Eye Problems

Entropion, Pigmentary Keratitis & Eye Ulcers

Pugs have a number of significant eye conditions, caused by extreme breeding creating the squashed appearance of the face.

This has resulted in a shallow orbital cavity (the bony area where the eye sits), large palpebral apertures (the exposed eye) and prominent eyeballs. This, together with reduction of corneal sensitivity in pugs, leads to a significant number of serious eye conditions, which are mainly due to the exposure of the eyeball and the reduced protection it has.

More information can be found here about pug health issues with eyes, from pughealth.org.uk

Helen McKee has written two features on pug eye issues

From 2018 to August 2025, we were incredibly fortunate to have help from retired vets Helen and Malcom McKee. They acted as Vet Advisors to the charity and did an enormous amount of brilliant work, for which we will always be grateful. To coincide with our bi-monthly newsletters, they also wrote a series of articles on various aspects of pug health and wellbeing. Helen wrote two brilliant articles on issues with pug eyes:

Pug Eye Conditions: Part 1

In Part 1 of Helen’s two features on Pug Eye Conditions, she talks about how eye issues are caused by extreme breeding creating the squashed appearance of the face. In particular, Helen focusses on Corneal Ulceration and its associated conditions.

Pug Eye Conditions: Part 2

In Part 2 of Helen’s two features on Pug Eye Conditions, she talks about inter-related causes, similar to those that can result in a corneal ulcer. She explains how the bony orbit, where the eye rests, is very shallow in a pug (due to breeding the brachycephalic head shape), and so the eyes protrude more than a dog with a snout, causing other issues.

More advice on general Pug health

If you’d like to read more on the various health issues that Pugs might be prone to, just take a look at our ‘Pug Health’ page…