Cockapoo Eye Care

Our eyes are our windows to the world, but for Cockapoos and all dogs, viewing the world around them is more than an intake of information, cockapoos eyes are essential tools for survival and communication.

It would be best to create a cockapoo eye care routine to double-check that everything is as it should be with your cockapoo’s eyes. Say once a week is ideal.

Regular home eye exams help you notice problems such as redness, discharge, and cloudiness, alerting you to a potential health issue.

Let’s look at ways to keep your cockapoo’s eyes healthy and sight sharp.

Cockapoo Eye Health Tests

Most official organizations and associations for cockapoos in this country recommend that the parent breed dogs be tested to see if they have any potentially inheritable eye conditions like primary glaucoma and PRA. Many cockapoo breeders may do this and also test for another common eye condition that can be inherited that is related to PRA, called retinal dysplasia. The eye tests show whether a dog is clear, a carrier, or affected.

• Clear – as you may have guessed, the dogs are clear of eye diseases.
• A Carrier – carriers are those that have inherited one copy of the parent genes that code for an eye disease from one of the parent dogs. This also means that they are unlikely to develop a full-blown version of the condition, but the gene could be passed on to the next generation, and they could or could not be affected by an eye disease.
• Affected – inherited 2 copies of genes that code for eye disease. The chances of developing eye disease are likely, and genes will be passed onto cockapoo puppies.

How To Clean Out Cockapoo Eyes

Here are a few simple tips on how to care for your Cockapoo’s cute and innocent eyes:

• Trim the hair regularly, so it does not touch or scratch your Cockapoo’s eyes. 
• Keep the corners of your cockapoos eyes clean using an appropriate eyewash. It will help if you clean any accumulated mucus immediately with a damp cotton ball.
• If your dog’s eyes are inflamed, or any foreign matter is caught in his eyes, it will make his eyes water, and they will try to scratch it away. Very gently check their eyes, use a mild eyewash to clean them, and gently wipe them with a soft cloth. If the eyes do not improve in a few hours, consult your veterinarian immediately.
• Accidents do happen, so try to prevent your Cockapoo from getting into a fight with other dogs, as this can cause severe eye injuries.

How Do I Know If My Cockapoo Has An Eye Infection?

When your Cockapoo is calm, bring your dog to a well-lit place in the room and look into its eyes. The cockapoos eyes should be clear, pupils should be the same size, and your dog should be able to keep both eyes open. Excessive blinking, crustiness, discharge, or redness of the sclera (white of the eye) might show a problem.

My Cockapoo Has An Eye Infection

With clean hands and using your thumb to gently pull down your dog’s lower eyelid, look at the conjunctiva (the inner lining of the eyelid). It should be a healthy pink, not red or white.

Roll down your dog’s lower eyelid and examine the lining with your thumb. It should be pink, not red or white, and eyelashes shouldn’t be rubbing against the eye’s surface.

Cockapoo Eye Infection Symptoms

 Cockapoo eye problems can be uncomfortable or even downright painful for your pup.

 These behaviors of blinking, avoiding touch around their head, pawing or rubbing at their eyes, and keeping eyes closed are signs that your best furry friend may need medical attention for their eyes.

Every pup parent should know the following signs that could mean their Cockapoo companion has an eye problem:

•  Green or yellow discharge
• Crusting around the eye
• Excessive Tearing or tear-stained hair
• Red, inflamed inner eyelid
• Constant blinking or holding eye closed
• Cloudiness or change in colour
• Eyes bulging from their eye sockets
• Visible third eyelid
• Different pupil sizes

What To Do For A Cockapoo Eye Infection

Here’s how to clean a dog’s eye crust if needed; only use a cotton pad moistened with warm water. Using a fresh cotton pad for each eye, start at the corner and gently wipe outward to remove any crusting or discharge. Be careful not to touch the surface of the eye.

 If the discharge is a constant problem, taking your furry family member for a veterinary checkup is an excellent idea.

Breeds like the Cockapoo often have hair that can block their vision and irritate their eyes.

If your pup is comfortable and patient with home grooming, you can use a pair of rounded, blunt-tip scissors to trim the hair around the eyes–or you can have a professional groomer do it. 

When bathing, keep soap and conditioner out of their eye area, too–it’s painful and irritating.

Cockapoo Hanging Out Of The Car Window

Does your dog love sticking its head out the window on those long car trips?

Remember the vehicle’s speed, combined with debris, dirt, gravel, or insects, could cause severe damage to your cockapoos eyes.

Instead, keep your furry friend inside the car during travel, though you can still crack open those windows to allow fresh air into the vehicle.

However, if your Cockapoo has to hang his head out the window or you have an open-top vehicle, why not get your best friend a pair of doggy goggles? Providing your Cockapoo is happy wearing goggles it’s an excellent solution. I recommend these doggy goggles.

