Dog Cherry Eye: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How It's Treated

You look at your dog and notice a red, fleshy bulge in the inner corner of one or both eyes. This is almost certainly cherry eye — and while it looks alarming, it's a well-understood, treatable condition.

What Is Cherry Eye?

Dogs have a third eyelid in the inner corner of each eye. Attached to this membrane is a tear-producing gland that produces a significant portion of your dog's tears. In some dogs, the connective tissue holding this gland in place is weak, causing the gland to prolapse and become visible as a reddish, rounded mass.

Which Dogs Are Most Affected?

Cherry eye most commonly affects breeds with shallow eye sockets:

• Bulldogs and French Bulldogs
• Beagles, Cocker Spaniels, Basset Hounds, Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus, Boston Terriers (AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines, 2019).

It often appears in young dogs under 2 years old. If one side prolapses, the other often follows within weeks or months.

Why It Matters

Left untreated, the prolapsed gland can:

• Dry out and become damaged (it contributes 30–50% of tear production)
• Lead to dry eye (KCS) — a painful, chronic condition requiring lifelong treatment
• Become chronically inflamed and infected

Symptoms

• A pink or red, smooth, rounded mass in the inner eye corner
• Increased eye discharge or tearing
• Your dog pawing at the eye
• Eye appears red or irritated

Treatment: Surgery Is Usually Recommended

The standard of care is surgical repositioning of the gland — a vet tucks the gland back into normal position and sutures it in place. This is far preferable to removing the gland, which significantly increases dry eye risk. Success rates are high, though a small percentage require a second procedure.

What to Do at Home

Contact your vet as soon as you notice it. Keep the eye area clean and prevent the dog from rubbing it — an e-collar can help. There is no reliable home treatment for cherry eye.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cherry eye in dogs? Cherry eye is a prolapse of the tear-producing gland of the third eyelid. Dogs have a third eyelid in the inner corner of each eye with an attached gland that makes a large share of their tears; when the connective tissue holding it is weak, the gland pops out of place and appears as a red, rounded mass in the inner corner.

Which dogs get cherry eye? It most commonly affects breeds with shallow eye sockets — Bulldogs and French Bulldogs, plus Beagles, Cocker Spaniels, Basset Hounds, Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus, and Boston Terriers. It often appears in young dogs under 2 years old, and if one side prolapses the other frequently follows within weeks or months.

Is cherry eye dangerous, or can I leave it? It should be treated. Left untreated, the prolapsed gland can dry out and become damaged (it contributes 30-50% of tear production), lead to dry eye (KCS) — a painful, chronic condition needing lifelong treatment — and become chronically inflamed or infected.

How is cherry eye treated? The standard of care is surgical repositioning, where the vet tucks the gland back into its normal position and sutures it in place. This is far preferable to removing the gland, which significantly increases dry-eye risk. Success rates are high, though a small percentage of dogs need a second procedure.

What should I do at home if my dog has cherry eye? Contact your vet as soon as you notice it. Keep the eye area clean and prevent your dog from rubbing it (an e-collar can help). There is no reliable home treatment for cherry eye.

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