Eye Problems

As mentioned in the Health Testing section, ophthalmic examination is a requirement for CHIC status.  Ophthalmic examination can detect a variety of congenital abnormalities, including Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) and Collie eye anomaly (CEA), which also occurs in Shelties.  These are discussed at the following links: https://www.americanshetlandsheepdogassociation.org/explanation-required-tests/,https://www.americanshetlandsheepdogassociation.org/explanation-elective-tests/, and https://www.americanshetlandsheepdogassociation.org/explanation-optional-tests/ .

Corneal dystrophy is characterized by white to grey opacities (lipid deposits) in the superficial layers of the cornea of one or both eyes. The deposits usually do not cause a problem, but some dogs may develop painful, shallow erosions that require treatment. It is considered to be hereditary in some breeds. Since 2019, the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists lists two types of corneal dystrophy: (1) Corneal dystrophy with “Breeders Option” and (2) Sheltie corneal dystrophy with a recommendation NOT to breed!  Sheltie Corneal Dystrophy would prohibit a dog from receiving an OFA Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER) number.

OFA Eye Registry Report

Descriptions of ocular disorders in Shetland Sheepdogs and statistics can be found at https://www.ofa.org/diseases/eye-certification/blue-book . All abnormal findings are listed, and no dog names are included in these reports. Dogs receiving more than one examination in a given year are not listed more than once. The report summarizes eye examination findings from 1991 through the end of the most current complete year.

Important: To access the pages only relating to Shetland Sheepdogs, go to https://ofa.org/chic-programs/browse-by-breed/?breed=SS then click on the orange “Download Reports “ tab toward the top of the page and then select “Bluebook” tab to download the information.