The third eyelid is a piece of tissue that helps to protect the eye. It assists in tear production and helps to protect the eye from injury.
If the third eyelid prolapses, or pops out, it looks like a red cherry beside the eye, hence the name cherry eye.
How did my dog develop a cherry eye? - Cherry eye is more common in young dogs, less than 2 years old. No one really knows why the condition occurs but it is more commonly seen in some breeds like the Bassett Hound, Beagle, Boston Terrier, and Cocker Spaniel. When cherry eye is seen in older dogs or cats it is usually due to a tumor.
Treatment for cherry eye – The treatment for cherry eye is always surgical. The procedure of choice is usually to replace the gland and tack it in place with a suture. There are usually not any complications following this procedure but there are a few things for the owner to consider:
- The stitch could come undone and scratch the eye. The eye will become reddened and painful. The dog will be pawing at the eye. The stitch needs to be removed and the pain will go away.
- The gland may not be anchored well enough to hold permanently. If this is the case you'll still see a cherry eye present and the surgery will need to be performed again.
- The dogs eyes will be inflamed and swollen following the tuck procedure, it will take a few days for this to go away. In the mean time your veterinarian will probably prescribe some eye drops to use for inflammation.
Another surgical option for cherry eye is to remove a smell amount of tissue from above the third eyelid. Sutures are then used to close the gap and tighten the third eye lid into place.
Things to consider for this option include:
- The eye will be red and inflamed while the sutures dissolve.
- The suture may not be tight enough to replace the third eyelid or there may not have been enough tissue removed (a big enough gap made to replace the third eyelid).
- If the above statement is the case then the surgery will have to be repeated.
The last option is surgical removal of the gland itself. This should be avoided. The third eyelid is important for tear production and if the other tear producing glands fail then dry eye is the result. Dry eye or keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) is uncomfortable for the pet and will need to be treated daily, usually with an artificial tears ointment.
If cherry eye goes untreated then the gland will dry out and the dog may start to paw and scratch at the eye causing further damage to the third eyelid tissue. The dog could also scratch the eye and cause a corneal ulcer.
Most veterinarians can perform these procedures, or refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist who can help.
