Choosing a Somali

If you want a cat with the high spirits of the Abyssinian but with luxurious fur -- a cat that resembles a fox with its pointed muzzle, alert ears, and intelligent, brilliant eyes -- look no further than the Somali. With all the virtues of the Aby plus a gorgeous semi-long coat, the Somali is a beautiful and animated addition to any household.

History and Origin

The Somali first made its American appearance in the 1950s when longhaired kittens began appearing in Abyssinian litters. The gene governing long hair is recessive, which means one copy of the gene must be inherited from each parent for a kitten to have long hair. The gene can be passed on for generations without appearing, so no one knows exactly when or where the gene originated.

Two schools of thought exist about the origin of the gene. Some believe that it was introduced when European breeders bred longhaired cats with Abyssinians to save the Aby from extinction after the world wars had decimated the breed. Others believe that the Somali is a gift from Mother Nature, created by spontaneous mutation. The idea that the Somali arose from the Abyssinian lines without help from other breeds is popular with many Somali fanciers.

However the longhair gene got there, early Abyssinian breeders were less than thrilled with longhair kittens cropping up in their Aby litters and quietly sold them as pets. It wasn't until the 1960s -- the decade of flower power and long, flowing tresses -- that fanciers finally began seeing the appeal of a longhaired Abyssinian. Breeder Evelyn Mague spearheaded the Somali movement and worked hard to gain acceptance for the longhaired rebels. Mague came up with the name "Somali" since Somalia borders Ethiopia, the country formerly called Abyssinia for which the Abyssinian was named. The Somali is no more from Somalia than the Abyssinian is from Abyssinia, but the name has a nice ring to it.

In 1972, Mague founded the Somali Cat Club of America and began bringing the Somali enthusiasts together. Gradually, the breed won over the opposition and steadily gained popularity. Today, the Somali is recognized by all North American registries.

Appearance

Although essentially a longhaired Abyssinian, the Somali has characteristics all its own. The most notable difference, besides fur length, is size; Somalis are larger than their Aby relatives. Dense fur adds to the appearance of size. Their bodies are long, lithe and graceful with firm muscular development. The head is a modified wedge shape adorned with large, pointed, alert ears. The large, expressive, almond-shaped eyes gleam like brilliant gold or green jewels in a rich setting of fur.

The Somali's medium-length coat is soft, silky and baby-fine. The hair is longest around the neck and breeches; the mane gives the Somali the appearance of a miniature lion. A luxurious fox-like brush adorns the tail.

Like the Abyssinian, the Somali is a ticked or agouti breed. Each hair has bands of alternating darker and lighter color that gives the fur its characteristic camouflage. The Somali's longer fur shows off the ticking to its best advantage. The ticked pattern is actually a type of tabby. While the body is free of tabby stripes, some striping can be seen on the face; dark pencil lines extend from the eyes and brows, and the forehead is decorated with the classic tabby "M." 

Somalis come in the same colors as the Aby: ruddy, red, blue and fawn. All associations except TCA accept these colors; TCA accepts only ruddy and red. Some associations such as TICA and AACE also accept silver. This color is controversial, however, as some breeders believe that the inhibitor gene responsible for the silver effect will ruin the ruddy coloration.

The traditional Somali was recently accepted by TCA. According to traditionalists, the body and head type of the Somali began to change around 1983, when the other cat associations began supporting a more tubular and thin body type and an extreme wedge-shaped head. The traditional Somali has a more robust, muscular body and a head that's less extremely wedge-shaped and fine-boned.

Personality

Although the Somali's beauty first attracts people, its personality turns fanciers into fanatics. Although not lap cats, Somalis are people-oriented and devoted, and want to be involved in every aspect of your life. Open a drawer, and your Somali will be there to peer in. Sit in front of the tube, and your Somali will be there for a pet and a purr.

Don't get a Somali if you want a cat that resembles a furry doorstop, however. Like the action-packed Aby, the Somali is energetic and animated, and possesses a sense of humor and a love of play. Somalis love to race around the house, opening cupboards with their agile paws and generally getting into mischief. They are also intelligent, which contributes to the mischief making. They also tend to be determined cats; once they get an idea in their furry little heads, there's no deterring them. "Tenacious" is the word most used to describe the Somali. 

