Cherry eye is the everyday name for prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid (nictitans gland): the gland slips out from its normal hidden position and appears as a smooth, red, rounded mass at the inner corner of the eye. It mostly affects young dogs of a handful of breeds. The gland is one of the two main sources of the watery part of the tear film, so the whole point of treatment is to put it back and keep it working, not to cut it off.
Key facts
Cherry eye (prolapsed gland of the third eyelid) at a glance- Species and system: dogs; eye and adnexa, third eyelid.
- Cause: thought to be laxity of the connective tissue that holds the gland at the base of the third eyelid; breed clustering and a genome-wide association point to a genetic component.
- Classic presentation: a dog under 2 years old, often an English Bulldog, Neapolitan Mastiff, Cane Corso, Lhasa Apso or American Cocker Spaniel, with a pink-red mass bulging over the leading edge of the third eyelid.
- Treatment: surgical replacement (pocket or anchoring technique). Excision is avoided because it raises the later risk of keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS).
- Not zoonotic and not reportable.
What's inside
13 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Anatomy that explains the disease
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention, control and public health
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 6 tables, 2 figures, 3 self-test questions and 9 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.