This eye condition of the dog is a description of a situation wherein there are abnormally located eyelashes in the eyelids, which can cause a variety of eye issues from merely an ocular irritation up to a serious corneal ulcer. It also may be referred to as "ectopic cilia."

Animation of the anatomy of the eye section:

Animation montrant le distichiasis:

Image d'un chien avec cils ectopiques:

d’un chien avec cils ectopiques

What are the clinical signs at distichiasis?

Clinical signs are irritation or redness of the conjunctiva (the membranous tissue under the eyelids), often with lacrimal hypersecretion (watery eyes), greenish or yellowish discharge, blepharospasm (involuntary spasms of the eyelids), and possibly corneal damage (vascularization, pigmentation and /or ulceration).

Animation showing blepharitis:

What are the main predisposed breeds?

  • Berger Picard,
  • Bolognese,
  • Border terrier,
  • French Bulldog,
  • Poodle,
  • Cavalier King Charles spaniel,
  • Flat-Coated Retriever
  • Golden Retriever,
  • Dachshund,
  • Yorkshire terrier.

How does your veterinarian diagnose distichiasis?

The extra lashes, which are barely visible to the naked eye, and may actually be underneath the eyelid, can be observed by a specialized ophthalmologic consultation, which would be given if your veterinarian suspects the possible presence of these 'distichia'.

The number of lashes may vary, from just one or two, to a whole additional row of misplaced cilia.

What is the treatment?

Surgical treatment will be considered whenever the distichia are considered to be responsible for any of the symptoms mentioned previously. The treatment involves electrolysis of the lash 'roots', or surgical removal, so that they do not grow back again; merely plucking them out is usually not a permanent solution.

Any of the secondary complications will also need to be treated separately, e.g. antibiotic ointment for conjunctivitis, up to a possible additional surgery for a severe corneal ulcer. Other symptoms such as blepharospasm, and epiphora usually respond spontaneously once the offending eyelashes have been removed.

If in doubt, ask for an ophthalmologic examination of your dog 's eye.

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