As you may or may not know all K9’s have 3 eyelids an upper, a lower, and a third eyelid that is usually out of sight. This eyelid is like a windshield wiper you’ll find on a car this helps safeguard the eye itself. In rare cases the third eye can porlapse or a simpler term as to “pop out” in a mass of red tissue that will be noticeable in the corner of the eye. This conditon can be very stressful for the animal itself.
The condition may accrue during the first year of your dogs life. There are may theories of the cause of prolapse but has been recognized as a weakness of the tissue that connects the surrounding gland. This gland can in some cases start to move, which in turn becomes irritated, and leads to the gland to swell with signs of a clear mucus discharge. This can seems unsightly and the vessels in the eye may burst and become bloody sequentially develop in to conjunctivitis.
The Causes of this condition still remain controversial. Eyelids may become inflamed from dermatitis; a bacterial, parasitic, or fungal infection, a metabolic or immune system problem, cancers, trauma or sun damage. It is also a common congenital defect that can be passed from one generation to another.
Commonly know as (CHERRYEYE) which mainly affects juvenile dogs particularly Bulldogs, Boxers, The Chinese Shar Peis Pekingese, Neapolitan Mastiffs, Beagles and the Cocker Spaniels. You may find that if your animal has one Cherry eye the other may be predisposed to the condition as well.
Treatment varies by exact diagnosis. Usually, the treatment envolves a surgical procedure where the prolapsed gland is pushed back in its pocket. This procedure can be performed under local anesthesia. The complete removal of the third eyelid is still performed in small animal clinics in some cases, but this type of surgery adversely affects the stability of the tear layer of the eye as this layer is responsible for about 30% of the overall tear production. Removal of a prolapsed gland of the third eyelid predisposes a dog to develop keratoconjunctivitis sicca (“dry eye”) later in its lifetime.
In brief, the pocket method involves parallel incisions made anterior and posterior to the gland. The gland is then easily tucked into the pocket and conjunctival edges are sutured closed using a continuous suture pattern with the knots tied on the palpebral surface to avoid abrading the cornea. Absorbable suture is used by most surgeons. Some surgeons recommend a second row of sutures, suggesting a higher success rate. Some surgeons suggest leaving the two ends of the incision open to allow tears to escape more easily from the created pocket. Postoperative triple antibiotic ointment is applied two to three times daily for 2-3 weeks.
As a result, newer surgical procedures involve removal of only a portion of the gland, or actually tacking down the prolapsed portion of the gland to the inner surface of the third eyelid. The prognosis for cases treated by replacing the gland is excellent.
If the condition is left untreated, it may go away on its own in two or three weeks, but in other cases it leads to further eye diseases.
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