Dogs and cats have a third eyelid in the corner of their eye. At its base is a gland which produces approximately one third of tears. In some dogs this gland is loose and ‘pops up’ which is what is known as a ‘cherry eye’. The medical term for this is prolapsed nictitans gland. 

The condition is non painful at first but if left untreated will lead to eye irritation, conjunctivitis and dry eye. It commonly affects young dogs, starting in one eye but frequently it becomes a bilateral condition.

Surgical repair of the gland is the best treatment. We do not recommend removal of the cherry eye as it leads to dry eye later in life, a painful, chronic condition which requires lifelong management. 

The cornea is the transparent part of the front of the eye. In most cases, if the cornea becomes damaged (ulcerated) it will heal in 5-7 days. In dogs and cat with non-healing ulcers the new healing tissue fails to stick down properly, leaving a chronic defect in the surface of the eye. Non-healing superficial ulcers have many names and you may see them referred to as:

• ‘Boxer’ ulcer
• Spontaneous Chronic Corneal Epithelial Defect ‘SCCED’
• ‘Indolent’ ulcer

Patients with this condition are typically uncomfortable with owners reporting their animal ‘blinks a lot’. They may also appear as if they are crying, holding their eye shut or develop a cloudiness to the eye.

Treatment

It is important to rule out other causes of non-healing ulcers and so we will always performed a detailed examination of your pet.

Diamond Burr Debridement (DBD) involves removing the loose areas of tissue on the cornea under local anaesthetic. A bandage contact lens is applied afterwards for comfort. The procedure has a high success rate (>90%) but occasionally can need repeating. 

Complications can include a ‘melting ulcer’ and reflex uveitis but medication will be prescribed to reduce this risk.

Cryoepilation is using cryotherapy to rapidly freeze and destroy hair follicles. This procedure can be used to treat both distichiasis (eyelashes growing through the eyelid margin and irritating the surface of the eye) and ectopic cilia (eyelashes growing underneath the eyelid). These two conditions can potentially be very serious and blinding in some cases. The procedure is done under general anaesthesia and your pet will be prescribed a topical anti inflammatory and antibiotic drop for 2 weeks afterwards. 

Cryoepilation  has a reported success rate of 83%, with 11% of dogs requiring a repeat procedure and 6% of dogs having mild recurrence which needed no further treatment. The advantage of cryoepilation over other surgical or cautery methods is it will destroy any unerupted hair follicles, reducing the change of recurrence. There is also a reduced risk of serious complications such as eyelid scarring and deformity of the eyelid. 

Cryoepilation is a non-surgical treatment and can be safely used when an eyelid has many abnormal hairs. Complications include: swelling and redness for 2 weeks post treatment, loss of eyelid pigment for one to 6 months post treatment, and rarely, permanent loss of eyelid pigment. Very rarely, cryoepilation can results in tear quality problems, eyelid scarring and destruction and abnormal growth of the normal hair on the eyelids.

Cryoepilation has a comparable or better success rate than other surgical techniques and fewer post operative complications. There are still occasions where surgery may be deemed more appropriate and each case will be assessed individually with a comprehensive ophthalmic exam.

Entropion is the rolling in of the eyelid. This is usually a developmental problem in young dogs, but it can also be seen in older dogs and cats. When this happens, eyelashes rub on the surface of the eye (trichiasis)m causing pain, irritation, infection and eventually can lead to blindness. The treatment is usually surgical although cosmetic fillers can be used in certain cases.

Glaucoma is caused by increased pressure inside the eye. This increased pressure can rapidly cause blindness and pain.

The measurement of eye pressure is called tonometry and this can be performed during a consultation. 

There are different types and causes of glaucoma and the treatment and outcome varies case by case

Eyelid lumps are common in middle-aged to older dogs. The good news is that approximately 75% of these lumps in dogs are benign. However, lumps can grow underneath the eyelid or contact the surface of the eye leading to irritation.

It is always best to remove eyelid lumps when they are small, however we are able to remove large eyelid lumps using more advanced surgical techniques.

We would always advise any owner concerned that their pet has a lump on their eyelid to have an assessment and see if surgery is needed. Eyelid lumps in cats must always be checked out by a vet.