Is Cherry Eye Painful?

What is Cherry Eye?

Cherry eye occurs in dogs when their eye gland’s connective tissues become damaged, faulty, or weak. It normally results in a red protrusion that is often painful. The obvious symptom is the fleshy and bulbous swelling of the eye gland.

Cherry Eye comes as a result of the failure of the connective tissues and ligaments in the eye to keep the tear gland of the nictitating membrane in place. There is no clear evidence as to why these tissues become weak.

 

Is Cherry Eye painful?

The condition can lead to irritation and pains, but in most cases, the pains occur only when it lingers for a long time. Generally, the condition is very easy to spot because of the presence of a red bulge by the side of the eye.

When it becomes painful, the dog might squint on those occasions. Also, the bulge may cause other areas of the eye to swell. And in some cases, there may be pus-filled discharge as well.

In other situations, the dog may experience a burning sensation. This usually occurs at the inception of the problem. It may not be physically bulgy at this moment, but the burning sensation is a sign something is about to pop out from their eye.

The –pain can become too much in certain situations when the condition has been allowed to linger for too long–. So, early diagnosis and treatment can help your dog recover from the problem. This will make sure it does not linger to cause more pain.

Apart from the pain, when you discover and take care of the situation on time, it can result in decreased production of tears and other eye complications in dogs.

In addition, the dog may experience itching occasionally. The itches may cause the dog to rub, scratch, or paw at the affected eye more often. –It may cause more irritation, which can open doors for viral infections and secondary bacterial—

This usually worsens the whole situation as it can lead to bleeding or infection.

The condition can come first in one eye or both eyes at the same time. But even when it occurs in one eye, there is a high chance of reoccurrence in the other eye in the future.

Also Read: How To Clean Dog Eye Boogers Safely

What is the major cause of cherry eye?

This problem is a congenital disorder. It does not really have any known cause, except the fact that it is related to genetics.

That is why the problem is more prevalent in some breeds than others. However, the condition may be triggered.

For instance, inflammation as a result of injury or damage can lead to Cherry Eye. In other cases, tissue hypertrophy can also trigger the condition.

Symptoms of developing cherry eye

At the initial stage, the eye becomes more tearful. If your dog’s eye becomes watery or seems to be filled with tears more than normal, it is a good indication they are about to have Cherry Eye. But the most obvious is when a red bulge pops out of the eye. This usually –occurs a day or two days after the earlier watery eye symptom–.

Types of dog breeds prone to this condition

As a hereditary problem, Cherry Eye is more prevalent in certain breeds of dogs. These include Poodles, Neapolitan, Bulldogs, Boxers, Bloodhounds, Beagles, Hounds, terriers, and Shih Tzus.

Possible solutions to the problem

Although Cherry Eye is inherited, the problem can be diagnosed and treated. When it is diagnosed on time, massage treatment with dog eye drops and moist cloth can help.

But when the condition goes to an advanced level with pains, a mild surgical procedure will be the best option.

There are different ways the veterinarian can handle this problem through surgery. They can operate on the prolapsed tear gland and put them back into its position.

But in cases where the connective tissues are not strong enough to hold the gland properly, the surgeon can make a new envelope or pocket to enclose the gland permanently.

So, if you need to know, Is Cherry Eye Painful? Of course, it is. But the pain is a progressive one. As it lingers and your pooch continues to paw at it, the pain will increase each day.

Sometimes it is mixed up with some other issues like dog conjunctivitis but that is another issue that needs proper treatment as well. 

Fortunately, treatment for the condition is available. With dog-safe eye drops and other helpful medications, you can help them come out of the situation to live their normal cheerful life.