WHAT
IS MEDIAL CANTHAL ENTROPION?
Medial
canthal entropion is a condition where the eyelids at the inner corner of the
eye roll inwards. The rolling-in causes the hairs that are growing in the
corner of the eye to “wick” the tears out onto the face, causing wetness and
staining of the fur. In some breeds, these hairs can even rub on the cornea
(the clear surface of the eye), and cause irritation and scarring, which can
potentially lead to vision loss.
WHAT
CAUSES MEDIAL CANTHAL ENTROPION?
Medial
canthal entropion is an inherited eyelid conformation.
WHAT
BREEDS ARE COMMOJNLY AFFECTED?
Medial
canthal entropion is commonly seen in small breed dogs such as the ShihTzu,
Lhasa Apso, Poodle, Maltese, and Pug.
HOW
IS MEDIAL CANTHAL ENTROPION TREATED?
Surgery
is required to correct medial canthal entropion. This involves removal of the
skin from which the offending hairs are growing.
WHAT
HAPPENS THE DAY OF SURGERY?
The
night before surgery, your pet can have dinner, but than no food after 8 pm and
no water after midnight. The morning of surgery, please be at the clinic between 8-8:30 am to drop off. Your pet
will be given pain control
and
sedative medications before surgery to help keep him/her calm. An IV catheter
is then placed in his/her windpipe to administer gas anesthetic. Heart rhythm,
blood pressure, blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels will all be monitored
for the entire surgery. Please call us around noon to arrange for a pick up
time later the same day.
HOW
WILL MY DOG LOOK AFTER SURGERY?
Initially,
after surgery , the eyes will look different or smaller than before. This is normal and will subside as healing
takes place. You may notice some bloody +/or blood tinged discharge from the
eyes for a few days. This can be gently cleaned away with a Kleenex. The
stitches in the eyelids are dissolvable and will fall out on their own (this
can take up to a month). It is important that your dog wears the head collar AT
ALL TIMES for at least 2 weeks to prevent him/her from rubbing at the eyes and
potentially doing damage (which may require more surgery to correct!)
WHAT
WILL I NEED TO DO AT HOME?
When
using eye drops, be sure to hold the lids open so the medication is placed
directly on to the eye.
Keep
the head collar on at all times, even at night.
VERY
GENTLY keep the eyes clean by wiping away any discharge from the eye with a
clean, moist Kleenex or face cloth.
Keep
your pet quiet.
Book
the recheck appointments as requested by the doctor. It is important to monitor
your pet to ensure proper healing.
**IMPORTANT
– BEFORE SURGERY**
If
your dog regularly goes to a groomer for clipping, be sure to have this done
BEFORE surgery, as your pet will not be allowed any visits to the groomer until
the eyes are well healed (which can take up to a few weeks after surgery). It
may be worth while asking the groomer to clip the face & ears short to
prevent the fur from matting while the head collar is on.