CHERRY EYE in English Bulldogs
I often get questions pertaining to Cherry Eye, so I will cover it first. I have seen Cherry eye in young pup’s, as well as old adults. The main thing is don’t panic, it can be treated, and it’s not life threatening. However, don’t prolong treatment, because it can lead to blindness. It’s not an emergency, but don’t wait months to have it treated. Schedule an appointment with your Vet for treatment. If you notice this picture to the left, the pupil is turning Blue, cataract is setting in, and blindness is close. They waited too long to have this treated. Don’t make this mistake.
What is Cherry Eye?
Cherry eye is the term used to refer to canine nictitans gland prolapse, a common eye condition in various dog breeds where the gland of the third eyelid known as the nictitating membrane prolapses and becomes visible. Commonly affected breeds include the English Bulldog. One school of thought is Cherry eye may be caused by a hereditary weakness in the connective tissue surrounding the gland. But, I’ll give my thought in a few.
It appears as a red mass in the inner corner of the eye, and is sometimes mistaken for a tumor. After gland prolapse, the eye becomes chronically inflamed and there is often a discharge. Because the gland is responsible for about 30% of the eye’s tear production, the eye can eventually suffer from dryness . However, 80% of older Bulldogs will suffer from dry eye’s.
First thing most people say is: “It’s hereditary”. Well, I disagree. Now, I don’t just say that because I’m a breeder. I say that because of years of experience. As I stated above, it can occur at any age of life.
How do I think it occurs?
If you look at the Breeds it occurs in, you will notice that they have folds or fur that allows for irritation around the eye area. If your arm itches, the first thing you do is scratch it. Well, just like us, they want to scratch the area that is irritating them. The only problem is, they have dew claws. When they go to scratch around the eye, their due claw catches the eye, and tears a hole, causing the gland to pop-out.
Like I said, you may disagree with me, but hey that’s your choice. Any breeder who say’s they never saw it, or had it, is a flat out liar.
What you should do for Cherry Eye
I would give it a few day’s, and see if it goes back in. 95% of the time it will not. If it does, it will be back. Now you have 2 options: Tac it or remove it. To tac the gland means the Vet will put a stitch in the gland to hold it in place. To be honest, this is a waste of time and money. I would have it removed. It will not effect the life of your Bullie, nor will it cause major harm. In later years, you may have to apply drops of dry eye’s, but as I stated above, dry eye’s will occur in about 80% of older Bulldogs, anyway’s.
It is important to have Cherry Eye treated, a.s.a.p. If you prolong the surgery, it could lead to blindness. Surgery can range from $75 and up. Depending on where you’re located, and your vet.