Cockapoo Congenital Eye Conditions

Cockapoos can be disposed towards chronic or congenital eye problems, so it’s an excellent idea to research your potential pup’s parents before adoption.

Glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy, and dry eye are more severe and genetically linked eye diseases.

Taking extra care of these pups and scheduling regular veterinary checkups can help to prevent or pinpoint problems as early as possible.

Glaucoma

The common eye condition known as glaucoma develops due to a build-up of pressure on your cockapoos eyes if the fluids cannot drain correctly. The primary form of glaucoma is an inherited type of condition common among Cocker Spaniels. This means that cockapoos can inherit the disease from their Cocker Spaniel parent. A study conducted in the US showed that glaucoma was present in approximately 5.5% of spaniels.

The condition does not normally develop in cockapoos and other dogs until maturity. Most dog breeds, though, can suffer from secondary glaucoma. This form of the condition is not inherited. It I often caused by issues and problems like diabetes, cataracts, infections, or trauma.

When cockapoos develop glaucoma, it can be extremely painful and often lead to them losing sight. However, if it is discovered soon enough and treated effectively, the condition can be managed and the symptoms alleviated.

Glaucoma Symptoms to be Aware of

There are several common symptoms associated with glaucoma that you should look out for in your dog:

• Swelling of their eyeballs
• Excessive tearing
• Cloudiness or redness of their eyes
• Uneven or wide pupils
• Noticeable signs of pain
• Excessive blinking

Treatment

You should take your cockapoo to your vet if you believe he or she has glaucoma. Your vet may prescribe your dog powerful anti-glaucoma pain relief and medication, following it up with regular eye drop sessions to ensure the condition stays away. The prescribed treatment usually is very effective. For more serious forms of the disease, if you find your dog is not responding as well to the medication as your vet thought, he or she may suggest a surgical procedure to remove either the troublesome eye or both to prevent your cockapoo from suggesting more pain, especially if their sight has already gone. There is no need for them to have eyes.

PRA or Progressive Retinal Atrophy

PRA is one of the inherited common cockapoo eye problems that can affect various dog breeds, including poodles, cocker spaniels, and cockapoos. Over time, Progressive retinal atrophy can cause the retinas at the back of your cockapoo’s eye to deteriorate, leading to blindness. For your cockapoo to develop it, the parents would need to be genetic carriers of the eye disease. The interesting thing is that even the dogs that are PRA carriers never actually develop noticeable symptoms.

PRA Symptoms to Look Out For

There are several common symptoms associated with PRA that you should be aware of with your cockapoo:

• Your cockapoo may start bumping into things
• Your cockapoo may feel reluctant to traverse and explore unfamiliar places and areas
• Their low-light vision, night-time conditions, and peripheral vision may be affected increasingly,
• Their pupils may become or seem to become more dilated.

Treatment

Although indeed, PRA can’t be treated, it is one eye condition that won’t cause your dog any pain, and they will have a loss of sight that is very gradual. Most cockapoos adapt very well when their eyesight worsens, with your support, their owners, and lots of love.

Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca or KCS is a condition where the ability to produce tears reduces to such an extent that the eyes’ surface becomes very dry. Dry eyes are susceptible to scarring and eye infections. In some cases, adverse reactions to medications can also cause this condition. Prescription drops are available to treat this problem.

Cataracts

Although many dog breeds can develop cataracts, cocker spaniels and poodles have a greater tendency to develop the condition. As a result, cockapoos are at a greater increase than other crossbreeds from inheriting the condition from their parent breeds. Cataracts occur when eye lenses become cloudy, leading to a gradual loss of vision. In some instances, cataracts can lead to becoming secondary glaucoma.

Cataracts Symptoms to Look Out For

There are some common symptoms associated with cataracts that you should look out for in your cockapoo. This includes:

• Cockapoos Eyes looking blue or cloudy
• The dog starts bumping into things
• The dog seems very reluctant to explore anywhere new, particularly if they have always done this in the past

Treatment

Most vets will treat the underlying conditions that could be responsible for cataracts in cockapoos before cataracts themselves. Many cockapoos have been known to cope remarkably well with cataracts and can even adapt to enjoy life with more restricted vision. In the more serious cases of the condition, cataract-removal surgery is available. The problem with this surgery is that it can result in your dog not being able to focus well enough. 

Final Thoughts on Cockapoo Eye Care

Some Cockapoos can be disposed towards chronic or congenital eye problems, so it’s an excellent idea to research your potential pup’s parents before adoption.

Glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy, and dry eye are more severe and genetically linked eye diseases.

Taking extra care of these pups and scheduling regular veterinary checkups can help to prevent or pinpoint problems as early as possible.