Evaluating the Effectiveness of Selective Breeding and Corrective Surgery on Entropion in Labrador Retrievers From a Guide Dog Program.

Selective breeding reduces entropion incidence 50% in Labs; early surgery highly effective.

This retrospective cohort study evaluated selective breeding effectiveness in reducing entropion incidence in Labrador Retrievers from a guide dog program. The study analyzed 4,064 puppies: 2,106 whelped before selective breeding implementation (2013-2016) and 1,958 after (2020-2024). Pre-selective breeding entropion incidence was 6.46%, decreasing to 3.12% post-implementation, representing a 1.96-fold risk reduction. Of 197 diagnosed cases, 181 underwent surgical repair at median age 7.9 weeks, with 90.61% achieving corrective outcomes without recurrence. Bayesian logistic regression modeling estimated heritability (h) of entropion at 0.80, indicating strong genetic influence. These findings demonstrate that in populations with high heritability, selective breeding significantly reduces entropion incidence. Early surgical intervention proves highly effective, supporting current clinical protocols for managing entropion in young dogs destined for working roles.

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