What is wrong with this picture?

OK, OK, it's wrong on so many levels.

But look more closely , and try to see past the 'disgusted with my humans' look on his face, let alone the paper hat....

Yup, there it is. That icky mass that looks like it's protruding from his left eye.

That's "cherry eye". There are a few things to know if you want to understand (on a basic level) what cherry eye is.

1) Dogs have a "third eyelid". It gives dogs' eyeballs added protection by actually being able to close upward and over the dog's eyeball. I've actually seen this Third Eyelid open a split second after the main eyelid opens up when our dogs would wake up from a particularly lazy nap. They look almost like a gecko (well, if a gecko was, fuzzy, tubby and about 6000 times bigger).

2) This Third Eyelid also has a tear gland that helps lubricate the eye.

3) This Third Eyelid can often "pop out", particularly on somewhat bug-eyed dogs (e.g. French Bulldogs, Pugs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and, of course, Bulldogs).

When the Third Eyelid pops out it is called an "Everted Third Eyelid" but it kind of looks like a cherry, ergo the name. It gets swollen and often red because it is not circulating blood properly. Aside from looking pretty gross, it undoubtedly is uncomfortable for the dog, and makes it prone to infection and other eye disorders.

Vets used to just cut it off - but this would remove the pretty important gland that produces lubricant for the eye. So now a lot of them pop it back in and kind of "tack" it in place, trying to avoid covering up that tear duct that creates the film for the eye. The downside of this approach is that it often pops out again - and the fewer times you have to put your dog under anesthesia, the better.

We had a great, bulldog-specializing vet who excelled at the 'tack' surgery, so we opted for that approach, twice. Our dog still ended up with dry eye at around age six that we have to treat every day, but not as quickly as if our vet had not handled his two cherry eyes so well at age two.

The first time our dog's cherry eye popped out, it was because a kid bopped him in the eye with a ball (but, fairly, it probably was prone enough to it that it would have happened at some point). The second time (on the other eye), it just popped out. I can say neither ever relapsed, which again is probably testament to our vet's skill.

Our other bulldog never got cherry eye. While I think it's possible to minimize the likelihood of the condition, it is actually not particularly severe and can be treated effectively.

A couple of sites (here and here), write about this and show more photos. You'll continue to see the debate about 'cut' or 'tuck' - I just write about our experience. But, in all cases, remember the following:

- treat any case you have to put your bulldog 'under' very seriously - and, ideally, the fewer the better

- find an awesome, bulldog-experienced vet from the day you get one (or even before) (more on how to find one later)

- in the case of eyes, locate a good opthamalogist (who likewise has lots of experience with bulldogs)