if the eye itself looks sore or if your pup starts squinting a lot.

Also if you would like to give eye drops, I use Sustaine eye drops

 

[Manydogs]

When I saw the photo, I thought he was lucky to have the droopy lids.

 

[bullmama]

When I saw the photo, I thought he was lucky to have the droopy lids.

Me too, looks like the perfect pup!

I forgot to add Little mans droopy lids. Not as droopy as he is older. But he does not even have any tears or tear stains ever too.

 

[rub504]

He looks good to me. Benson had droopy eyes also. No problems what do ever. I do remember when he was a puppy he would get blood shot eyes but that was a phase. You want those feature on a bulldog. I heard because of their wrinkles but correct me if im wrong.

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