You know how when a person has a cherry eye and is rubbing their eye. Well, that is what dogs feel when they have dry eye. This is caused by a lack of tear production and is a common problem in certain dog breeds.
The problem with dry eye is that it will become obvious when it happens and your dog will wipe the affected eye over their muzzle whenever they are talking to you or playing. You know what happens then, right? Aweee! You dog has a problem and you probably feel bad for the dog. You may even feel like giving them a big hug or something, but of course you should never do that.
The truth is that your dog is just reacting to their bodies shaking from the effects of the condition. In other words, they are doing the same things that you would if you had a similar problem with your sight. When a person has dry eye, they react very stiltedly to see if there is anything suspicious going on - if a head cone is moving around, a body part that is moving, or something called flash blindness. You know that your dog is simply acting as you are doing, but they may feel a little unsure because their body is not used to feeling uncomfortable. Never punish your dog for having a problem with dry eye. Simply moving the eye removing gel and gently rubbing it in a little More than often is the best way to treat dry eye.
Cherry Eye:
This condition is oftentimes impossible to determine, even with a vet doing a test. However, you can take the first step yourself by looking into the cherry eye. The breastbone/shoulders are thick and moving parts, if they are not doing this then there is a distinct possibility that the dog has breast cancer.
Cherry Eye Symptoms:
The vet will likely need to run tests to establish the presence of cherry eye, but once it is diagnosed they can treat your dog accordingly. The treatment consists of removing the gland, taking antibiotics to avoid any infection, and giving your dog with an anti-inflammatory spray or cream for pain relief. It is possible that your dog will only need a small amount of treatment, possibly as simple as turning their head to the side when they are trying to look out the door.
Most dogs are treated for cherry eye by about one to two sessions, but it depends on the size of the gland and its whether or not surgery is recommended. Even though your dog has this condition, they will not necessarily turn into a dog with Cherry Eye.
However, you might want to be careful when dealing with the pain of Cherry Eye, as it can make the dog quite uncomfortable. Talk to your vet about how to administering the treatments, as you want their full support to know the best way to do so.
They will likely also administer eye drops, to clear any mucus from the eye and to kill any bacteria or infection. Just to note, if you do not clear up the problem with the drops or cream, or do it too late, your dog could get a potentially serious infection.
The good news is that if your dog gets cherry eye, there is treatment. Even though it is hard to tell the difference between the two, you can be pretty sure that if your dog has Cherry Eye, the vet is more than likely going to recommend a trip to the vet if the condition doesn't get better.
