Know the Breed to Diagnose Corneal and Scleral Diseases in Dogs

After more than thirty years in private practice, I realize the majority of canine ocular diseases have a breed predisposition. This talk will reflect the most common inherited corneal and scleral diseases in the breeds seen in my practice. It is pertinent to keep in mine, the breed incidence may reflect just the popularity of the breed. Also just as certain lines in a breed may have different conformation and behavior traits, they may also have a different incidence of ocular diseases. The awareness of breed-specific diseases is a head start in making the correct diagnosis. Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) at www.vmdb.org/cerf.html has lists of breed inherited diseases available to their membership. The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists also has a CD on breed incidence of ocular diseases which can be ordered direct. Additionally, many veterinary ophthalmology textbooks have lists of inherited eye diseases.