Lagophthalmos

 There is a great deal of interest in inherited eye disorders in dogs on the part of veterinarians, breeders, and breed groups. The Genetics Committee of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) is engaged in ongoing efforts to update information on eye disorders proven or suspected to be inherited in purebred dogs. Members of the ACVO (board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists) perform the eye examinations on which certification for the following registries is based.

The Canine Eye Registration Foundation  http://www.prodogs.com//chn/cerf/ maintains a registry of purebred dogs who have been examined and certified annually. The Institute for Genetic Disease Control in Animalshttp://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/gdc/gdc.html maintains an open registry of inherited eye diseases for all breeds.
A few eye disorders can be diagnosed by DNA testing in some breeds, and these are mentioned on the appropriate pages below. Also see OptiGen http://www.optigen.com/ and VetGen http://www.vetgen.com/
Note: In August 2002, GDC merged its database with OFA, and will close all its registries except the Eye and Tumor Registries. GDC will continue to provide information and resources to help breeders use shared health information to make good breeding decisions. Article on the GDC/OFA merge
To reduce the incidence of inherited eye disorders in dogs,
i)  practicing veterinarians are encouraged to inform owners of animals with potential for breeding of the value and availability of eye examinations, and to inform the ACVO Genetics Committee of suspicious eye conditions found in litters or individuals;
ii) individual breeders are encouraged to obtain annual eye examinations for inherited disorders in their breeding animals, and to use the eye registries;
iii) local breed clubs can contribute by organizing eye examination and information clinics;
iv) national and international breed clubs are urged to show leadership in this area as many are already doing, by working with breed registries, by encouraging examination and registration of breeding animals, and by disseminating information about, and providing guidance for breeding decisions for eye disorders found in their breeds.
Following are the most important inherited eye disorders in dogs. Please click below to learn about them.

• Exposure keratopathy syndrome (exophthalmos, lagophthalmos, and/or macroblepharon)