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Does Cane Corso Have Blue Eyes? (Explained for Owners!)

There’s nothing like gazing into the eyes of your strong Cane Corso. While doing so, have you ever noticed the color of their eyes?

Is it brown? Gray? Or is it Blue?

Does Cane Corso have blue eyes?

Cane Corsos only have blue eyes when they are newborn puppies. As they grow older by a few weeks, their eye color changes to darker colors. The hue of their eyes is mostly dependent on the color of their coats, with brown and gray being the most common eye colors. 

Can Cane Corso have blue eyes?

Cane Corsos should always have eye color comparable to the color of their eyes. Hence, Can Corsos should not have blue eyes in their adult form. However, when Cane Corsos are puppies, they can have blue eyes.

A cane Corso only opens its eyes when it is two weeks old. At first, the puppy eyes are bluish tinted which usually starts to fade when they are 3 or 4 weeks old. The blue color or any other lighter shades occur when there is an absence of pigmentation.

The most common eye color that Cane Corsos can have is brown, gray, and many shades of these two colors. But the color will depend on the coat color itself. Consequently, a blue-eyed Cane Corso is undesirable and may have underlying health conditions.

What color eyes do Cane Corso have?

As a rule of thumb set by the American Kennel Club, Cane Corsos should have dark eyes. The darker the color of the eyes, the better.

The eye color is mainly dependent on the color of the coat. Officially, Cane Corsos that have darker coats or black muzzles will have dark brown eyes. This would include Cane Corsos that have red coats, black or even fawn coats.

Cane Corsos that have coats diluted fawns or even gray will have eyes that are lighter hues of browns or gray. That being said, the color of the iris should be comparable to the darkest shade in the coat. The mask is not included in the area considered.

Do Cane Corsos eyes stay blue?

Cane Corsos only have blue eyes when they are puppies, which fades away as they grow older. The color changes after they are 3 or 4 weeks.

Initially, the baby Canes have blues shades in their eyes due to low concentrations of melanin production in their body. However, if any dog is medically incapable of producing melanin, the change in eye color could take longer than usual.

According to AKC, for Cane Corsos, the darker the eye color the better. It would mainly be closest to the color of the darkest shade in the coat.

How do you tell if a puppy’s eyes will stay blue?

For Cane Corsos, the blue color in puppy eyes eventually changes to darker colors. If due to underlying health issues or extremely low melanin production, the color stays blue even after 4 weeks, you might have a dog that will retain the blue color.

The eye color, coat color, and skin will largely depend on melanin production in puppies. In some puppies, the production of this natural skin pigment is more than in others. With more melanin in the body, a puppy will have eye color that is comparable to its coats.

When do Cane Corso puppies’ eyes change color?

Cane Corsos usually have blue eyes when they are born but their eyes change color over time.  These canines do not open their eyes till they are 2 weeks, after which they have blue eyes for some time.

Following a week or two, their blue-colored eye starts to lose the hue and becomes more diluted. Gradually, as the pups grow into a few weeks, their eyes will either turn brown or gray mostly dependent on what colored coat they naturally have.

Do Cane Corsos have eye problems?

Unfortunately, breeds that are bigger in size, suffer from health issues including some eye problems. Cane Corsos are no different. Here are a few common and rare eye problems that Cane Corsos may have:

Cherry Eyes:

The medical condition given to what’s commonly called cherry eye is Glandular Hypertrophy. This condition, although does not create any other health issues, can be quite irritating to a dog’s eyes.

 With cherry eyes, a pup’s eyes turn red and are caused by the breed’s third eyelid near the nose. The problem occurs when a particular gland produces moisture and displaces the extra eyelid.  

Ectropion:

Most of the eye problems that Cane Corsos have are related to their eyelids. This is no different. In this condition, mostly the lower eyelid of the Cane Corso stoops lower, and downwards.

Sometimes the eyelid drops outwards causing the inner tissue to be completely exposed. Although ectropion is not too grave an issue, it can be quite uncomfortable for your pup. Long hours of exposure to the tissues can make them infected as well.

Entropion:

As you can already understand from the name, entropion is a similar condition to the previously mentioned ectropion. In this case, the eyelid curls inwards. This can occur in both eyelids but in most Cane Corsos, the lower lid is often affected.

This does not cause the exposure of tissue but this would mean that the eyelashes will be in contact with the cornea. Not only would this cause unimaginable irritation and scarring, it can also lead to ulcer problems in the eyes.

Both Entropion and Ectropion are hereditary conditions that is not affected by external factors. However, they are treatable and noticing signs of such droopy eyes should be immediately treated by the VET.

Why do Cane Corsos have red eyes?

If a Cane Corso has red eye, it means it suffers from the condition of “Cherry Eye”.

In most cases of a dog with a Cherry eye, they will also look swollen with additional forms of discharge from the eye. Other than the cornea looking pinkish-red in color, there may be dry eyes and a lot of blinking.

The red eyes, or cherry eye, is mainly caused when a gland located on the third eyelid is displaced out. Although there are no sure causes of why this happens in dogs, many experts say that scratched or torn ligaments around that area can be blamed.

Now, you may ask what causes the cherry eye to occur in Cane Corsos. One reason may be that the breed, by heredity or disposition, has a tendency to have this condition. If we are to look for external or physical causes, injury or too much scratching can lead to red eyes.

Other than that, you may notice red eyes in a lot of Cane Corso puppies. Puppies that are as young as 12 months, often appear to have red eyes as well.

Is Cherry eye common in Cane Corsos?

Sadly, cherry eyes in common in the breed of Cane Corsos. Both young puppies and adult Canes. The condition, although cannot be said for sure, is mostly a hereditary problem causing the prolapse of the third eyelid.

In most Cane Corsos, the cherry eye causes a red clump to form at the corner of the dog’s eye. If you’re wondering if the redness is constant, it is not. The swelling is not constant but may cause the dog to hurt or suffer if left untreated.

Other than Cane Corsos, one other breed that is often found to have the cherry eye quite commonly is the Neapolitan Mastiff.

How to fix cherry eye in Cane Corso?

Surgery:

If you notice any signs of cherry eye in your Cane Corso, the first step to take is a visit to the doctor. Depending on the severity of the problem, the veterinarian might suggest getting rid of the lump through surgery.

While it works to prevent the condition from getting worse, few times there is a chance of cherry eye regrowth after the surgery as well.

Massage:

Since surgeries are expensive and can be a hit or miss, home treatments over a longer time period can fix mild cherry eye in Cane Corsos. For this, you’ll have to use very light pressure on the eyelids on your canine.

The dog has to close their eyes, while you attempt to massage gently towards the inner corners of the pup’s nose. Some vets also suggest this be followed by some warm compress.

Ointments:

Another treatment that can be continued at home is a vet approved ointment. Not all ointments work for every treatment, so always take advice from your vet and apply the ointment regularly on your dog’s concerned eye area.

Cane Corsos are a strong, mastiff breed that loved to be on the job and working all the time. While their eyes are mostly brown or gray, some might have concerns about their pups having blue eyes or red eyes.

If that’s the case, you may want to visit the vet, as this breed is known to have dark eyes only! 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can Cane Corso Live with Other Dogs?

Can Cane Corsos Live in Apartments or Outside?

Does Cane Corso Have Lock Jaw? What’s Their Bite Force?

Do Cane Corsos Get Along with Cats?

Do Cane Corsos Have Webbed Feet?

Do Cane Corsos Like to Cuddle? How Affectionate Are They?