Collie Eye Anomaly

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  What does "CEA" mean?

A:  CEA is the abbreviation for Collie Eye Anomaly.

Q:  What is Choroidal Hypoplasia?

A:  Choroidal Hypoplasia refers to a lack of pigmentation in the choroid.

     Often times, the eyes will pigment in by a year of age. When this
     happens, it is referred to as "go-normal" eyes. Go-normals are not true
     normals, as they will produce as affected. Choroidal Hypoplasia does

     not impair vision in any way, and it will not get worse with age.

Q:  What is a Coloboma?

 

A:  A Coloboma is a depression or bulge, sometimes in the area of the optic

     nerve.  A Collie who has a small or moderate sized Coloboma will have

     perfectly adequate eyesight during their lives.  A Collie who has an

     extremely large Coloboma does have a high chance of retinal

     detachment or retinal hemorrhage.

Q:  Can a puppy who has a Coloboma function ok as a pet?

A:  Yes.  A puppy with a Coloboma, unless it is extremely large, will have

      perfectly adequate eyesight throughout their lives.  They will see a

      pinhead sized dot where the Coloboma is in their eye, but they can see

      around it.  A reputable breeder has enough knowledge of CEA to,

      together with the veterinary ophthalmologist, be able to assess any

      puppies that might have a good chance of blindness, and if they were

      placed, would only be placed within a situation where their

      impairment was known.    

Q:  What is Microphthalmia?

A:  Microphthalmia means that the dog has abnormally small eyeballs.  The

     dogs eyes did not grow the size they need to be to fit the eye socket.

Q:  If my Collie has smaller eyes, does that mean that he/she has

      Microphthalmia?

 

A:  No.  With Microphthalmia, the eye actually does not fit the eye socket,

     and is so small that most of the time one cannot even see the color in

     the dog's eyes.  It is not to be confused with correct eyes that are set

     obliquely, often times giving the appearance as being smaller because of

     how they are set in the head.

Q:  If my Collie has CEA affected eyes, does that mean that he/she will go

      blind?

 

A:  No.  If your Collie has an extremely large Coloboma or Staphyloma, or

     Vascular Disease, there is a chance of retinal detachment or retinal

     hemorrhage.  Collies who are mildly affected with Choroidal

     Hypoplasia do not have impaired vision, and do not get worse with age,

     and those affected with small to moderate sized colobomas also have

     functional eyesight. 

Q:  Can any vet diagnose CEA?

A:  No.  Your vet must be a certified veterinary ophthalmologist in order

     to diagnose CEA.

Q:  Can you see CEA just by looking at your dog's eyes?

A:  No.  CEA is not visible to the naked eye.  Canine ophthalmologists use

     special equipment to see into your Collie's eyes, in order to diagnose

     CEA.

Q:  I am thinking of purchasing a Collie puppy from a breeder who says

      that they do not have eye exams performed on their puppies, because

      their dogs can see just fine. Is it ok to purchase a Collie puppy who

      hasn't had an eye exam?

 

A:  No!  Never purchase a Collie who hasn't had an eye exam.  If a breeder

     tells you that "their dogs can see just fine", know that they lack the

     knowledge of understanding the critical importance of doing eye exams.

     In addition to never breeding an adult Collie who has not been eye

     checked, reputable breeders have eye exams performed on all of their

     puppies.  The original exam sheet should be given to the buyer at the

     time of purchase, and explained in a way that the buyer can

     understand.  Be leery of breeders who tell you that their puppies have

     had their eyes examined, but refuse to let you see the actual exam sheet.

Q:  I have read that you shouldn't purchase a puppy from a breeder unless

      they are normal-eyed. If a breeder does breed affected eyes, does this

      mean that he/she isn't a responsible breeder?

 

A:  No.  Just because a breeder does not only breed normal eyes, doesn't

     mean they aren't responsible, nor does it mean that they don't care

     about eyes.  Because CEA has involved so much of the breed,

     eradication has had to be slow in order to keep other desirable qualities.

     Now, that does not mean that it's ok to breed a dog with detached

     retinas just because he/she meets every part of the breed standard, but it

     isn't irresponsible or unethical to breed Collies who have mildly affected

     eyes.

Q:  I have read that any Collie who has even mildly affected eyes should

      never be bred because their offspring will be affected with a more

      severe form of CEA. Is this true?

 

A:  If you breed two Collies who are only affected with Choroidal

     Hypoplasia, both parents must carry a recessive gene for a more severe

     eye problem in order for it to show up in their offspring.  If neither

     parent is a carrier for anything more severe, then the puppies will only

     be affected with Choroidal Hypoplasia as the parents are.

Q:  What does it mean when a Collie is a normal-eyed carrier?

A:  A normal-eyed carrier is a Collie who has normal eyes, but still carries

     the gene for CEA.  This means that the dog can still produce CEA

     affected puppies, but will produce normal-eyed puppies as well.

Q:  What does it mean when a Collie is a normal-eyed non-carrier?

A:  A normal-eyed non-carrier is a Collie who has normal eyes, and carries

     no gene for CEA.  No matter what they are bred to, you will get all

     normal-eyed offspring.

Q:  If my Collie is normal-eyed, does that mean that he/she is free of health

      problems?

 

A:  No.  CEA is not the only inheritable issue that Collie breeders are

     dealing with.  Other more common health issues are skin disorders,

     epilepsy, hip dysplasia, and progressive retinal atrophy (not the same as

     CEA).  The breeder of your puppy should be knowledgeable enough to

     know if the family of dogs they are working with has any of those

     problems in the background.  It should however be noted, that

     sometimes health issues can emerge in spite of a breeder's best efforts,

     genetics not being a foolproof endeavor. 

©2003 Amber Wallace & Kim Atkinson - All rights reserved.

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