Have you ever heard about the dog’s third eyelid?Yes, dogs have three eyelids to protect their eyes. Let’s see what this third eyelid does and what problems it causes to the dogs.Do you know that a dog has three eyelids? One the upper eyelid, one the lower eyelid, and an extra eyelid for extra protection.Do you want to know more about this third eyelid? Dogs are one of the most lovable pets. There are so many breeds of dogs which adds to their popularity as pets. Certain breeds like Cocker Spaniel, German shepherd, Labrador, Golden Retriever, Shih Tzu, etc. are just some of the common pet dog breeds. Being a pet owner is not an easy task. You have to take care of your pet in every possible way and have to ensure its good health. You have to take your pet to the vet for routine checkups to know whether your pet is suffering from any issue or not. So, let’s see what problems your dog can face with its eyes.After reading about the ailments affecting a dog’s third eyelid gland, also check can dogs get mosquito bites and can dogs get lice from humans?What is a third eyelid in a dog?How many eyelids do you think your dog has? Two, right? But, these are those eyelids that are visible to you with naked eyes under normal conditions. In reality, a dog actually has three eyelids. The extra eyelid is not visible to us.A dog’s third eyelid gland is also called the nictitating membrane which is hidden and invisible. If you look closely in your pet’s eyes, you can see a triangular portion in the inner corner of the dog’s eyes. This small portion is the third eye of your dog. This third eyelid of the dog is black or brown in color. This sometimes can also be pinkish in color, but this is very rare.This third eyelid is not an exclusive feature of the dogs, this is also found in many other animals like cats, sharks, and birds. This third eyelid is a very important eye part for these animals. Some animals like cats and dogs have a full nictitating membrane, while some have only partially developed membrane.How does it form?The third eyelid or the nictitating membrane is a transparent to translucent eyelid present in many animals to protect their eyes.Mammals like dogs and cats have a full nictitating membrane in their eyes. This eyelid is not visible, but sometimes it is visible which indicates the bad health of your pet. You can see this membrane in your pet dog’s eye when it gets swollen or gets displaced. This common disorder is called cherry eye.This disorder can be caused because of the rupture of the small ligament which is responsible to keep the nictitating membrane in place. These ligaments are made of fibers, which can be weak or strong depending on the dog’s breed. This is not a painful problem for the dogs, they do not even realize that they are suffering from any issue. But this needs to be treated because if left untreated, it can lead to some other health problems in dogs like Cocker Spaniels and Golden Retrievers.How long does it take for a dog’s third eyelid to go away?If your dog’s third eyelid has some issues, it has to be treated. A dog’s third eyelid serves many purposes in protecting its eyes. But sometimes they get disturbed because of certain health problems. It is not a very rare problem among dogs.When the third eyelids of a dog are visible, this means that there may be some issues with your pet’s eyes. Like other good pet owners, it is your responsibility to take care of your pet’s eyes, and take it to the vet to get checked.The third eyelid of the dog should be treated with great care to ensure the protection of your pet’s eyes. If your dog has cherry eyes and the vet has performed surgery for this, then it will take some time for your dog to recover. Your dog may have to visit the vet more frequently.The dog needs about 14 days to recover from this type of surgery and has to wear the Elizabethan collar, which is also called the E-collar or the buster collar. Your dog will also need some eye drops and veterinary medicine recommended by the vet. But don’t worry, after a few days your dog will be as fit as it was before.Cherry Eye In Dogs (Third Eyelid Gland Prolapse)Cherry eye in dogs is a disorder that is caused by the prolapsed third eyelid gland or the nictitating membrane. In this disorder, the third eyelid which contains the tear gland prolapsed and caused a red bulge, or red or pink mass, in the inner corner of the dog’s eye.This can be in only one eye or in both of the eyes of a dog. A cherry eye can be commonly found in young dogs and certain dog breeds which have short snouts such as Boxers, Boston terriers, Bulldogs, etc.A cherry eye won’t go away on its own and needs to be treated through surgery. This is a very common eye disorder among dogs and is also easily treatable. This disorder can be easily treated by any veterinary ophthalmologist or by any general veterinarian who has trained in treating this problem. This is not a big eye problem among dogs, so if your pet has cherry eyes, do not worry about it. Just take your dog to the vet so they can advise on the best course of treatment.Can it affect the other eyes?A cherry eye is not a painful disorder nor a very big issue for dogs. This is also easily treatable. Some dogs have a cherry eye in only one of their eyes, while some have in both eyes.According to some experts, 40% of dogs who have a cherry eye in one of their eyes, will also end up having a cherry eye in the other one too.This is because a cherry eye is caused by weak ligaments, and if the ligaments of one eye are weak, how can the ligaments of the other eye be strong? So there are chances that if your dog has a cherry eye in one eye, then it may develop that in the other eye too.Treatment OptionsThe disorder in the third eyelid in the dogs does not go away on its own. You have to take your pet to the vet. Like the other great pet parents, you need to take care of your pet’s health.To treat the cherry eye of your dog, it has to go through eye surgery. There are mainly three methods to treat a cherry eye.The first and the most common is the tucking method. In this method, the gland is placed to its original position with the help of a stitch. This is the most commonly performed method but can include some complications. The most common complication is that the tucking may not hold the gland permanently to its place.Another method is the imbrication method. In this method, a part of the tissue is removed from the actual gland. This technique is quite complicated as it is hard to determine how much to remove. Some stitches are also needed to close the tiny gaps. This may sometimes cause inflammation in the dog’s eyes.There is another method, which is the removal of the gland of the third eyelid. This technique used to be very popular, but now it is not much preferred by both pet owners and the vet. The third eyelid gland is very important for the dog’s eyes to keep them healthy. If we remove this gland, it may have adverse effects on the entire eye of the animal.Why do dogs have a third eyelid? So you now know that a dog has three eyelids. But are you not wondering what is the purpose of this third eyelid? Well, this third eyelid plays a very important role in keeping your dog’s eyes safe and healthy.The main purpose of the eyelids is to protect the eyes from any object which is coming near them. This can help your dog’s eyes to stay away from any kind of injury.Other than providing protection, the eyelids also lubricate your dog’s eyes and prevent them from getting dry. Every time when your pet blinks its eyes, the eyelids release tears and lubricate your dog’s eyes. This lubrication is necessary for the eyes to function well. When the eyelids release tears for lubrication, they also release some chemicals which are important for the defense of the dog’s eyes from infections. These chemicals are also part of the dog’s immune system.The dog’s third eyelid is responsible for one-third of the total tear production. This is because the third eyelid has the most important tear gland which is attached to its base.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for dogs third eyelid then why not take a look at can dogs have claritin, or Boxer facts.
Have you ever heard about the dog’s third eyelid?
