Starrbulldogs
Bart & Laurie
Cherry Eye
Cherry Eye is the prolapsed gland of the third eyelid. Unlike us the dog has a third eyelid in the inner corner of the eyes. Behind that is a pinkish tissue called the Hardarian gland. In some breeds including the Bulldog the gland of the third eyelid is not strongly held in place. The third eye lid serves as added protection for the eye through an interesting ability to close upward and over the dog's eyeball. The canine is able to retract the entire eyeball backward into the eye socket, and coupled with this retraction is the Third Eyelid's ability to slide up and over the retracted globe.
Cherry eye is the prolapse of this glad, which then protrudes from behind the third eyelid, appearing like a cherry in the corner of the eye. It usually occurs in young puppies around the age of 8-16 weeks, due to the weakness in the glands normal attachments.
It is very common in Bulldogs and a number of other breeds. It often affects both eyes although the second gland may pop out months later after the first. Cherry used to be treated like a tumor and was simply removed. This was before the full significance of the gland was realized. This gland is responsible for producing approximately 30% of the tear volume to the surface of the eye. That is why the removal of the “cherry eye” is not recommended as this compromises tear function and can lead to the development of “dry eye” later in the dogs life. Dry eye is a serious condition that is difficult to treat, and requires lifelong treatment which can be costly. If the chance of the development of a dry eye can be lessened by tacking the gland back to it’s normal position so that it stays functional, then this is the most desirable way of handling a “cherry eye”.
Therefore, the only acceptable treatment of cherry eye is replacing the gland to its proper location. There are two techniques for doing this. The traditional tucking method is probably the most commonly preferred. For this a single stitch is permanently placed, drawing the gland back where it belongs.
In newer surgical techniques a wedge of tissue is removed from over the gland. This technique is more challenging as it is not easy to determine how much tissue to remove. Tiny stitches that eventually dissolve are used to close the gap so the tightening of the incision margins push the gland back in place.
Sometimes both surgical techniques are used in the same eye to achieve a good placement. Surgery for this condition is done under general anesthesia. My Vet and I usually recommend that you wait until your puppy goes in to be spayed or neutered. That way they are only going under anesthesia one time. Your Vet will give you some eye ointment to bring the swelling in the gland down.
Cherry eye is not painful to the dog, but is unsightly.
Cherry Eye Cherry Eye is the prolapsed gland of the third eyelid. Unlike us the dog has a third eyelid in the inner corner of the eyes. Behind that is a pinkish tissue called the Hardarian gland. In some breeds including the Bulldog the gland of the third eyelid is not strongly held in place. The third eye lid serves as added protection for the eye through an interesting ability to close upward and over the dog's eyeball. The canine is able to retract the entire eyeball backward into the eye socket, and coupled with this retraction is the Third Eyelid's ability to slide up and over the retracted globe. Cherry eye is the prolapse of this glad, which then protrudes from behind the third eyelid, appearing like a cherry in the corner of the eye. It usually occurs in young puppies around the age of 8-16 weeks, due to the weakness in the glands normal attachments. Cherry used to be treated like a tumor and was simply removed. This was before the full significance of the gland was realized. This gland is responsible for producing approximately 30% of the tear volume to the surface of the eye. That is why the removal of the “cherry eye” is not recommended as this compromises tear function and can lead to the development of “dry eye” later in the dogs life. Dry eye is a serious condition that is difficult to treat, and requires lifelong treatment which can be costly. If the chance of the development of a dry eye can be lessened by tacking the gland back to it’s normal position so that it stays functional, then this is the most desirable way of handling a “cherry eye”. Therefore, the only acceptable treatment of cherry eye is replacing the gland to its proper location. There are two techniques for doing this. The traditional tucking method is probably the most commonly preferred. For this a single stitch is permanently placed, drawing the gland back where it belongs. |