Dry Eye Curly Coat Syndrome in Dogs

Category: Eye
Breeds documented: 1
Published sources: 6

Overview

An unusually rough, curly coat and sore, dry eyes can be parts of the same inherited disorder. Dry eye curly coat syndrome affects tear production, the skin, footpads and nails. Without a healthy tear film, the eye surface may develop sticky discharge and painful damage. Skin scaling and thickened footpads can develop as the dog grows, sometimes making walking uncomfortable.

Signs to watch for

A rough or unusually curly coat from birth
Sticky discharge around the eyes
Dry, flaky skin along the back and sides
Scratching and patches of thinning hair
Thickened footpads, abnormal nails or painful walking

Coat changes are present at birth; dry eye appears when the eyelids open.

When to get help Book a vet visit if a puppy has eye discharge, skin scaling or sore feet.

Diagnosis and tests

The combination of early eye disease and characteristic coat, skin and footpad changes guides the assessment. A Schirmer tear test measures how much watery tear fluid an eye produces. A DNA test is available for this condition. The associated inherited change is in the FAM83H gene.

Breeds with documented risk

1 breed

By breed size

1 Small

Cavalier King Charles SpanielSmall · Toy Group

Inheritance

Not yet known
None of the sources we use states how this is inherited in dogs yet.

We've gathered what published sources say about this condition, so you can talk it through with your vet. It isn't veterinary advice: you and your vet know your dog best.