Which breed has been reported to have meibomian gland dropout or shortening without clinical disease?

Which breed has been reported to have meibomian gland dropout or shortening without clinical disease?

• A. Beagle
• B. Shih Tzu
• C. Poodle
• D. Bulldog

Answer: (B)

Some dogs can have meibomian gland dropout or shortening as a normal anatomical variant rather than a disease process. In Shih Tzu, this feature has been described as an incidental, breed-related finding where the gland tissue along the eyelid margin appears reduced or shortened without causing ocular surface signs. Recognizing this breed-specific variation helps avoid mislabeling it as meibomian gland dysfunction when there are no clinical symptoms. The other breeds listed don’t have this well-established benign pattern described, so the Shih Tzu stands out as the breed associated with this non-disease variant.

Some dogs can have meibomian gland dropout or shortening as a normal anatomical variant rather than a disease process. In Shih Tzu, this feature has been described as an incidental, breed-related finding where the gland tissue along the eyelid margin appears reduced or shortened without causing ocular surface signs. Recognizing this breed-specific variation helps avoid mislabeling it as meibomian gland dysfunction when there are no clinical symptoms. The other breeds listed don’t have this well-established benign pattern described, so the Shih Tzu stands out as the breed associated with this non-disease variant.