Cherry Eye in Dogs: What It Is, What Causes It, and How to Treat It
Every dog breed is prone to some type of health issue whether it be a chronic illness such as Cushings disease or an injury such as CCL tears. Of all the various health issues that exist in the dog world, cherry eye is definitely on my list of most bizarre. If you’ve ever seen a dog with what appears to be a swollen red mass in the corner of their eye and wondered what it was, you’re in the right place. Today, I’m going to be talking all about cherry eye: what it is, what causes it, and how to treat it.
What is Cherry Eye?
Did you know that many mammals, including dogs, have a third or “extra” eyelid inside their lower eyelid? This third eyelid acts as a protective layer especially during hunting or fighting and contains a gland that produces a significant amount of the eye’s tear film. Cherry eye refers to a prolapse of this third eyelid gland. In simple terms, when the gland “pops out” it creates a cherry eye which presents as a protruding red mass in the corner of a dogs eye.
What Causes Cherry Eye?
Certain dog breeds tend to be more prone to cherry eye than others such as: bulldogs, cocker spaniels, beagles, shih tzus, and most brachycephalic (short nosed) breeds. The third eyelid is anchored to the lower eyelid by a fibrous attachment. It is believed that in certain breeds this attachment is weaker than in others, allowing the gland to easily prolapse.
When the grand prolapses, the eyelid protrudes from the bottom eyelid in an unsightly mass. Unfortunately, there is no real way to prevent cherry eye so it is important to take your dog in for yearly check ups and eye exams to ensure their eyes are staying healthy and get any necessary treatment asap.
How to Treat Cherry Eye
Unfortunately, treating cherry eye isn’t as easy as using a simple eye drop or other medication. In most cases surgical replacement of the third eyelid is required. While some dogs can live comfortably with cherry eye for the duration of their life, in many cases it can cause dry eye. Because the third eyelid produces 50% of a dogs tear production, when that gland prolapses the dogs eye can dry out due to lack of tears. Dry eye is a chronic condition that requires daily medication to treat forever and can result in a pricy surgery should it go untreated so it’s best to consult with an ophthalmologist ASAP should your dog get cherry eye.
Luckily, cherry eye is fairly common and surgery for it is successful in the majority of cases. Most dogs go back to normal eye function within 2-3 weeks of surgery and continue on to live comfortably.