Do all spaniels have red eyes? Aa daft question I know but every spaniel that I've had close dealings with has had very sore looking red eyes. Both of my parents spaniels have had this, and the two other spaniels I know also have this. These are all cockers but I've seen in pictures of Kates Clumber that she also has red eyes. My parents two cockers have had surgery for entropia (sp?).

So far Holly doesn't have red eyes, hers are beautifully clear and white and I'm now wondering if hers will stay that way or if she'll develop spaniel red eye?

Thanks,

Fiona

Kate - please don't take this as a criticism of TH, she's a gorgeous dog, but she's the only non cocker spaniel I've seen with red eyes.

re: the clumber......are you sure its not the haw you are looking at?

No dog should have red eyes unless they are albino. Clumbers do show a lot of the lining of the eye and do appear to have sore eyes, some do seem to have sore eyes but think that is caused by dust rather that a fault in construction, well I hope it is. Jackie H

Sorry, didn't make myself clear!! If you look at your dogs eyes, they should be black/dark brown. If you then pull the eyelid down you are confronted by the white on the eyeball.

On the dogs I'm referring to the white is instead red and looks very weepy and sore. The photos I've got of Loki she does have red sore looking eyes, although that could very easily be the photos. PLEASE don't take offence Kate, I'm not explaining myself at all well and I hope you don't think I'm inferring you don't look after Lokis eyes.

I'm going to stop now, before I dig my hole deep enough to bury a house!!

Fiona

Hi Fiona

Holly's eyeball should be very dark brown where it is open across the eyelids, the bit that goes into the socket should be white, just like your own eyeball. Coloured around the iris and white for the rest. Just as the inside of our eyelids are pink/red, the same is true on a dog except you can't normally see it. You can see the "haw" which is the inside of the lower eye-lid that leads to the third eyelid which has a dark edge to it. This can look quite red at times and that is OK.

Hope that makes sense.

Pam n the boys, whose Daddy has red eyes some mornings - usually after the night before lol

Thanks Pam.

That's cleared it up for me. Thank God someone was able to explain it better than me :D

I'm now off to have a long soak in the bath and a large glass of plonk. Chris is on puppy/poorly children duty tonight, I'm staying with a friend so hopefully when I post tomorrow I won't ramble so much and will actually make sense LOL!!

Cheers,

Fiona

Hi Pam!

Best wishes, John

Just to add to what everyone else has said, Cockers should not have red, painful -looking eyes however there are a few conditions that cause this - you mentioned entropion Fiona (where the eyelids turn inwards) & there is also distachiasis (extra eye lashes which grow inside the lids & brush against the eye). Both these conditions cause red, watery eyes. Blocked tear ducts can also produce the same symptoms. I have seen all these conditions in Cockers but they are not widespread & if Holly's eyes look fine now, then they will probably stay that way - though sometimes when a puppy is teething, the eyes can be a little watery, so don't panic if this happens. Some people get confused with ectropion (where the eyelids are loose & turn out) & unpigmented (pink) third eyelids in Cockers - the first is undesirable & leaves the eyes very vulnerable to infection whereas the second is just a matter of pigmentation & has no effect on the eye's health (as long as the lids are tight fitting) Many particolour & some solid Cockers have unpigmented third eyelids but this is nothing to worry about (though I believe it's considered "undesirable" in some breeds like Boxers)

Thanks Jane,

My parents first cocker had both Entropion and distachiasis and ended up completely blind from cataracts caused by diabetes and it looks as if their new cocker is going the same way. She's already showing the signs of diabetes and has had surgery for Entropion.

Holly has such beautiful clear eyes and I can't help worrying that she's going to suffer like my parents two. Both of my parents spaniels showed signs of eye problems before they were 3mths old and as Holly has just reached that age, paranoia is setting in.

Thanks again for your help,

fiona

Hi Fiona

That's bad news for your parents' Cocker - she's only 8 months old isn't she? Have they contacted the breeder at all? Entropion is an inherited condition & a responsible breeder would not want to continue breeding from dogs that had produced this painful condition - though sadly a few know all to well they have this problem in their lines & will even breed from dogs that have been operated on :-(
I don't know whether diabetes has a genetic link though some people certainly believe so. 8 months seems a little young to be showing the symptoms of diabetes -I have only heard of it in older dogs before but as I don't know much about diabetes, don't quote me on that :-)

Jane

Hi Jane/Fiona

Certainly in humans age related diabetes is very common and I have known a few dogs become diabetic when older. I can't say I've come across it in such a young dog but children can get the condition. Age realted diabetes can follow generations, both my grandmother and my dad, her son, developed it. Neither of his sisters have got it, but they are younger so might still show signs. The hospital told us it can be genetic so could be the same in dogs.

I think Jane is dead right in that your folks should contact the breeder about the pup's eye problems. This is an awful condition and while it can be operated on - it is something that breeders should not be passing on through breeding. The pain this condition causes is excrutiating. If you've ever had conjunctivitis, you'll have some idea what it's like - only worse.

I wouldn;t worry too much about Holly unless you got her from the same breeder, which I donlt think you did if I remember rightly.

Pam

Fiona

I'm Soooooooooo offended. :D

No. I'm used to people saying she's ugly! TH has amber coloured eyes and the pink that shows up on photos etc is the haw that most clumbers have. It's especially pronounced when she's tired.

She does have a slight entropion in her right eye, which I may or may not get fixed and this can make her right eye a little weepy. But her eyes aren't red because they're sore, they're red coz she's a clumber. And I clean them twice a day to wipe away tears, discharge etc.

9th & Loki

She's not ugly, she's gorgeous!!

Sorry for dragging Loki into this but I was trying to find out if it's a spaniel thing, red eyes due to entropian/the haw or if my parents have just been extremely unlucky. They used two completely different breeders for their two spaniels and both have had eye problems. Their vet is now running tests to see if Ebony is diabetic. The original set came back as inconclusive but mum is fairly convinced that she is. Having lived with Bess being diabetic for many years she knows what she's looking out for. Still, at least this one is insured :)

Fiona

My dad reckons that Loki looks like a good example of a Clumber. Very dribbly and hairy with an attitude problem :D

I didn't realise your dad had met her! :p

My friend has a Viszla with severe entropion on all 4 eyelids and her eyes aren't red, they're all gummy.