Grooming 

The Somali's soft, silky fur requires combing about twice a week. Attention should be paid to the longer fur on hindquarters and neck since mats can occur in those areas. Fortunately, most Somalis enjoy being groomed.

Association Acceptance

American Association of Cat Enthusiasts (AACE)

American Cat Association (ACA)

American Cat Fancier's Association (ACFA)

Canadian Cat Association (CCA)

Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA)

Cat Fanciers' Federation (CFF)

The International Cat Association (TICA)

Traditional Cat Association, Inc. (TCA)

United Feline Organization (UFO)

Special Notes

Somalis are generally healthy, hardy and vigorous. Like all purebred breeds, however, Somalis have a few cons with their pros. Like the Abyssinian, some Somalis have trouble with gingivitis and tooth decay, and require regular check ups, cleanings and tooth brushing to keep their smiles bright. Some Somali lines also have a higher incidence of renal amyloidosis -- a hereditary disease found in Aby bloodlines as well.

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Choosing a Sphynx

The first time you see a member of this hairless, wrinkled breed, your eyes may widen in surprise. Is that really a cat? While some might look askance at hairless cats, Sphynx fanciers loudly proclaim "bald is beautiful!"

History and Origin

During the last hundred years or so, hairless kittens have spontaneously appeared in litters of otherwise ordinary domestic shorthairs. This natural, spontaneous mutation appears to be a fairly common one, since hairless cats have been found in Canada, France, Morocco, Mexico, Russia, Australia and the United States. Pictures of the "Mexican Hairless" even appeared in Frances Simpson's 1903 classic Book of the Cat. However, many of these lines were never developed or died out from lack of support or from breeding difficulties. 

The first formal breeding program took place in Canada in the 1960s, when a pair ofdomestic shorthairs produced a hairless kitten. In 1970 the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) granted provisional status to the "Canadian Hairless." The next year, however, CFA withdrew recognition due to the health problems and breeding difficulties. At the time, it was believed that the gene associated with hairlessness was lethal. That line became extinct. 

The Sphynx as we know it today began in 1975, when Minnesota farm owners Milt and Ethelyn Pearson discovered a hairless kitten had been born to their normal-coated farm cat, Jezabelle. This kitten, appropriately named Epidermis, was joined the next year by another hairless kitten named Dermis. Both were sold to Oregon breeder Kim Mueske, who used the kittens to develop the breed. Minnesota breeder Georgiana Gattenby also worked with kittens from the Pearson line, using rex cats to widen and strengthen the gene pool. These lines proved to be healthy. The name "Sphynx" was chosen, named after the Great Sphinx of Giza.

In 1978, Canadian breeder Shirley Smith rescued a hairless male kitten, Bambi, that she neutered and kept as a pet. Bambi's mother, a domestic shorthair, subsequently produced two more hairless offspring. In 1983 Smith sent the two kittens to Dr. Hugo Hernandez in the Netherlands. Dr. Hernandez bred the two kittens, named Punkie and Paloma, to aDevon rex. The descendants of these cats, along with the descendants of the Pearson cats, became the foundation of today's Sphynx. Breeders discovered that even though the hairless gene is recessive to short hair, the gene is incompletely dominant over the recessive gene governing the Devon rex coat. Crosses between the Sphynx and Devon rex helped widen the gene pool and increase numbers. 

In February 1998, the Sphynx was accepted for CFA registration, a great stride for the breed. In 2000, 120 Sphynx were registered in CFA, according to CFA's 2000 registration totals. This gives the Sphynx a ranking of 33rd out of the 40 breeds CFA accepts. Fanciers are currently working on gaining the Sphynx provisional status in CFA. Then it's on to championship, which the Sphynx has already achieved in most other associations.

