Prolapsed 3rd Eye - Post Surgery

[Scooter_in_Kindergarten]

ps. sorry this is a bad pic. my arm/sweater was blocking him from scooting away from the camera.

[Karen]

Wow that does look a lot better. I'm sure Scooter is happy that things can get back to normal. Did the vet see anything during the surgery that might have caused all this? I remember you mentioning that the vet said it was likely because of trauma to the eye, can you see any injuries to the eye itself now that it is visible again?

[Scooter_in_Kindergarten]

Karen: No, the vet was very puzzled as to what might have caused this. He said he has seen this before in Monitors and other lizards but in each case it was very clear that there was trauma to the eye. In this case there was no visible trauma or injury. He guessed that 'maybe' his substrate got lodged in his eye or he might have scratched it while roaming my classroom. We don't know. What caused this

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I think I still see part of the Nictitating membrane in the last pic.

[ssr]

He's looking good. Thanks for taking such great care of him.

[El Lobo]

I hope Scooter is well on the way to recovery.

An extract from a paper presented to a veterinary conference earlier this year may be of interest.

Diseases of the Lacrimal System and Third Eyelid. What Every Clinician Must Know About Diagnosis & Therapy
Ron Ofri, DVM, PhD, DECVO
Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel

Third Eyelid Disorders
Prolapse or protrusion of the third eyelid is a common presentation. Bilateral protrusion is usually caused by decreased orbital mass (e.g., dehydration or cachexia) causing enophthalmos. It may also be observed in cats with Haw's syndrome, or cases of extraocular polymyositis. Unilateral protrusion is commonly seen due to space occupying retrobulbar diseases that are pressuring the third eyelid (e.g., retrobulbar abscess or tumor). Pain, causing globe retraction, and sympathetic denervation (Horner's syndrome) will likewise cause unilateral protrusion.

The third eyelid may also be visibly prominent in cases of conjunctivitis. Though the bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva are usually also affected, clinicians should remember the presence of lymphatic follicles on the inner surface of the third eyelid. These may hypertrophy during inflammation, and may need to be debrided following its resolution.

Another common problem is "cherry eye", or prolapse of the tear gland located at the base of the third eyelid. This is probably caused by weakness in the attachments to the periorbita, and some dog breeds may be genetically predisposed. Prolapsed glands should be replaced surgically, most commonly by various pocketing techniques or anchoring to the periosteum of the ventral orbit. Excision of the gland, which makes a significant contribution to overall tear production, predisposes the dog to KCS. It should be avoided at all costs, and indeed it is contraindicated except in cases of third eyelid neoplasia or severe trauma.

Scrolling of the third eyelid is another disorder with genetic predisposition that can only be repaired surgically. And finally, clinicians presented with a painful eye should always remember the possibility of foreign bodies "hiding" behind the third eyelid.