Help Needed! Does my baby has cherry eye?

[Izzy's Mom]

I just got back from vacation and picked up Izzy from a friend's house. She was fine last night and this morning she woke up with what I think it might be cherry eye (picture is attached). I already schedule an appointment at her vet for tomorrow after work but just want to share this with the group and get some opinions... Izzy just turned 4 months on November 7th, isn't too soon for cherry eye? Is this something very common? Will her insurance (VPI) cover for it?

 

[RiiSi]

I'm afraid it is just that. Sometimes it appear after some playing and goes back after some rest and does not need surgery. In this case if it was there after she woke up it sound like it's not going to go away by it self and it looks a bit irritated too. It's a good thing that your see in the vet.

 

[Scueva]

My vet told me in his experience with bulldogs and cherry eyes, if they don't happen by 6-7 months they usually won't get it. That's def a cherry eye unfortunately.

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi Isabel, my name is Monica, I just looked at the picture of Izzys' eye. I have a female named Blossom, she is 8 months old now. When she was 5 months old she developed cherry eye in her right eye. From what I've read about cherry eye, it's very common in dogs with flat wrinkled faces like our EB, Boxers, Pugs, French Bulldogs, etc. It can come out anywhere from the age of 3 months on, I tried massaging it in, and in the beginning, it would stay in, but then it came out more and more, especially after rough playing or running around. I decided to wait to do the surgery on her eye until I spayed her when she was 7 months old. We had her spayed last month, and fixed her eye at the same time. Unfortunately a week after we fixed her right eye, her left eye also came out. This is also common, what I read is that often the second eye will come out as well usually two or three months after the first one. Since it had been 3 months between the two, we thought we were free and clear for her left eye. My decision to do her eye at the time of her spay was to avoid putting her under anesthetic twice, and making it easier for her. Unfortunately that didn't work out. I had her left eye repaired on Fri Nov. 9th, just this past weekend. Both eyes are now fixed and we got a really nice result. As for Izzy, she is too young for surgery yet, and the other eye might come out as well. You can try the massage technique, there is a good article on this site regarding cherry eye, and a video on how to do the massage, I found also that using Refresh eye drops helps the eye stay moisturized, and less irritated , because the longer the eye is exposed to the air, it causes swelling, and irritation of the eye and the vet says it makes it harder to repair because the little bulge swells. Talk to your vet and see what he/she says, but it definitely looks like cherry eye to me. Some vets will remove the inner eyelid, but this is not recommended, it's just an easier way to repair the eye, but it causes dry eye for the rest of your dogs life, it is better to sew it back in, which is how my vet does it. There are pros and cons to waiting for both eyes, because she was being spayed, she was already under the anesthetic , so the eye was a secondary procedure, the operation for both procedures cost $820.00. The second operation for the other eye, cost $ 850.00, because it was anesthetic again, IV fluids, medications, etc. so if you can wait until she is older to see if the other eye comes out, and if you are planning to spay her, then it would be better to do all the surgeries at the same time. It would eliminate having to put her through multiple surgeries, as there is always a risk , especially with bulldogs. As for the insurance, you will have to call your provider and ask if it is covered. If you had the insurance before the cherry eye, then it should be. My plan covered Blossoms' surgeries for 80%, I have PetSecure insurance, and I have my 2 puppies on the Puppy Wellness Plan, which covers everything with unlimited coverage for illness, and accidents. I have a $200 deductible.

Here are some pictures of Blossoms eye before and after surgery. I hope this helps you , and check out the article on this site about cherry eye. Good luck, keep us posted.

 

[Izzy's Mom]

