This is Millie and her owner. Millie is a Shih Tzu and is 6 months old. She was brought into the practice when her owner noticed something strange in the corner of her eye.

When we took a closer look we saw that she had a problem in her right eye which we call “Cherry Eye”, when you see the picture you might understand why!

“Cherry Eye” happens when the third eye lid protrudes in the corner of the eye. It is a condition most commonly seen in American Cocker Spaniels, Basset Hounds, Beagles and Shih Tzus. In many cases this does not cause a problem or irritation for the dog and can be corrected with medication. But in Millie’s case it was causing her discomfort and she was scratching at her eye. We treated her conservatively with medication but unfortunately it didn’t help and we had to have Millie in for surgery.

In a lot of cases the gland can be replaced back into its normal position, however, with Millie, this was not possible and it had to be removed. When this is done there unlikely to be any side effects.

Millie went home that evening to her Mum. Keep an eye out for pictures of Millie after her surgery!