Cherry Eye Surgery Discharge

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What is a cherry eye?

Cherry eye is a prolapse or miss-position of the gland of the third eyelid. It appears as a
red/pink swollen mass at the inner eye.

What causes cherry eye?

The third eyelid gland is usually anchored to the lower inner rim of the eyelid by a fibrous
attachment.  Genetics could be the cause for this attachment to be weak, which is common
in beagles and more flat-faced dogs like bulldogs. When the gland is able to protrude it tends
to irritate the eye and dry out, exacerbating redness, eye-rubbing and swelling.

What does the surgery entail?

The procedure is known as the “pocketing method” and requires suturing of tissue around
the prolapse and burying the gland deeper in the eye. The gland produces tears which keep
the eye moist so removal is not recommended. Prolapses may recur in 20% of cases.
Specialist surgery is recommended with recurrent prolapses.

Your pet will have undergone general anesthetic which can leave him/her feeling drowsy
and occasionally nauseous after waking up. Please provide your pet with food and water and
a comfortable place to lie at home.

Post-op care:

Anti-inflammatory and antibiotic eye drops should be administered as directed. It is very
important to do these eye drops frequently to minimize pain and decrease the risk of
infection.

A collar may be placed as NO SCRATCHING of the eye can be tolerated by the surgical
site.

The eye will be VERY SWOLLEN and will tear up for a while. You can only expect to see
good results after 1-2 weeks when the swelling has decreased. Absorbable stitches have
been placed. These will take a long time (a few weeks to months) to dissolve completely.