Many popular dog breeds suffer from hereditary eye conditions resulting from selective breeding for flat faces and exaggerated eye prominence, causing chronic pain and vision loss.
Eye conditions in dogs cause significant and often chronic pain. Corneal ulcers are intensely painful - the equivalent of a persistent foreign body in the eye. Many affected dogs live with ongoing discomfort that owners may not recognise because dogs mask pain. Brachycephalic breeds are anatomically predisposed to eye problems because their face structure reduces orbital protection. Responsible breeding away from extreme conformations and genetic testing before breeding can eliminate most hereditary eye conditions within a few generations.