There are several common conditions affecting our furry friends and their eyelids. Below is just a few of the more common conditions.
Entropion
Here the edges of the lid can roll inward, and hairs can touch the tear film or the cornea, causing discharge, rubbing, discomfort and sometimes, ulcers.
There are different forms of entropion, and most require surgery to correct. A thorough assessment must be made to rule out the cause of the entropion before a plan is put in place.
Ectropion
Lids can also roll outwards, causing exposure of the pink conjunctiva and contributing to sore, weepy eyes. Sometimes both entropion and ectopion can exist in the same patients eye! Surgery is required to correct this and make the patient comfortable.
Distichia
This is a common condition where little hairs can appear along the eyelid margin from small glands. These can tickle the tear film and the cornea and sometimes cause discomfort, discharge and ulcers. They require surgery to remove them, here at Peteyevet, we use cryotherapy which freezes and destroys the eyelash root.
Cilia
These are individual hairs that grow through the conjunctiva of the eyelid and irritate the eye.
Trichiasi
Many brachycephalic patients have this condition where their eyelashes or facial hair grow inward towards the eye rather than the typical up and outward direction that they should go. These dogs often have many large facial folds nearby enhancing the contact between hairs and eye.
