The eye diseases are very important, since they can even affect the character of our pet, generating irritability and aggressiveness. In certain breeds of dogs, we must know that they are more likely to appear and, therefore, we must monitor them and pay special attention to the care of their eyes.
In this article on our site we are going to focus on the Shar Pei, a breed predisposed to suffer from skin and eye diseases. If you have noticed that yours has difficulty opening his eyelids, keep reading and discover why your Shar Pei won't open his eyes
Wrinkles and associated diseases
The Shar Pei is a breed of dog characterized by its adorable wrinkles. However, this very characteristic makes them more prone to certain diseases associated with the skin.
The molecule responsible for these wrinkles is hyaluronic acid and in the case of the eyelids, its high presence causes them to be more lax, weak, weigh more and turn inward. This condition makes our Shar Pei practically unable to open their eyes due to the pain and they are more prone to suffering conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers The ideal is to keep the cornea of our puppy hydrated and lubricated with eye drops indicated by our veterinarian.
It can also be the case of having ectropion but it does open your eyes correctly. In this case, this malformation must also be corrected, since the continuous rubbing of the eyelashes with the cornea will cause secondary pathologies. An indication of this condition is epiphora (excessive tearing).
Final eyelid shape
To find out what the shape and final state of our dog's eyes will be, we must wait for them to fully develop and grow (about six months). When he is a puppy it is normal not to see his eyes, since the number of folds in his skin is not proportional to his body volume. However, if in his puppy period he already has a lot of palpebral alteration and this causes great problems, there are minimally invasive techniques such as tissue glues and traction sutures that are carried out in this period of life.
In the successive check-ups and vaccinations carried out by our veterinarian, he will tell us if he is going to have to undergo a surgical correction of the eyelidsKeep in mind that all dogs of this breed will have some degree of entropion, but surgery is not necessary for all of them.
There are several surgical techniques to correct entropion and, sometimes, more than one intervention is necessary to solve it definitively. We should not worry, since the anesthetic protocols carried out are very safe and the postoperative period is not complicated.
Other causes that can cause our Shar Pei not to open their eyes are foreign bodies such as spikes. In this case it is usually a unilateral and acute process.
To avoid this pathology, it is ideal that breeding shar peis have few wrinkles, since it is a genetically transmitted condition.
Should I go to the vet?
If you suspect that your Shar Pei won't open his eyes for one of the above reasons, clearly yes, you will need to go to the vet to to check your eyelids, determine the cause, and act on it. As you have seen, some of the pathologies can become very serious if they do not receive the proper treatment to eradicate them, so it is necessary to check the animal's eyes.
Especially in cases of entropion, not performing surgery if it is what the specialist considers, can lead to total loss of vision. For this reason, and to guarantee the best quality of life for the animal, it is important to carry out frequent physical examinations, as well as guarantee all the care that the Shar Pei needs.
