Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for dogs to suffer from eye diseases, one of which being a so-called cherry eye. What exactly it is, what causes it and how a cherry eye in dogs is treated is explained below. We also give you advice on eye care for your four-legged friend.
Just like cats, dogs also have a third eyelid. It contains a gland that produces tear fluid, which serves to moisten the surface of the eyes.
If the gland protrudes from the third eyelid, this is referred to as a prolapsed nictitans gland, which is also called a cherry eye.
Dogs’ nictitans glands usually prolapse for no particular reason, with certain breeds considered more susceptible than others. The cherry eye usually occurs in young animals before they are one year old. It can develop in just one or simultaneously in both eyes.
If your dog suffers from a cherry eye, it can’t be missed. The protruding nictitans gland is visible as a reddish mass in the inner corner of the eye. The prolapsed nictitans gland owes its name cherry eye to the fact that it is visually reminiscent of a cherry.
In addition, there is usually an increased production of tear fluid in dogs with cherry eye. Since the prolapsed nictitans gland is painful for the four-legged friend, you can also very likely observe that your dog frequently rubs its eye with its paw.
If you notice a cherry eye in your dog, a timely visit to the veterinarian is strongly recommended. The earlier the treatment is started, the sooner your four-legged friend will overcome the symptoms associated with the prolapsed nictitans gland.
In addition, starting treatment early reduces the likelihood of subsequent problems with your four-legged friend's eyes such as infections.
Diagnosing a dog's cherry eye is usually not difficult for the veterinarian, so it does not take too much time.
The treatment of cherry eye is initially about counteracting the dryness and inflammation of the eye and ensuring that the swelling of the nictitating gland goes down.
For this purpose, anti-inflammatory in addition to moisturising eye drops are administered. If a secondary bacterial infection is to be prevented at the same time, eye drops containing antibiotics can also be given.
In most cases, however, the administration of eye drops is not enough to eliminate the nictitans membrane prolapse. Surgery to fix the dog's nictitans gland in the correct position is often unavoidable.
However, the removal of the gland, which was common practice in the past, has now been abandoned, as it can often lead to the dog suffering permanently from dry eyes after the operation.
As with all surgeries, your dog needs to rest for a few days after the procedure. Wearing an Elizabethan collar ensures that your four-legged friend does not rub his eyes and thus impairs healing.
Unfortunately, renewed prolapse of the nictitans membrane cannot be completely prevented even with early and professional treatment. Therefore, if your dog has been affected by a cherry eye once, it is quite possible that it will recur after a while.
Apart from that, your four-legged friend could suffer permanently with dry eyes after treatment. Whether this is the case can be determined through occasional check-ups at the vet.
Despite their excellent sense of smell, the functionality of the eyes is of course also very important for dogs. As the owner, you should therefore not neglect existing eye diseases, such as conjunctivitis, or the topic of eye care in general.
The regular use of Bellfor eye drops can be helpful for this purpose, especially for breeds that naturally have rather sensitive eyes.
The drops consist of carefully selected, natural ingredients such as aloe vera and camomile extract and allow you to gently clean the sensitive eyes of your four-legged friend.
Get to know Bellfor Eye Care Drops.
As you can see, a cherry eye is not something you can simply ignore in your dog. If you notice a prolapsed nictitans gland in your four-legged friend, an immediate visit to the veterinarian is strongly recommended.
The vet can examine your dog and, if necessary, take the necessary measures to treat the cherry eye. Unfortunately, in addition to the administration of suitable eye drops, this usually also includes surgery.
