Basset hound: primary glaucoma, eye screening and the cost of care
Behind its placid look, the basset hound carries two well-documented inherited weaknesses, one of which can cost the dog its sight within hours. A study by James Oliver, Abel Ekiri and Cathryn Mellersh, published in 2016 in Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, examined 198 basset hounds and found that 38.4 % of them had moderate or severe pectinate ligament dysplasia, an abnormality of the iridocorneal angle regarded as the main risk factor for primary closed-angle glaucoma (study on Google Scholar). That figure changes how you should read the basset hound breed profile and plan veterinary follow-up.
Iridocorneal angle and glaucoma: how it works
The aqueous humour produced inside the eye drains through the iridocorneal angle, a filtering zone bounded by the pectinate ligament. When that ligament is dysplastic, drainage is blocked and intraocular pressure climbs: this is primary closed-angle glaucoma. The authors also note that the abnormality worsens with age, which rules out relying on a single examination carried out in a young dog. A red, painful eye, a bluish cornea, a dilated pupil that no longer responds, a dog that is withdrawn or rubbing at its eye: this picture is an absolute emergency, because the retina and optic nerve can be destroyed within hours. Only a vet, ideally an ophthalmologist, can measure the pressure and make the diagnosis.
Screening: gonioscopy, and why it must be repeated
Screening relies on gonioscopy, a painless examination performed under light sedation or contact anaesthesia, which visualises the angle and grades the dysplasia. A study by James Oliver, Sally Ricketts, Markus Kuehn and Cathryn Mellersh, published in 2019 in Molecular Vision, investigated the genetics of this glaucoma in European basset hounds using 119 dogs and confirmed a complex hereditary architecture, with no single decisive variant identified to date (study on Google Scholar). In the absence of a reliable DNA test, repeated eye examinations across the dog's life remain the best defence, alongside the routine covered in our dog care and grooming pages for keeping an eye on the eyes.
A second weakness: inherited thrombopathia
The basset hound is also the historic breed for canine thrombopathia, an autosomal recessive platelet function disorder. A study by Mary Boudreaux, James Catalfamo and Marion Klok, published in 2007 in Translational Research, identified mutations in the gene encoding the CalDAG-GEFI protein, with normal platelet counts but platelets unable to aggregate properly, prolonged bleeding times, nosebleeds and gum bleeding (study on Google Scholar). A DNA test exists for this condition; it is worth requesting from the breeder, and flagging to your vet before any surgery or dental extraction.
Care budget and insurance
Acute glaucoma demands emergency care, often out of hours, with pressure-lowering treatment, close monitoring and then, depending on progress, surgery or removal of an eye that has become blind and painful. Expect several hundred euros for a full ophthalmic work-up and initial treatment, and often several thousand over time if both eyes are involved, since the second eye is frequently at risk. Here too, cover taken out before any sign appears makes all the difference: look into how to insure a basset hound and read our guide to pet insurance for dogs.
Frequently asked questions
At what age should the first gonioscopy be done?
Screening schemes usually carry it out in the young adult, with later checks since the dysplasia worsens with age. Your veterinary ophthalmologist will set the interval that suits your dog.
Can a basset hound that screened clear still develop glaucoma?
Yes, the risk is never zero and the abnormality can appear or progress later on. A normal examination lowers the probability but does not remove the need to watch for emergency signs.
Does thrombopathia show up on a routine blood test?
Not necessarily: platelet counts and standard coagulation panels can be normal, as described in the study by Boudreaux and colleagues. DNA testing and platelet function tests are far more informative.
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Dogs universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.