Appearance

Once you get past the shock of seeing a naked cat, you'll notice that this breed has other distinctive traits. Their ears, for one thing, look large enough to intercept satellite transmissions. Their paw pads are thick, giving them the illusion of walking on tiny air cushions. The large, lemon shaped eyes are expressive, slightly slanted, and set wide apart. The head is a modified wedge shape, with prominent cheekbones and whisker pads and a strong, well-developed chin. Medium-sized cats, Sphynx are broad-chested and hard-muscled.

The Sphynx isn't really more wrinkled than other cats. All cats have loose, wrinkled skin; the cat's skin is the thinnest of all the domestic animals, and also the most flexible. It's just easier to see the wrinkles on a hairless cat.

Actually, Sphynx only appear hairless. The skin is covered with a fine vestigial covering of down that resembles the texture of chamois. Sphynx feel like warm suede to the touch. Despite the virtual lack of hair, Sphynx come in every possible color and pattern since color, like beauty, are more than fur deep. However, the exact color is sometimes difficult to determine on a hairless cat, so in the show ring no points are awarded or taken away for color or pattern.

Like the gene for long hair, the gene that governs the Sphynx's lack of hair is recessive. In order for a cat to be hairless, she must inherit one copy of the Sphynx gene from each parent. If a cat has one copy of the hairless gene and one copy of the gene for short hair, the cat will have short hair but will carry the gene for hairlessness. When two such cats are bred, statistically one cat in four will be hairless. On the plus side, when two hairless cats mate they produce entirely hairless litters.

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Choosing a Tonkinese

Originally created by crossing Burmese and Siamese cats, the Tonkinese kept the best of its parent breeds and developed attractive traits all its own. Affectionately known as the Tonk by fanciers, this breed is prized for its playful, people-oriented temperament, unique mink pattern, and pleasing body type. For the last decade the breed has steadily gained in popularity and in 1998 the Tonk climbed into the top ten most popular breeds, according to the Cat Fanciers' Association registration totals. The next year it had slipped back into eleventh place, nudged out by its relative the Burmese, but there's no denying the Tonk's popularity and bright future.

History and Origin

Planned breeding of the Tonkinese didn't begin until the 1960s, but natural crosses of Siamese and Burmese have been around for hundreds of years. The breeds have lived in neighboring regions for centuries, and both were depicted in the ancient text The Cat-Book Poems, a manuscript written in the city of Ayudha, Siam (now Thailand) sometime between 1350 when the city was first founded and 1767 when the city was destroyed by invaders. In fact, the foundation cat for the American Burmese, Wong Mau, imported into North America from Myanmar (formerly Burma) in 1930, was determined to be a Siamese/Burmese hybrid.

Solid brown cats and "chocolate Siamese," most likely early Burmese and Tonkinese, first came to England from Siam in the late 1800s, along with their better known blue-eyed pointed siblings. At first, all varieties were exhibited in British cat shows, but in the early 1900s only blue-eyed Siamese were allowed in the show halls. Cats lacking blue eyes were banned from competition and disappeared from the cat fancy.

The Tonkinese made its comeback in the early 1960s when Canadian breeder Margaret Conroy crossed a sable Burmese with a seal point Siamese. The kittens were lovely light brown cats with aqua eyes and appealing personalities. At the time, neither the Burmese nor the Siamese had been bred to their current extreme forms, and so the early Tonkinese were of moderate type, a body style they retain today. At first called Golden Siamese, the Tonkinese was renamed in 1971, allegedly after the Tonkin Lowland, considered the cradle of Vietnamese civilization. The Tonkinese didn't come from that region, but the name had a nice exotic ring to it.

Although the Tonk was controversial at first -- neither Siamese nor Burmese breeders wanted anything to do with it -- the breed steadily gained fans. The Canadian Cat Association was the first cat registry to grant championship status, and today every North American cat association accepts the Tonkinese for championship. Tonkinese are particularly popular among cat lovers who favor the Traditional (Old Style) Siamese and want a cat with a less extreme body and head style than currently exists in the show models. 

Appearance

The Tonkinese is neither stocky like the Burmese nor svelte like the Siamese, but strikes a nice balance between the two. Surprisingly heavy when lifted, the Tonk is medium-sized but muscular and athletic. Females usually weigh 6 to 8 pounds and males range from 8 to 12 pounds. The head is a slightly rounded wedge shape, the ears are medium-sized and alert, and the eyes are almond-shaped and pleasantly slanted. 

