Retinal dysplasia is an inherited disorder in which the eye is malformed. The retina is the nerve containing structure at the back of the eye that converts light into electrical signals which are transmitted to the brain where they are interpreted as vision.

There are three forms of retinal dysplasia. The least serious form occurs when the two primary layers of the retina do not form together properly creating folds in the inner retinal layer resulting in small blind spots in the dogs vision. In the second form there are larger areas where the retina is malformed in addition to the inner retinal layer and will result in more significant vision problems. The most severe form results in the two retinal layers no meeting at all and resulting in retinal detachment or separation which results in complete blindness.

Retinal dysplasia is largely hereditary and does not get worse with age. Dogs born with RD, will have the most severe condition they are likely to develop. In some rare cases, prenatal infections such as the herpes virus or parvovirus can cause retinal dysplasia.

There is no successful method of preventing retinal dysplasia and no effective treatments. It is recommended not to breed affected animals, but animals with the disorder are usually able to compensate for the vision loss by using their other senses.