Small Project and Travel Awards
UFAW-funded research reveals corneal ulceration in dogs is related to facial conformation
Rowena Packe
r and her colleagues at the Royal Veterinary College, have shown in research funded by UFAW that the prevalence of corneal ulceration in dogs is related to facial conformation. Corneal ulceration is a painful condition which can potentially lead to blindness. Small dogs such as the Pug, French bulldog, Bulldog, Shih Tzu and Pekingese are more prone to corneal ulceration. In particular, dogs with facial features including wider eyes, shorter muzzles and a wrinkle over their noses are at the highest risk of developing the condition. Animals with brachycephalic (short-muzzled) facial features were 20 times more likely to develop the condition. Understanding the causes of this condition and indicators of which animals are likely to suffer from it allows owners to select dogs which are more likely to be healthy and allows breeders to breed from unaffected dogs, reducing the prevalence of the condition in the dog population over time. Reference: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/ journal.pone.0123827
