Surgical management of cherry eye in dog and cat

Two dogs (one mongrel and Napolian mastiff) with red mass protruding bilaterally and one cat with unilateral protrusion from the bulbar surface of the third eyelid at medial canthus of the eye were presented to the Veterinary Polyclinics, IVRI, Izatnagar. Ophthalmic examination revealed mucoid discharge associated with congestion of the palpebral and nictitans conjunctiva in the affected eyes. Schinner's tear test values were 9, 11 and 10 mm/min in the affected eyes but in normal eye it was 19 mm/min. The prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid was diagnosed. Under atropine-diazepam-thiopentone anaesthesia in dogs and ketamine in the cat, the prolapsed gland was repositioned in its original place by Morgan's conjunctival pocket technique using 6–0 polydiaxone suture. The first and last knots of the continuous suture were placed on the external surface of the third eyelid to avoid the risk of the corneal damage or irritation. The aesthetic result was excellent in all the cases. There was no recurrence in 2 cases during the 5 months post surgical period, whereas the recurrence in one case was treated with the same surgical procedure, which also resulted in vain.