Quick answer: Entropion in dogs is an eyelid that rolls inward so hair and lashes rub directly on the cornea, and the breeds most often affected in Australian practice are the Shar Pei, Rottweiler, Bull Mastiff and Labrador Retriever. It is painful, it does not fix itself in an adult dog, and the definitive treatment is surgical correction under general anaesthetic by a vet. Book an appointment promptly — the risk is not the eyelid, it is the corneal ulceration the eyelid causes.
What entropion is, in plain terms
A healthy eyelid margin sits flush against the eye. With entropion it turns inward, so haired skin sweeps the cornea with every blink. Dogs signal this by squinting, producing constant tears or a rust-coloured stain running down the face, flashing the third eyelid, pawing at the face, and avoiding bright light — which in an Australian summer means a dog that suddenly refuses the backyard at midday.
Vets separate primary entropion, an inherited conformational fault of the lid and skull present from puppyhood, from secondary entropion — spastic entropion driven by pain, or cicatricial entropion following scarring. The distinction changes the treatment plan entirely: pain-driven spasm can settle once the cause is treated, while a structural fault needs a structural repair.
The Australian evidence anchor
The largest surgical series on this condition was conducted in Adelaide, South Australia. Read and Broun reviewed 311 eyes and reported 94.2% success after a single procedure, with Shar Pei, Rottweiler, Bull Mastiff and Labrador Retriever the most commonly represented breeds. That is Australian data on Australian dogs, and it is the reason a local vet can quote you meaningful expectations rather than overseas guesswork. Owners of ANKC-registered dogs in these breeds should have the lids specifically assessed during routine health checks, and any dog needing surgical correction of primary entropion should not be bred from.
Brachycephalic dogs and pigment
Flat-faced breeds carry a different flavour of the same problem. Maini and colleagues examined 210 Pugs and found pigmentary keratitis in 369 of 420 eyes — 87.8% — significantly associated with medial lower-lid entropion. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane all have very large Pug and French Bulldog populations, so this pattern is common in Australian consulting rooms. The brown pigment creeping across the cornea is not dirt and does not wipe off.
Why it turns into an emergency
Friction erodes the corneal surface. Asti and colleagues, studying 27 Shar Peis, found 13 of 54 eyes were already ulcerated at presentation. An ulcer can deepen within 24 to 48 hours and is a genuine emergency. Read our detailed explainer on corneal ulcers in dogs and how vets treat them, and on why a dog keeps squinting one eye.
One local caution worth stating carefully: grass seeds are a well-known summer hazard for Australian dogs, and any foreign material around an already irritated eye adds insult to injury. Grass seeds do not cause entropion. But if your dog has been running through dry paddocks or long grass and the eye is suddenly worse, do not assume it is "just the entropion" — a seed lodged behind the third eyelid needs a vet to look for it.
Treatment options compared
| Approach | Typical candidate | What the evidence shows | Reversible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definitive Hotz-Celsus type blepharoplasty | Adult dog with primary structural entropion | Read & Broun, in Adelaide, reported 94.2% success after a single procedure across 311 eyes | No — permanent lid reshaping |
| Temporary tacking sutures | Puppies and juveniles still growing into their face | Lavallée and colleagues (116 dogs) found tacking resolved entropion in 36.6% of 71 eyes; recurrence 6/75 (8%) in adults versus 10/79 (12.7%) in juveniles, not statistically significant | Yes — sutures are removed |
| Hyaluronic acid subdermal filler | Selected cases, or where anaesthetic time must be kept short | Described by McDonald and Knollinger across 40 cases as a less invasive alternative | Partially — the filler resorbs over time |
| Treating the underlying pain (spastic entropion) | Dogs whose lid inverts because of ulceration or infection | Asti and colleagues reported 50 of 54 eyes resolved at four weeks | Yes |
| Eye drops or hygiene products alone | Nobody, as a cure | No product changes eyelid anatomy | n/a |
What it costs in Australia
Fees vary substantially between a general practice and a registered specialist veterinary ophthalmologist, and between a metropolitan clinic in Sydney or Melbourne and a regional practice. Ask for a written estimate in AUD before you consent, and confirm whether it includes pre-anaesthetic blood testing, the general anaesthetic itself, post-operative analgesia, an Elizabethan collar and the follow-up recheck. If your dog is insured, check the policy wording carefully — many Australian pet insurers exclude congenital and hereditary conditions, and entropion is often classified that way, particularly in predisposed breeds.