Because the Tonkinese inherited color and pattern genes from both parent breeds, the breed comes in three patterns depending upon the genes inherited: solid like the Burmese, pointed like the Siamese, and mink, that falls midway between the two. The mink pattern is unique to the Tonkinese and is considered show quality in most associations, although some associations accept pointed and solid Tonks for show as well. However, even solid pattern Tonks have darker color on the pointed areas of the body -- the contrast is merely more subtle.

The mink pattern occurs when a cat inherits one copy of the Siamese gene and one copy of the Burmese gene. Since both genes are recessive, the result is a subtle soft shading from point color to body color. The eye color, aqua, is also characteristic of the pattern and the breed. Pointed Tonks have blue eyes and solids have eye color ranging from green to gold.

Accepted colors are natural (medium brown with dark brown points), champagne (buff-cream to beige with medium brown points), blue (soft blue-gray with warm overtones and slate blue points), and platinum (pale, silvery gray with warm overtones and frosty gray points). The contrast varies depending upon the pattern. Other colors such as red, cinnamon, fawn, and cream do exist but are rare and not accepted in all associations. 

Personality

The Tonkinese has an appealing personality, not surprising since the Burmese and Siamese are both prized for their temperaments. The Tonkinese has the best of both breeds -- the chatty, curious, and super-smart personality of the Siamese, and the playful, people-oriented devotion of the Burmese. Their voices are milder in tone than the Siamese and they are not generally as vocal. However, they do believe in feline free speech and want to share all of the day's adventures with you when you come home.

According to fans, Tonks are the ultimate Velcro kitties that stick to your side as if attached there. Don't be surprised to find your Tonk perched beside you or even on your shoulder, watching your every move with keen interest. Tonks make every activity a game, whether it's helping you make the beds or assisting with dinner preparations. 

Very people-oriented, Tonks crave affection and companionship. They form close bonds with their human friends, so a Tonk is not a good choice if you spend a great deal of time away from home. If you must leave to earn the cat food, provide your Tonk with a feline friend to keep him or her company.

Grooming

The Tonk has a "wash and wear" coat; the very short, silky fur requires minimal grooming. A once weekly brushing will keep your Tonk looking sharp. Fanciers recommend a good quality rubber cat brush with a concave surface to remove dead hair.

Cost

Pet quality Tonkinese generally sell for $350 to $550. Breeder and show quality Tonks run $600 and up, depending upon color, pattern, gender, bloodline, breeder, and area. Retired breeder or show quality Tonks are sometimes placed with good homes for $50 to $300. Be prepared to wait to find that special Tonkinese; most breeders maintain waiting lists.

Association Acceptance

American Association of Cat Enthusiasts (AACE)

American Cat Association (ACA)

American Cat Fancier's Association (ACFA)

Canadian Cat Association (CCA)

Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA)

Cat Fanciers' Federation (CFF)

The International Cat Association (TICA)

Traditional Cat Association, Inc. (TCA)

United Feline Organization (UFO)

Special Notes

Tonks are generally healthy and hardy cats, but be sure to buy from a breeder who offers a written health guarantee. Like the Siamese, Tonks can be prone to gingivitis. Tooth care and annual checkups are a must.

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Choosing a Turkish Angora

English writer E.V. Lucas once said that any cat is really the most beautiful woman in the room. The Turkish Angora confirms it. This ancient breed is one of the world's most beautiful purebreds. Her fine silky fur, long elegant body, upright pointed ears and large brilliant eyes make the Angora highly prized for her beauty and grace. Once thought to be extinct, the Angora has made a recent comeback. While still rare (24th out of 37 breeds, according to the Cat Fanciers Association's 1999 registration totals), the breed is gaining new fans every year.

History and Origin

Longhaired white cats have been noted in Turkey and surrounding areas for centuries. According to legend, Muhammad, founder of the Islamic faith, possessed a Turkish Angora whom he treasured. Rather than disturb the cat as she slept on his robe, he cut off the sleeve. If true, the Angora has been around for more than 1,400 years.

