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 prolapses and becomes visible. It appears as a red mass in the inner corner of the eye, and is sometimes mistaken for a tumor. 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 (keratoconjunctivitis sicca).[1] The condition generally occurs before the age of two years.[1]
Surgery is the usual treatment. Older methods of cherry eye correction (before the gland's purpose was known) involved simply removing the gland, but this is a last-resort procedure today, and necessitates the use of eyedrops for the rest of the animal's life. Modern methods of cherry eye correction involve repositioning of the gland to its normal location. The success rate of this type of surgery is around 80% in most breeds.
While most common in dogs, the condition is also found in certain breeds of cats as well, particularly the Burmese and Bombay.
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