Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Inherited eye disorders in three large Italian dog breeds
By Guandalini, Adolfo et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2017·Department of Ophthalmology, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Epidemiology of ocular disorders presumed to be inherited in three large Italian dog breeds in Italy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that many Neapolitan Mastiffs, Cane Corso dogs, and Maremma Sheepdogs in Italy have inherited eye disorders. Out of 605 dogs examined, 58% had at least one eye problem, with Neapolitan Mastiffs being the most affected at 92%. Common issues included entropion (where the eyelids roll inward) in Neapolitan Mastiffs, ectropion (where the eyelids droop outward) in Cane Corso dogs, and cataracts in Maremma Sheepdogs. This highlights the need for breeders to focus on reducing these inherited eye conditions in these breeds.
People also search for: Neapolitan Mastiff eye problems · Cane Corso ectropion treatment · Maremma Sheepdog cataract symptoms
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology and the types of eye disorders that are presumed to be inherited (PIED) in three large Italian dog breeds. ANIMALS: Three large Italian dog breeds: Neapolitan Mastiff (FCI code: 197), Maremma Sheepdog (FCI code: 201), and Italian Corso dog (FCI code: 343). PROCEDURES: All dogs that underwent a complete ophthalmic examination between 1992 and 2012 were included in this prospective observational study. The prevalence of eye disorders with 95% confidence intervals was reported for presumed healthy dogs and for dogs referred to a veterinary center for an ophthalmic consultation. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to generate odds ratios. RESULTS: Of 605 dogs examined during the study period, 351 dogs were affected by at least one PIED (58%; 95% CI: 54-62%). The prevalence of PIED was significantly lower in dogs presented for ophthalmic examination (53.8%) as compared to presumed healthy dogs (62.2%)(OR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.02-1.9; P = 0.037). Also after multivariate adjustment for the period of observation, the odds of Neapolitan Mastiff (92.1%; OR: 21.4; 95% CI: 11.1-41.4) and of Cane Corso (57.7%; OR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.7-3.6) suffering a PIED were greater than the Maremma Sheepdog (35.4%). The most common PIED in each breed were entropion (24.3% of all the PIED) in the Neapolitan Mastiff, ectropion (36.6%) in the Corso dog, and cataract (27.9%) in the Maremma Sheepdog. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should be aware that three large Italian dog breeds frequently suffer PIED. Breed standards should be reconsidered, and breeding programs should be directed at limiting such disorders.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27860098/