Eye Care for King Charles Spaniel - Symptoms, Signs, and Treatment

The King Charles spaniel has beautiful eyes and a little extra care can make these big eyes look even more stunning. The 'bug eyed' dogs are susceptible to irritation due to dust and wind which makes them tear.

Preventing Eye Problems

Do not wash the eyes with soapy water when you are bathing your pet. With the bulging eyes, they are prone to drying so extra moisturizing is required. Do not blow dry the eyes when you are grooming your pet.

How to Clean King Charles Spaniel Eyes?

Keep the region around the eyes dry and wipe out the mucus. Any moist environment is a breeding ground for bacteria which causes infection in the eyes. Gently wipe around the eyes with a soft, damp washcloth. Remove the stains due to tearing. The tears should be light not misted.

Symptoms

Check for redness in the eyes or extra discharge which is a symptom of infection. If your pet scratches the eye, it may be due to a foreign particle lodged in the eye that is causing irritation. If he walks in a wobbly fashion or cannot see his food plate, then taken them to a vet immediately.

Eye Problems in King Charles Spaniel

Eye injuries: With the eyeballs bulging, the King Charles Spaniel is prone to proptosis which causes the eye to pop out of the socket. This is caused by pressure on the neck due to choking with the chain amongst other causes. The eyeball can be replaced with surgery without loss of vision.

Hereditary Cataract: Cataracts cause opacity of the lens making the usually clear eyes appear cloudy or misty. This prevents the light from reaching the retina thereby resulting in partial or complete loss of vision. Congenital cataracts may affect either one eye or both the eyes and may not be symmetrical. The cataract may be caused due to diabetes and may also cause progressive retinal atrophy in a few cases. The cataract can be treated by a surgical procedure where the lens is replaced with an artificial lens.

Corneal Dystrophy: This is a common genetic disorder amongst the King Charles spaniel. Gray white opaque deposits of calcium and fat develop under the corneas. This usually does not affect vision and is not painful so no treatment is necessary.

Distichiasis: This is the growth of extra eyelashes from either lid that causes irritation to the cornea. Surgical correction is required to remove the eyelashes and kill the follicles if they cause irritation to the corneal surface.

Dry Eye Syndrome: This is a genetic disorder that causes inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva, due to less or no production of tear by the glands. Treatment aims to increase the production of tears.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy: This is a genetic disease that causes total loss of vision. The rods of the eyes are affected so it becomes difficult for your pet to see in dim light, and progresses to loss of vision in daylight also. It is a slow process where the retinal tissue degenerates and which causes blindness as there is no cure for it yet.