Call a vet today if you see any of these
- An eye held shut, or a sudden change in the appearance of the eye
- Cloudiness, a blue-grey haze, or a visible crater or dent on the eye surface
- Yellow or green discharge, or marked swelling of the eyelids
- Persistent pawing at the eye or rubbing the face along the carpet or furniture
- Bumping into things, or any apparent loss of vision
- A puppy with a weepy or half-closed eye for more than a couple of days
- A sudden worsening after time in long, dry grass
If discharge is the main sign, our guide to dog eye infection warning signs and what to do will help you describe it accurately over the phone.
Where daily eye hygiene fits — and where it does not
This needs to be blunt. No hygiene product treats entropion. Entropion is a structural defect of the eyelid, and only surgery changes structure. Our gentle dog eye drops for daily cleansing and soothing dog eye care solution are hygiene products, not medicines: they do not treat an ulcer, they do not treat an infection, they do not correct a structural eyelid defect, and they replace nothing your vet prescribes. Their public specifications are simply pH-neutral at 7.0–7.2, sodium hyaluronate at 0.05%, no alcohol, no bleaching agents and no fragrance. Their honest job is clearing discharge and tear staining from around an eye your vet is already managing. See the full dog ear and eye care range, or start at the Pure Majesty Pets home page — shipping is free worldwide.
Two warnings that matter more than any product. Never put human redness-relief drops — those containing tetrahydrozoline or naphazoline — into a dog's eye; they constrict blood vessels, mask the redness your vet needs to assess, and are not formulated for dogs. And never use leftover steroid drops on an eye that might be ulcerated, because steroids on an ulcerated cornea can make the ulcer significantly worse. In Australia, veterinary medicines are registered by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and prescription eye medicines must be dispensed by a registered vet — which is exactly why old bottles and borrowed drops are a bad idea.
For the original US edition of this guide, see our complete guide to entropion in dogs.
Frequently asked questions
Can entropion in dogs be fixed without surgery?
Primary structural entropion in an adult dog does not resolve on its own. Spastic entropion caused by pain may settle once the underlying problem is treated — Asti and colleagues reported 50 of 54 eyes resolved at four weeks in a Shar Pei cohort — but that is a different condition from an inherited eyelid conformation.
How successful is entropion surgery in Australian dogs?
Read and Broun, working in Adelaide, South Australia, reviewed 311 eyes and reported 94.2% success after a single procedure. A minority of dogs need a second adjustment, which your vet should raise before surgery.
What age should a puppy have entropion surgery?
Vets commonly place temporary tacking sutures in young dogs and delay definitive surgery until facial growth is complete. Lavallée and colleagues found tacking resolved entropion in 36.6% of 71 eyes, and recurrence after definitive surgery did not differ significantly between adults (6/75, 8%) and juveniles (10/79, 12.7%).
Which breeds get entropion most often in Australia?
Read and Broun found Shar Pei, Rottweiler, Bull Mastiff and Labrador Retriever most commonly affected. In Pugs, Maini and colleagues recorded pigmentary keratitis in 369 of 420 eyes (87.8%), significantly associated with medial lower-lid entropion.
Scientific References
- Read RA, Broun HC. Entropion correction in dogs and cats using a combination Hotz-Celsus and lateral eyelid wedge resection. Veterinary Ophthalmology. 2007;10(1):6-11. PMID 17204122
- Lavallée G, Curto EM, Gratzek AT. Entropion in dogs: outcomes of temporary tacking and surgical correction. JAVMA. 2024;262(2):1-5. PMID 37562785
- Asti M, Nardi S, Barsotti G. Entropion in the Shar Pei: clinical findings and outcomes. New Zealand Veterinary Journal. 2020;68(2):112-118. PMID 31738860
- Maini S, et al. Pigmentary keratitis in Pugs in the United Kingdom: prevalence and associated features. BMC Veterinary Research. 2019;15(1):384. PMID 31666065
- McDonald JE, Knollinger AM. The use of hyaluronic acid subdermal filler for entropion in canines and felines: 40 cases. Veterinary Ophthalmology. 2019;22(2):105-115. PMID 29520917
Veterinary disclaimer: This article is general information for Australian dog owners and is not veterinary advice. It does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition. Entropion, corneal ulceration and eye infections require examination by a registered vet. Veterinary medicines in Australia are regulated by the APVMA and prescription products must be dispensed by a vet. Always consult your own vet or a registered specialist veterinary ophthalmologist about your individual dog.