Introduction
Cherry eye, a condition in which the third eyelid falls or slips out of place, is a condition which should be treated as quickly as possible. The condition itself is not dangerous to dogs, but treatment is required to reduce the occurrence of secondary problems; the longer the cherry eye is out of place, the more inflamed and irritated it may become.
Treatment Options
Cherry eye can be treated through topical steroids or antibiotics, or through surgery. Topical steroids and antibiotics on the cherry eye will reduce infection and inflammation; however this type of treatment is rarely successful for long periods of time. If the cherry eye continues to cause irritation to the eye, especially when steroid or antibiotic therapy is over, surgery is the only remaining treatment option.
At one time the most popular surgical treatment of cherry eye was just to remove the eyelid altogether. Unfortunately the third eyelid is responsible for a majority of the eye’s tear production; removing the gland causes severe dry eye which must be treated with moisturizing eye drops for the rest of the dog’s life.
To avoid dry eye, surgeons now perform a procedure in which the eyelid is ‘tacked’ back into place. During this procedure, a permanent stitch acts as a piece of connective tissue to hold the eyelid in place. Through this procedure the cherry eye is permanently treated, and the dog’s eyelid is able to continue to produce tears.
Cherry eye often occurs only in one eye at a time, but often both eyes are affected. Many dogs have to go through two surgical procedures to treat one eye at a time, as the cherry eyes rarely develop in both eyes at the same time.