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 take food and water away after midnight. The morning of surgery, please drop off. your pet at 9:00 AM.
An intravenousl catheter is placed and medications are given to prep you pet for surgery. An endotracheal tube 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.
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 removed in 2 weeks. It is important that your dog wears the elizabethan 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 and the nose pointed towards the ceiling so the medication is placed directly on to the eye.
Keep the elizabethan 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 worthwhile asking the groomer to clip the face & ears short to prevent the fur from matting while the head collar is on.