What Is Collie Eye Anomaly?

Diagnosing and Treating Collie Eye Anomaly

CEA is usually diagnosed in puppies at birth or within six to eight weeks of age. A vet will diagnose CEA with an examination of the eye and a complete physical exam. Your vet will likely use a combination of eye exams, including looking at the back of the eye to examine the retina, and may refer you to consult with a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist. For best results, always follow all your vet's recommendations.

While there isn't a cure for CEA, many dogs diagnosed with this eye condition show little to no signs and have no problems with their vision. These dogs require no treatment other than yearly eye exams to check for any progression of the disease. Depending on how severely a dog is affected, their vision may be preserved with a variety of treatment options. For example, if your dog experiences retinal detachment due to this condition, this may be able to be corrected with laser surgery.

In some cases, dogs are severely affected with CEA can go blind or are born blind. Fortunately, dogs can adapt to blindness and hone their other senses, and most blind dogs can lead long, healthy, happy lives. As a pet parent, there are easy things you can do to help a blind dog live their best life.

Preventing Collie Eye Anomaly

The genetic form of CEA is considered an autosomal recessive inherited disorder, which means a puppy must receive a copy of the mutated NHEJ1 gene on chromosome 37 from both parents to develop the condition, as a study in BMC Veterinary Research noted. The best way to prevent inherited CEA in your dog is to only obtain puppies from breeders that have certified their breeding dogs to be genetically tested and free of the genetic mutations that cause CEA. You'll have extra peace of mind if the breeder also has paperwork showing that a veterinary ophthalmologist has signed off on the dogs as well.

If you have a pregnant dog, then you can help prevent spontaneous CEA by working with your local vet to ensure the puppies develop normally before they're born. You can support this development by keeping the mother away from toxins, appropriately vaccinating them, ensuring that they're parasite- and infection-free and feeding them complete and balanced food that's formulated for pregnant or nursing dogs.

Now that you know the answer to, "What is collie eye anomaly?" you can rest assured that this eye condition won't cause any serious harm or pain to your dog. As long as you keep all follow-up appointments to monitor the progression of CEA, you and your pup are free to continue on your happy life together.