‘Facelift’ saves Shar Pei puppy from going blind

When five-month-old Coco was taken to Calder Vets in Dewsbury for her first vaccinations, her owner Kerryanne McCann mentioned she was concerned she had an eyesight problem.

Vet Claire McAneny quickly confirmed that Coco had an entropion in both eyes – which means her eyelids were folded in towards her eye, causing her eyelashes to grow inwards and scratch her eyes. Left untreated, the condition can cause painful ulcers and, in severe cases, blindness, so Claire advised swift treatment in the form of a ‘facelift’ and three days later Coco underwent surgery.

Claire said: “Shar Peis are particularly prone to these sort of eye problems because they have a lot of folds of skin on their face. All owners should be vigilant for any weeping or redness of the eyes. If it is overlooked or ignored, the dog could go blind but if it is spotted early the remedy is fairly straightforward, especially in young pups.

“Ideally this procedure should be performed no later than 10 to 12 weeks of age to increase the chance of a positive outcome.

“Although Kerryanne took Coco on after this prime time, thankfully she was quick to recognise something wasn’t quite right with his eyes.”

Coco is now back to her normal self. “The operation went smoothly and Coco woke up brightly and was able to see properly straight away - and it was very clear she was really happy about this!” said Claire.

“The hope is that as Coco grows the bones in her skull will stretch out her skin folds and they will not be so heavy that they cause the entropion again.”