Researchers speculate that the recessive mutation for long hair mutated spontaneously in areas such as the high cold plateaus of Turkey, where the cold harsh conditions made the longer, insulating fur an important survival trait. These Turkish longhairs were hardy survivors with flowing, non-matting fur, lithe bodies, and the intelligence to survive in an unforgiving environment.

Longhaired Turkish cats were imported to Britain and France as early as the late 1500s. At first Angoras were highly prized, but gradually the Persian became the preferred type in the European cat fancy and Angoras could not be found outside their native land. In the early 1900s, the Ankara Zoo in Turkey began a breeding program to protect and preserve the Angora. Because the Turkish people value the cats so highly, obtaining Angoras from the zoo was difficult. However, in 1962 two of the zoo's Angoras were imported into America. These cats revived interest in the breed, and today most North American registries accept the Turkish Angora for championship. Numbers are still small but are growing, with the registration totals gaining ground each year. 

Appearance

The Angora is often confused with the Persian, but not because they look anything like one another. The Persian is a stocky, placid cat, while the Angora is small, usually ranging from 5 to 9 pounds. Their bodies are long, their ears large and pointed, and their eyes large and almond-shaped. Head shape is completely different as well; instead of the Persian's large head and flattened face, the Angora has a small, medium-long wedge-shaped head set on a long, slim, graceful neck. The legs are long, the paws round and dainty, and the tail long and tapering. When in motion, Angoras move with the grace of small, furry dancers.

A semi-longhaired breed, the Angora has fine, silky fur that is longer on the tail and around the neck. Although pure white is the most widely recognized color, most colors and patterns exist except those that indicate hybridization such as the pointed pattern and the colors chocolate and lavender.

Personality

Everything is a cat toy to the action-packed Angora. They will tolerate being held only for a few moments before jumping down to bat at sunbeams and zoom around the house at top speed. Their grace and playful antics make them loads of fun to watch. Angoras particularly enjoy heights and can usually be found perched on top of the highest cabinet.

Highly intelligent, Angoras can be very strong-willed and determined once they make up their minds. If you put your Angora's favorite toy away in the cupboard before she's finished playing with it, she won't rest until she figures out how to open the door and retrieve her property. Failing that, she'll drive you crazy asking for it until you give in and get it down for her. In a battle of wills, the Angora usually wins.

Turkish Angoras form strong bonds of love and trust with their owners, and this is one of the traits that Angora fans particularly prize. While they show affection to all members of the family, they usually bond with one special person and follow him or her everywhere. Some enjoy a good conversation, too, and are happy to keep up their end of the discussion. Their voices are generally soft and mild.

Along with her cousin the Turkish Van, the Angora is known for her swimming prowess, and some have even been known to voluntarily plunge in the swimming pool for a dip. Not every Angora enjoys water, but many do, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Much depends upon their upbringing – kittens raised by swimming mothers are more likely to pick up the habit.

Grooming

The Turkish Angora is one of the easiest longhairs to keep. Their semi-long fur doesn't possess the downy undercoat that causes fur to mat easily. Generally, Angoras need only a once-a-week combing with a good steel comb. Bathing every two months or so is recommended, particularly for white Angoras.

Turkish Angora kittens can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending upon breeder, area, bloodline, gender, color, pattern and eye color. A retired show or breeder cat runs $50 to $400. Why such a wide range? Because the very rare hearing blue-eyed or odd-eyed pure white Angora sells for considerably more than Angoras of other colors or patterns – if you can buy one at any price. It's relatively easy to get a kitten of another color or pattern, or to get a deaf white. Blue-eyed white hearing females are rare and are prized for breeding, and therefore are in high demand. Usually, such cats are kept for the breeder's own breeding program.

