Has your dog ever had surgery for "cherry eye"?

[TxJasmine]

Our 8 month old Boston Terrier mix puppy has cherry eye in one eye. She will need to have surgery, but it looks like there are two main methods for fixing the problem - both with pros and cons. My vet wants to remove the cartilage that is causing the problem, but from what I've read, this may cause "dry eye". If any of you have dogs who have had this surgery - I'd really like to hear what worked, what didn't work, and which method was used.

Thanks!

 

[helenabear]

I have no experience with this procedure but I wish your puppy all the best... and you as well

 

[bumcat]

My rat terrier had the surgery about two years ago. We were warned that dry eye might be a problem but it hasn't been. I'm sorry I do not remember exactly what they did. We actually took her in to have surgery on her ear and decided to have the eye corrected at the same time.

 

[linny172]

My cocker spaniel had cherry eye but did not need surery, the vet gave me I think it was some drops for it, it went away and she never was bothered with it again. I don't even remember the vet mentioning surgery.

 

[DocRafiki]

Do NOT let them remove the gland. This is NO longer an acceptable treatment, but a lot of the old-timers are still doing it. Call your closest board-certified ophthalmologist (will be at a specialty referral clinic or a university) and see what they say.

Those who still perform that method say they do it because the other method always pops back out. Well, there are different ways to do the tucking surgery (vs. removal). My boss sutures the gland to the bone and hasn't had one failure. I don't do that surgery, myself... too easy to have complications.

You do NOT want to have to deal with cherry eye. It would be better to repeat the surgery.

Only very tiny prolapses can be treated with medications.

 

[TxJasmine]

Thank you all for your input!

Doc - is removing the cartilage the same as removing the gland? My vet said that he would just remove the cartilage, but not the third eyelid. I know that there is a veterinary ophthalmologist about 40 miles away. I probably should contact them to see what they recommend.

 

[caseylouandtyler2]

We had a cocker spaniel that had the surgery twice for each eye.

Yep four surgeries. I think it was the tucking surgery all four times. Poor dog.