Hi Isabel, my name is Monica, I just looked at the picture of Izzys' eye. I have a female named Blossom, she is 8 months old now. When she was 5 months old she developed cherry eye in her right eye. From what I've read about cherry eye, it's very common in dogs with flat wrinkled faces like our EB, Boxers, Pugs, French Bulldogs, etc. It can come out anywhere from the age of 3 months on, I tried massaging it in, and in the beginning, it would stay in, but then it came out more and more, especially after rough playing or running around. I decided to wait to do the surgery on her eye until I spayed her when she was 7 months old. We had her spayed last month, and fixed her eye at the same time. Unfortunately a week after we fixed her right eye, her left eye also came out. This is also common, what I read is that often the second eye will come out as well usually two or three months after the first one. Since it had been 3 months between the two, we thought we were free and clear for her left eye. My decision to do her eye at the time of her spay was to avoid putting her under anesthetic twice, and making it easier for her. Unfortunately that didn't work out. I had her left eye repaired on Fri Nov. 9th, just this past weekend. Both eyes are now fixed and we got a really nice result. As for Izzy, she is too young for surgery yet, and the other eye might come out as well. You can try the massage technique, there is a good article on this site regarding cherry eye, and a video on how to do the massage, I found also that using Refresh eye drops helps the eye stay moisturized, and less irritated , because the longer the eye is exposed to the air, it causes swelling, and irritation of the eye and the vet says it makes it harder to repair because the little bulge swells. Talk to your vet and see what he/she says, but it definitely looks like cherry eye to me. Some vets will remove the inner eyelid, but this is not recommended, it's just an easier way to repair the eye, but it causes dry eye for the rest of your dogs life, it is better to sew it back in, which is how my vet does it. There are pros and cons to waiting for both eyes, because she was being spayed, she was already under the anesthetic , so the eye was a secondary procedure, the operation for both procedures cost $820.00. The second operation for the other eye, cost $ 850.00, because it was anesthetic again, IV fluids, medications, etc. so if you can wait until she is older to see if the other eye comes out, and if you are planning to spay her, then it would be better to do all the surgeries at the same time. It would eliminate having to put her through multiple surgeries, as there is always a risk , especially with bulldogs. As for the insurance, you will have to call your provider and ask if it is covered. If you had the insurance before the cherry eye, then it should be. My plan covered Blossoms' surgeries for 80%, I have PetSecure insurance, and I have my 2 puppies on the Puppy Wellness Plan, which covers everything with unlimited coverage for illness, and accidents. I have a $200 deductible.

Here are some pictures of Blossoms eye before and after surgery. I hope this helps you , and check out the article on this site about cherry eye. Good luck, keep us posted.

Great reply, thanks for sharing your story. I will watch the massage video and read the post and we get the vet's opinion tomorrow during our visit.

Thank you!

 

[LynnA]

Otis had cherry eye in BOTH eyes, at first just one and then both. Intially we could massage it back in but then we could not. We have a "bully" vet and he recommended we have the tear gland cut out instead of the sewed back method. He will not even do the sewing method because of how often it comes back. He said in all the bullies he had done none of them had dry eye. We had Otis done the end of September when he was neatured and have not encountered any problems or dry eye.

His eyes look sensational now and I am so glad we ended up choosing the method we did. It was a very scary decision at first due to everyones opinion about "dry eye" but in the end all is good.

I wish you the best of luck with your decision. It is never easy.

 

[Baconator]

I'm no help just wanted to say good luck

 

[Izzy's Mom]

Otis had cherry eye in BOTH eyes, at first just one and then both. Intially we could massage it back in but then we could not. We have a "bully" vet and he recommended we have the tear gland cut out instead of the sewed back method. He will not even do the sewing method because of how often it comes back. He said in all the bullies he had done none of them had dry eye. We had Otis done the end of September when he was neatured and have not encountered any problems or dry eye.

His eyes look sensational now and I am so glad we ended up choosing the method we did. It was a very scary decision at first due to everyones opinion about "dry eye" but in the end all is good.

I wish you the best of luck with your decision. It is never easy.

I just read the article here about the surgery options... oh boy! Hard decision to make but I will let her vet share his opinion with me first. We also take Izzy to a vet that is very specialized in EBD. I might try the massage technique tonight but I am still undecided if I should just wait until tomorrow and let her vet see it first.

 

[Izzy's Mom]

I'm no help just wanted to say good luck

Thanks! I was crossing my fingers hoping that Izzy would be a bulldog free of surgeries but I guess it was too early to hope for that....

 

[LynnA]

Keep us posted!

 

[Vikinggirl]

It's a good idea to talk to your vet first, one day isn't going to make any difference. Izzy is still young, and you have time, the other eye may still come out, and you may be one of the lucky ones, that it rectifies itself. It doesn't cause them any pain, and isn't life threatening, so it's ok to wait. In the meantime you can talk to your vet, get his opinion, read information on it, and then wait and see for a few months until Izzy is a little older. Then if she needs surgery, you can decide the best option for you, based on all your information and vet advice, you can contact your insurance to see if and how much of the surgery is covered, and you can save the money for the surgery as well. Keep us posted as to what the vet says tomorrow.

 

[Izzy's Mom]

She stayed overnight at the vet hospital and will go through surgery tomorrow morning to stitch the gland back in place. her eye was very red and irritated.

 

[Vikinggirl]

Oh good, I'm glad you found a solution. Hopefully she doesn't get it in her other eye. I will keep my fingers crossed for her. Well wishes for Izzy and a speedy recovery.

 

[Izzy's Mom]

Thanks, at least her vet guarantees the surgery for life, if it pops out again he will do another procedure for free. I just didn't like the feeling of walking out of the clinic without her...