Oftalmopathies in 574 dogs of the breed Shih tzus attended at the Veterinary Hospital: retrospective study

Abstract

Brachycephalic dogs, such as Shih Tzu, are predisposed to the development of ophthalmic disorders due to their facial conformation. The main objective of this study was to investigate the primary ophthalmopathies in Shih Tzu dogs treated at the Veterinary Hospital between 2014 and 2022. A total of 1724 diagnoses were analyzed. Regarding gender, 51% (882/1724) were females and 49% (842/1724) were males. In terms of anatomical classification, diagnoses of group 1 (lacrimal system, eyelids, and adnexa) were the most prevalent, accounting for 55% (945/1724), followed by group 2 (anterior segment) with 40% (683/1724), group 4 (eyeball) with 4% (73/1724), and group 3 (posterior segment) with 1% (23/1724). The mean age at diagnosis was 5.2 years, with adult dogs being the most represented at 57% (979/1724), followed by young dogs at 22% (388/1724) and elderly dogs at 21% (357/1724). Elderly dogs had a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with glaucoma and cataracts compared to young and adult animals. In conclusion, the most commonly diagnosed conditions in Shih Tzu dogs were ulcerative keratitis, dry eye syndrome, distichiasis, entropion, and cataracts, with adult dogs being the most affected by these conditions, with no statistically significant difference between gender and the occurrence of diagnoses.