Ectropion and Entropion
Learn what the condition is, how it may be detected early, how it is treated or managed, and which breeds or species are linked to it.
Condition snapshot
A concise guide to the condition’s pattern, detection, management and urgency.
This snapshot is a general guide, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. New, severe or worsening signs require veterinary assessment.
About the condition
Entropion and ectropion are conformational eyelid disorders that affect how the lid sits against the surface of the eye. In entropion, part of the eyelid rolls inward, allowing hair and the lid margin to rub against the cornea. In ectropion, the eyelid turns outward or droops away from the eye, leaving the conjunctiva exposed. Both conditions have strong breed associations and are influenced by skull shape, eyelid length and surrounding facial skin.
Entropion commonly affects the lower eyelid but can involve upper lids as well. Constant rubbing causes tearing, squinting and pain and may lead to corneal ulceration, scarring or pigmentation. Puppies can also develop temporary spastic entropion when pain causes the eyelid to roll inward more tightly. Severe untreated ulceration can threaten vision.
Ectropion usually creates a looser, more open lower eyelid. Mild cases may be largely cosmetic, but excessive exposure allows the conjunctiva to dry and collect dust or debris. Recurrent conjunctivitis, discharge, irritation and corneal drying can result. Some dogs have a combination of ectropion in one part of the lid and entropion in another.
Fluorescein staining checks for ulceration, and the veterinarian evaluates whether discomfort is changing the lid position. Growth matters in puppies because the relationship between the eyes, skull and facial skin continues to change.
These are not simply “eye shape” differences when they cause pain or damage. The key question is whether the eyelids protect the cornea effectively. Mild conformational changes can be monitored, while persistent rubbing or exposure requires treatment to preserve comfort and vision.
Both abnormalities can occur in the same dog or even the same eyelid, particularly in breeds with heavy facial skin, making the practical effect more important than the label alone.
Fluorescein staining is used whenever there is squinting, tearing or suspected corneal damage.
Screening & Early Detection
Puppies in predisposed breeds should have their eyelid position assessed during early veterinary examinations and rechecked as the head grows. Screening is visual and functional: the veterinarian looks at whether the lid margin sits smoothly against the eye, whether hairs contact the cornea and whether the lower lid leaves excessive conjunctiva exposed.
In very young puppies, the veterinarian may distinguish a fixed anatomical entropion from temporary inward rolling caused by pain or developmental facial proportions. This distinction affects whether temporary tacking sutures or later corrective surgery is appropriate.
Seek earlier assessment for persistent watery eyes, recurrent discharge, face rubbing, redness, cloudiness or one eye being held partly closed. These are signs of irritation and should not be dismissed as normal for a loose-faced or wrinkled breed. Repeated conjunctivitis in a dog with ectropion may indicate that exposure is clinically significant.
There is no universal DNA test for either condition. Breeding screening relies on physical examination, ophthalmic certification where available and family history. A dog whose eyelids required surgical correction should still be recorded as affected for breeding purposes, because surgery changes the anatomy of the individual but does not remove the inherited tendency.
Diagnosis is made by examination of the eyelid position and the corneal surface.
Treatment & Management
Treatment depends on age, severity and whether the cornea is being damaged. Young puppies with entropion may be managed temporarily with small tacking sutures that roll the lid outward while the face continues to grow. This protects the cornea without removing tissue too early. Persistent adult entropion is corrected surgically by adjusting the eyelid so that hair no longer contacts the eye.
Corneal ulcers caused by entropion require concurrent treatment with appropriate eye medication and pain relief. Protecting the cornea is urgent because deep ulcers can worsen rapidly. Definitive eyelid surgery is timed so that swelling or active pain does not distort the amount of correction needed.
Mild ectropion may require no surgery if the eye remains comfortable. Lubrication and treatment of intermittent conjunctivitis can help when exposure is limited. More severe ectropion, recurrent infection or combined ectropion-entropion may be corrected surgically to improve lid contact and protection of the eye.
Post-operative care commonly includes an Elizabethan collar, topical medication and follow-up examination while swelling settles. Overcorrection is avoided because an eyelid that is too tight can create a different problem.
The prognosis is usually excellent when eyelid position is corrected before chronic corneal scarring develops. Ongoing squinting, discharge or redness after treatment should be reassessed because additional lashes, dry eye or another ocular disorder may also be present.
Breeds or species affected
Airedale Terrier
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Akita
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Basset hound
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Bedlington terrier
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Bichon frise
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Black and tan coonhound
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Bloodhound
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Boston terrier
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Bouvier des Flandres
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Boxer
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British Bulldog
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Bull mastiff
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Bull terrier
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Chesapeake Bay retriever
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Pug
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Shar Pei
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Chow chow
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Clumber spaniel
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Cocker spaniel
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Collie
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Collie (rough & smooth)
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Dachshund
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Dalmatian
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Dogues de Bordeaux
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English setter
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English springer spaniel
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French bulldog
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German shorthaired pointer
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German Wirehaired Pointer
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Golden retriever
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Gordon setter
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Great Dane
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Pyrenean Mountain Dog
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Hungarian Vizsla
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Irish setter
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Irish springer spaniel
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Irish wolfhound
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Japanese Chin
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Kerry blue terrier
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Labrador retriever
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Lhasa apso
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Mastiff
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Neapolitan mastiff
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Newfoundland
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Norwegian elkhound
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Old English sheepdog
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Pekingese
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Pomeranian
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Rhodesian ridgeback
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Rottweiler
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St Bernard
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Shih tzu
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Siberian husky
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Springer spaniel
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Tibetan spaniel
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