Can Pugs’ Eyes Pop Out? Our Vet Explains the Risks, What to Do & Treatment

Pugs belong to a group of dogs known as brachycephalics. These are the “squish-faced” dogs that have an abnormally shortened skull. Because of this, they have a number of health problems that other dogs do not. One of the most common things we can see with Pugs in veterinary medicine is when one or both of their eyes pop out of the eye socket. This is known as proptosis of the eye. This can happen with trauma to the head and face such as getting bit by a dog, falling, or even being hit. In this article we will talk about why this occurs, what to look out for, and what to do if your Pug’s eyes pop-out.

Why Does This Happen?

Pugs have an abnormally shortened skull because of their breeding. They are known for having flat, wide faces with a multitude of increased health risks. Because the skull is shortened, the eyes will not sit as far back into the eye sockets as a dog with a normal skull. Because of this, Pugs, as well as other dogs that are brachycephalic, will often have eyes that appear to be bulging or protruding out, but they’re actually normal sized eyes.

The appearance of larger eyes is because there is essentially not enough bone to protect the entire eye. While this may look cute to some people, it can put Pugs and similar breeds at risk for having one or both of the eyes pop out. When even a small amount of pressure is applied to the face, skull, and areas around the eye, the increased pressure can cause the eyes to pop out. This can even happen with pressure put around the neck and scruff area, or if the neck is pulled back while the face goes forward (e.g. pulling on a leash too hard).

What Should I Do If My Pugs Eyes Pop Out?

If your Pug suffers from any sort of trauma and/or if one or both of their eyes pop out, you need to seek immediate veterinary care. First and foremost, if your dog was bitten by another animal and this is what caused the injury to the eye, any other bite wounds also need to be addressed. A veterinarian will evaluate your Pug’s eyes, in addition to any other trauma to the body that occurred. They will then discuss treatment options with you.

You may also want to put some type of e-collar (cone collar) on your Pug as you are getting them to the veterinarian. You do not want them to scratch and/or rub at the affected eye and cause more damage. The e-collar can then be used following your Pug receiving treatment while they heal.

What Are Treatment Options?

The type of trauma that caused your Pug’s eye to pop out and what kind of damage has occurred will determine the treatment that can be provided. A veterinarian will evaluate not only the eye, but also the associated muscles and soft tissue for any type of damage. This will help the veterinarian know if the eye can be saved or not. In almost all cases, surgery is needed.

Sometimes the eye can be replaced into the socket at the time of surgery. Sutures are placed to keep the eye in place while any wounds heal and swelling resolves. With this procedure, the eyeball itself needs to be intact. Other times, surgery is performed to completely remove the eye in addition to some of the associated tissues. This, unfortunately, occurs quite frequently as many eyes are unable to be replaced, or the eye globe itself has suffered trauma and is not intact.

Will My Pug Be Blind?

This depends on a number of factors, one being if the affected eyeball is intact or not. If the globe itself has ruptured, there is very little that can be done aside from removing the entire eyeball. Your Pug should still be able to see out of their remaining eye but a ruptured globe will result in blindness in the affected eye.

If the eyeball is able to be replaced back into the socket, there’s still a chance the vision will be lost from that eye. So even if your dog looks “normal”, they may only have intact vision from the unaffected eye.

It’s important to remember that even if the eye is replaced back into the socket, the skull is still too short and the socket too small to hold the eye. Therefore, this could happen again, potentially to the other eye. Other times there is so much tissue swelling that even if the eye can be replaced, it will proptose again once the sutures are removed. In these cases, you will then need to have the affected eye completely removed.

If you are looking for more information on the condition of your pug and their health, it's recommended that you contact a vet.

Conclusion

Pugs are one of the breeds that are considered brachycephalic. These are purebred or mixed breed dogs who have shortened skulls, resulting in a flat, wide face. Because of the shortened skull, the normal sized eyes do not sit as far back in the socket as a dog with a normal skull. Therefore, the eyes are prone to pop out, or proptose, when very little pressure is applied over the eye, around the eye, or even around the neck or scruff.

If the globe is damaged and how much damage to the surrounding tissues there is will determine if the eye can be replaced back into the socket or not. Many dogs with eye proptosis end up getting an enucleation and losing the affected eye. No matter what procedure is completed, often your Pug will only have vision in the remaining eye. If your Pug ever suffers from eye proptosis, you should seek immediate veterinary care.

• See Also: 6 Common Health Problems in Pugs (Vet Answer)

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