Crossed Eyes in Dogs

With this condition, your dog can be cross-eyed (both eyes turned inwards), walleyed (both eyes facing outward), or just one eye may drift either way. This may be hereditary, or it may be caused by weak muscles, a nerve condition, or injury. The eye condition does not usually cause any major problems, but the underlying cause can produce other symptoms that affect your dog. There is usually no pain or any type of discomfort of the eye unless there was an injury or if it is caused by a painful disorder. However, you should take your dog to see a veterinary professional if your dog suddenly has crossed eyes. This could be a medical emergency if your dog did not previously have crossed eyes before because it may be a sign of something wrong with his nervous system.

Crossed eyes (esotropia or convergent strabismus) is a condition in which your dog’s eyes do not work together, causing one or both eyes to drift wherever they want instead of focusing on what he is looking at. There are three nerves that control the muscles of the eyeball, which include the trochlear, oculomotor, and abducens. It is these muscles that help the eyes to move where they should be and each eye has its own set of muscles and nerves. The muscles must all be balanced properly for your dog’s eyes to work the way they should. If one of the muscles or nerves is not working correctly, that eye will not be aligned. With crossed eyes, a muscle or nerve in each eye is not aligned and this is causing the eyes to turn inward.

The symptoms vary quite a bit depending on the cause, severity, and whether your dog has been able to compensate for the problem. In some cases, the eyes may be fixed over time on their own just by one compensating for the other. The most common signs include:

• Both eyes turn inward
• Eyes may sometimes be normal but turn inward when trying to focus
• Tilting head
• Squinting eyes
• Dizziness and incoordination
• Vision trouble

Types

• Fibrosing esotropia is a progressive condition in the Shar Pei and large and giant breeds of dogs such as German Shepherds and Great Danes. This condition produces fibrosis of the muscles that control the eyes (dorsal oblique and medial rectus). In some cases, only one eye is affected but it usually affects both, causing crossed eyes and impaired vision. Surgery can fix this if the condition is severe enough.
• Hereditary (one or both eyes)
• Traumatic (Injury or scar tissue from old injury)
• Muscle weakness
• Nerve disorders

• Genetics (large or giant breeds and Shar Peis)
• Damage to the eye muscle from scar tissue (usually from previous trauma or inflammation)
• Crossed nerves in the central nervous system causing weakness or improper movement of the muscles

If your dog suddenly becomes cross-eyed or seems to be having trouble seeing, you need to bring him to see a veterinary expert as soon as possible. The veterinarian will need to know your pet’s medical history, whether he has been ill recently or has had any injuries. Also, make sure you tell the veterinarian if you have given your dog any medicine. Some drugs can adversely affect the diagnosis process and treatment plan. A physical exam will be done first to check your dog’s vitals and overall condition.

A detailed optical examination is necessary and your veterinarian may send you to a veterinary ophthalmologist at this point. The process will usually include a Schirmer tear test, intraocular pressure measuring, pupillary light response, and menace response. The veterinarian will also perform head x-rays and routine blood tests to rule out other conditions.

The treatment for crossed eyes include medication or surgery to correct the muscle or nerve disorder, if that is the case. If it is an inherited condition, there is no reason for treatment.

Medication

Anti-inflammatory drugs may be helpful in reducing the crossed eyes. Corticosteroids may help fibrosing esotropia, but surgery to resect the medial rectus muscles is usually required in severe cases.

Surgery

There are surgical options for fixing the muscles or nerves or to remove scar tissue from previous injury or infection. However, this is not recommended unless your dog’s quality of life is affected.

If your dog has crossed eyes, you should not breed him because he can pass down the condition if it is hereditary. Your dog’s prognosis is excellent since it does not usually affect the quality of life at all. If the condition is severe, the surgery should have your dog seeing better in a few days. Be sure to follow all the instructions and call your veterinarian if you have any issues.