Association Acceptance

American Association of Cat Enthusiasts (AACE)

American Cat Association (ACA)

American Cat Fancier's Association (ACFA)

Canadian Cat Association (CCA)

Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA)

Cat Fanciers' Federation (CFF)

The International Cat Association (TICA)

United Feline Organization (UFO)

Special Notes

Deafness is not uncommon in pure white, blue-eyed Turkish Angoras. However, the Angora is no more predisposed to this than any other breed or any random-bred blue-eyed white cat. White cats can be born partially or totally deaf due to a defect in the dominant gene that is responsible for the white coat and blue eye color. This gene has been linked to a form of hereditary deafness that causes degeneration of the organ of Corti in the cochlea.

        

Odd-eyed cats - cats with one blue and one amber or green eye - generally lose hearing in only one ear, on the side with the blue eye, if they inherit the defective gene. While hearing-impaired Angoras should always be kept inside for their protection, fanciers say they adapt remarkably well to their disability and adapt by interpreting vibrations. Cats depend upon body language and olfactory signals to a greater extent than do humans, so hearing impaired cats don't lose their ability to communicate and can still make fine companions. Deaf cats can be shown in AACE, ACFA, CCA, CFA, and UFO.

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Ectropion in Dogs

Ectropion is eversion or rolling outward of the eyelid margin, resulting in exposure of the palpebral conjunctiva, which is the delicate membrane that lines the eyelid. It most commonly affects the lower central eyelid.

Causes

Breed-associated alterations in facial conformation and eyelid support

Marked weight loss or muscle mass loss involving the head and orbit (eye socket)

Tragic facial expression in hypothyroid dogs

Scarring of the eyelids secondary to injury (chemical, thermal, or traumatic)

Surgical overcorrection of entropion, which is turning inward of the eyelid

Chronic inflammation

Fatigue (may be observed after strenuous exercise or when drowsy)

Predisposing Factors

Developmental ectropion may occur as a breed characteristic in the St. Bernard, bloodhound, mastiff, English and American cocker spaniel, English bulldog, basset hound, and Newfoundland, and is recognized in dogs less than a year old.

Acquired ectropion may be found in other breeds, and these dogs are often older.

What to Watch For 

Chronic redness of the lower conjunctiva

Mucoid discharge from the eyes

Visible eversion of the lower eyelid with exposure of the palpebral conjunctiva and third eyelid

Diagnosis 

Generally, the diagnosis is made by visual inspection of the eye. In older animals, a baseline complete blood count, biochemical profile and urinalysis are recommended in order to rule out other or associated disorders.

In dogs with profound muscle wasting or poor muscle tone, additional diagnostics may be warranted to pursue neuromuscular disorders. Fluorescein staining is helpful in confirming corneal ulcers secondary to exposure and drying. 

Treatment

Supportive care and good ocular and facial hygiene is usually sufficient for most mild cases. Intermittent/physiologic fatigue-related ectropion need not be treated.

If necessary, treatment may include:

Lubricating eye drops and ointments to reduce corneal drying caused by exposure

Surgical therapy when chronic, persistent medical management is required, when secondary changes involving the cornea or conjunctiva are severe, or to improve the cosmetic appearance of the dog. 

Ectropion associated with hypothyroidism and masticatory myositis (inflammation of the muscles of the head) often responds to appropriate medical therapy for the underlying condition. 

Home Care

Administer all medication as directed by your veterinarian and return for follow-up as directed. If surgery was performed, use an Elizabethan collar to prevent self-trauma.

Ectropion may become more severe as the dog ages.

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Ectopic Ureters in Dogs

Ectopic ureter is an abnormality present at birth in which one or both of the ducts that bring urine from the kidneys to the bladder fail to open into the bladder in the normal way. The affected animal is born with this problem and the resulting urinary incontinence usually begins at birth. Siberian huskies, golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers and miniature poodles may be more predisposed than other breeds. This problem is diagnosed in females 20 times more often than in males.

Urinary incontinence in a young animal is often misinterpreted as difficulty in housebreaking the pet. Ectopic ureters can predispose the animal to urinary tract and kidney infections. Urinary incontinence can persist even after surgical correction and often leads owners to elect euthanasia for the pet.

