Eye problems in dog and cat due to a different appearance
Eyes are vulnerable to damage, infections or other complaints, and when there are eye complaints, the animal is often in pain as well. Dogs and cats can get eye complaints from external damage such as twigs or scratching cats over the eye. However, there are also a number of hereditary diseases that can cause eye complaints. In addition, the appearance of the head, age or any other disease can of course also cause problems with the eyes.
Rasonal properties cause a different appearance
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In certain dog and cat breeds there have been changes in the appearance of the head over the years due to the breeding policy or the breed standard. These are actually undesirable changes for the health of the cat and dog. For example, some animals have been bred with a snout that is too flat, which can interfere with normal eye cleansing and closure. There are dogs and cats where the eye sockets are no longer sufficiently deep so that the eyeball is insufficiently protected. But there are also dogs and cats that have too much skin around the eyes so that the normal tear fluid softening no longer functions optimally with tear streaks and skin irritation.
What is a tear streak?
Eyes are supplied with tear fluid every time you blink. This is necessary to protect the eyes and to remove any dirt from the cornea. Normally, this fluid leaves the eye through a functioning tear duct. Sometimes some dirt remains in the corner of the eye, just like in people after sleeping. When the tear duct is not working properly or when too much tear fluid is produced, this fluid flows down from the corner of the eye. The moist and sometimes dirty line that is created is called a tear line. Sometimes such a tear line is temporary but there are also breeds where tear lines are often present. When the line and the dirt are not so bad, it can sometimes be cleaned with some water on a cotton pad. With a longer tearline it may be necessary to use a
tarline remover with caring ingredients for the underlying skin.
What kind of eye complaints do you see in a dog or cat when the head is not optimally built?
- Due to the abnormal physical shape of the head, a tear duct can function less well, this causes tear fluid to flow out and a permanent tear line will be visible.
- When eyelids do not close properly due to receding skin or too wide (lower) eyelids, the eye is more likely to become dirty or dry and you may see red eye mucous membranes in combination with leaks of tear fluid.
If the eye is not deep enough in the eye socket because the eye socket is too shallow, then the risk of damage to the eye is greater than normal.