Cherry Eye?

Hi, I did some googling on this and I think its cherry eye? I'm not really sure though. She gets it every couple of months, and it typically lasts a few days to a week and then it goes away. Is this concerning, or normal? Should I take her to get looked at? Thanks for the help.

Hi - I am not in a position to diagnose your dog and furthermore cannot see the relevant detail of this image clearly enough on my little phone screen.  I will try to describe two possible options. Dogs have three eyelids: top, bottom and third, which is a sheet of mucosa (pink) covered cartilage that can slide over the surface of the eye from the inner corner, fitting snugly under the main eyelids.  Sometimes in the case of nerve damage, tiredness, eye pain, inflammation, infection etc the third eyelid can partially close across the eye from the corner.  Alternatively, in the case of a cherry eye, a tear-gland 'prolapses' (moves from its usual place) until it is sticking out.  These usually present as a lump or bulge without an obvious free edge, protruding from the lower inner corner of the eye. Either way this is academic; either a gland prolapse or a single protruding third eyelid is abnormal and should be investigated by a vet.  Give them a call so that the urgency of the situation can be triaged.

Cherry eyes can be 'milked' back into the pocket that they have escaped from, which would explain it disappearing and reappearing.  There is surgery available, for example, that involves sewing the gland back into the pocket and suturing it closed, replacing the now old-fashioned method of cutting the gland off which leaves the pet without its essential natural tear-film.  Thus is however skilled surgery - it's worth asking your vet their typical success rate or whether they would recommend referral.  There is a really good article about cherry eye if you search for it in our blog.