American Bulldog Eye Disorders

Unlike its English counterpart, the American bulldog has longer legs, and is more agile and faster. Its loyal, protective nature, coupled with its intelligence, speed and power make it an ideal guard or watchdog. However, like any breed, the American bulldog can experience eye problems, which can impair its vision. Veterinarian Jim Young says among the most common eye problems in this breed are cherry eye, dry eye, entropion and corneal ulcers.

  1. Cherry Eye

    • Nictitans gland prolapse, or cherry eye, is a prolapse of the tear gland in a dog's third eyelid, which is under the lower eyelid in the corner, near the nose. This gland is primarily responsible for tear production in dogs. Sometimes it becomes swollen and pops out, which can lead to infection, mucous discharge and trauma to the eye, as the dog scratches at it. Cherry eye is thought to be caused by weakened connective tissues. In most cases, surgery is required to suture the gland back into place. If not surgically corrected, dogs with cherry eyes run an increased risk of suffering from dry eyes.

    Dry Eye

    • Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or dry eye, is caused by insufficient tear production due to infection, trauma, nerve damage, an immune reaction or the removal of the third eyelid. The lack of sufficient tears limits the eyes' ability to flush away irritants and allows bacterial organisms to thrive: This can lead to a yellow discharge. Treatment includes the use of cyclosporine ophthalmic ointment and artificial teardrops. Rarely is surgery considered. If left untreated, dry eye can result in scarring of the cornea and eventually corneal ulceration.

    Entropion

    • Entropion, or the rolling-in of the eyelid, can also result in corneal ulcerations -- when the hair on the eyelid rubs away at the cornea. Symptoms of this inherited condition are squinting and excessive tearing. Treatment includes plastic surgery in which the excess folds of facial skin are removed and the eyelids are tightened, just like a human eye lift. In younger dogs, sometimes a simple "tacking" of the eyelid will suffice.

    Corneal Ulcers

    • Ulcerative keratitis, or a corneal ulcer, occurs when an injury or illness, such as dry eye or entropion, is left untreated. The cornea, or clear part of the eye, forms a protective cover over the iris and pupil, and admits light to the inside of the eye. If an ulceration occurs, the bulldog can eventually become blind without proper medical treatment. Symptoms include excessive tearing, squinting, a red eye, sensitivity to light, excessive scratching at the eye, a eye that remains closed, eye discharge or a film over the eye. Surgery, prescription drug treatment and the use of contact lenses are all possible treatments.