What is Cherry Eye?
The Cherry Eye is a congenital disorder, in which the connective tissue fibers that hold the large toe gland in the 3 eyelids are defective and thus have less strength than normal. When the dog gets a local infection or irritation in the eye, the mucous membrane and the tear gland raise and the fibers break due to the pressure. This way, the tear gland loses its normal place in the 3rd eyelid and is seen as a large red swelling, thus the term “Cherry Eye”.
Who gets Cherry Eye?
The disorder is racial and is therefore considered to be hereditary. The exact causes of an ankylosing gland prolapse have not yet been clarified. Particularly young animals under two years are affected by short-nosed races like the following: American Cocker Spaniel, Boston Terrier, Beagle, English Bulldog, Lhasa Apso, Shih-Tzu, Cane Corso…
For older animals, a dry eye or tumor can cause the cherry eye.
Symptoms of Cherry Eye in Dogs
The reddish structure is seen in the inner eye of the quadruped. This structure protrudes over the edge of the pitching skin and can reach far into the eye. Also, symptoms are a reddening of the conjunctiva, the eyelids, and the nasopharyngeal gland. Sometimes it can be itchy and the dog’s sight is limited.
Diagnosis of Cherry Eye in Dogs
The vet can diagnose a dog’s chorionic event (Cherry Eye) by the typical symptoms. He performs an eye exam (ophthalmic examination) to rule out or treat underlying problems, such as eye inflammation or a dry eye.
In older dogs with an epidermis gland incident, the veterinarian will pay particular attention to whether there is evidence of an eye tumor that caused the incident.
Treatment of Cherry Eye in Dogs
Often, many owners will begin to treat with chamomile. There is no household in which there is no chamomile, whether we love a filter bag or dried chamomile. Lovers of plants will always tell you that the dried chamomile is more effective than the one that is produced industrially, in filter bags.
It’s a natural way and it often helps dogs with cherry eye.
In general, it is not wise to start any eye treatment before letting the vet look at the problem. The right thing is to get the right diagnosis and treatment. If the dog does not get treated properly, he will gradually develop a chronic eye cascade.
In the old days, the surgery was quite different from today. It was done on the tear gland and after that, it was possible that the dog gets a Dry eye syndrome (DES) called keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS).
CHERRY EYE SURGERY COST ranging from $300 – $2,500
Recovery of Cherry Eye in Dogs
Today, we perform the surgery by operating further down on the third eyelid and this ensures that tear production is intact. After the operation, eye drops are a must for 6 days with antibiotics and after about 10 days, the suture would get removed. Also, the dog must wear the collar for the first 5-8 days, so it cannot scratch the eye.
The first days after the surgery, the mucous membrane of the eye will be extra elevated due to surgery and the eye will be redder than before the surgery. This is a totally normal biological response to the intervention.
If the dog seems very annoyed or you are worried, you should call the vet immediately, as there may be a need to make an extra check. In some cases, it may happen that the stitching of the retina fails after surgery due to swelling of the mucosa, in such cases, it may be necessary to re-operate the dog.
Photo Credit: Eric Hildreth/Flickr; caren litherland/Flickr