Diagnosis

Complete physical examination

Complete blood count and 

Chemistry profile

Urine analysis and culture

Abdominal radiographs

Contrast radiographs 

Cystoscopy 

Abdominal ultrasound examination 

Urethral pressure measurements

Treatment

Antibiotic therapy for concurrent urinary tract infections

Medications to increase the urethral muscle tone and minimize dribbling

Surgical correction of the abnormal ureter(s)

Home Care and Prevention

After surgery and discharge from the hospital, your dog will be restricted from excessive activity. She may be given anti-inflammatory medications or analgesics (pain killers) for the first few days to keep her comfortable. Some dogs may be sent home with oral antibiotics for several days if a urinary tract infection is also present or suspected. 

Your dog may be given medications to increase the urethral muscle tone in order to minimize dribbling after surgery or if no surgery was done. 

Watch for potential complications after surgery, including:

Persistent urinary incontinence

Incision problems such as swelling or discharge

Blood-tinged urine

Straining or inability to urinate

Distension of the abdomen

This abnormality is present at birth and cannot be prevented. Although the cause of the developmental abnormality is not completely known, it is advisable not to breed the affected dog.

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Ectopic Cilia in Dogs

Ectopic cilia are single or multiple hairs that grow through the inside of the eyelid several millimeters from the lid margin, and rub on the cornea. Ectopic cilia most commonly occur in the middle of the upper eyelid. The problem is more common in dogs than cats and most often affects young dogs. Ectopic cilia can be seen in any breed, although it appears to be more common in the dachshund, Lhasa apso, Shetland sheepdog, shih tzu,golden retriever, English bulldog, Boston terrier and pug.

General Causes

Similar to distichiasis, a hair follicle forms in the base of one of the glands in the eyelid rather than on the skin side of the eyelid. As the hair grows, however, it does not exit from the opening of the gland, but rather it breaks through the inner surface of the eyelid. After it breaks through the conjunctiva it lies directly on top of the cornea.

An inherited breed predisposition occurs in some dogs.

The cause may be unknown when the cilia occur in an unusual breed.

What to Watch For

Although the glands from which the hair arises are usually present at birth, the problem may not be evident until cilia grow through the conjunctival surface.

Ocular pain with severe squinting

Tearing or mucous discharge from the eye

Pawing at the eye

Clouding of the cornea

Inability to see the cornea well because the third eyelid is covering it

Superficial ulceration in the uppermost quadrant of the central cornea, which lies opposite where the hair exits the eyelid

Diagnosis

The occurrence of a superficial corneal ulcer in the top half of the cornea in a dog less than one year of age is very suspicious of an ectopic cilia, particularly if other common causes of corneal ulcers are not present.

Identification of the cilia is done via visual inspection of the eye, by everting or turning the eyelid outward and searching the conjunctival side with magnification. The cilia can be very difficult to identify in some dogs because they are fine, light-colored and very small. It is sometimes necessary to refer the dog to a veterinary ophthalmologist for slit lamp biomicroscopy or examination under an operating microscope to identify the cilia if they cannot be seen with routine magnification.

Heavy sedation or anesthesia may be necessary for a thorough examination of the eyelid. 

Fluorescein stain uptake on adjacent corneal surface helps identify the position of the cilia. 

Treatment

This condition requires surgery to remove the abnormal eyelash, and also medical therapy to treat any associated corneal ulceration.

The most common surgery performed is excision or removal of the eyelash and surrounding conjunctiva. The base of the incision may also be cauterized or frozen with cryotherapy to try and kill any hair follicles that are not visible and to prevent regrowth of the same or new hairs.

The corneal ulcer is usually treated with topical antibiotics and a pupil dilator (atropine) to relieve the dog's pain while the site is healing. Following removal of the eyelash, the corneal ulcer is usually healed within 7 to 10 days.

Home Care and Prevention

Administer all medication as directed by your veterinarian and return for follow-up as directed. The dog is usually monitored for recurrence of the ectopic cilia or development of new ones for 8 to 12 weeks following the surgery.

There is no preventative care for ectopic cilia, but affected dogs should not be bred to dogs with either ectopic cilia or distichiasis.

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