Prolapse of the Eye in Dogs

Prolapse of the eye is usually the result of trauma to the face or the eye itself. Either the eye gets caught on something and pulled out of place or part of the skull gets injured and can no longer hold the eye in. Either way, you need to seek veterinary care immediately. If you seek medical attention for him quickly after the injury occurred, the chance of saving partial sight in the eye is higher than if you wait. However, even in the best of cases, only about 50% of dogs keep their sight in the eye but the veterinarian may be able to save the eye itself. Even if your dog does lose his sight or eye, he will still be able to live a full life once adjusted.

If your dog has a prolapsed eye, it means it has popped out of its socket. It needs to be treated at a medical emergency if you want and chance at saving your pet’s vision or even just the eye itself. Call your veterinarian on your way into the clinic so the team can prepare for your arrival.

Symptoms of eyeball prolapse are fairly obvious. Symptoms may include:

• Trauma to the eye
• Trauma to the face
• Eye appears to be bulging out of its socket
• Eye is completely out of its socket and hanging out

More subtle symptoms that may begin prior to the obvious symptoms:

• Irritation of the eye
• Rubbing of the eye

Types

If the eye is prolapsed it means the eye has come out of its socket. There are varying degrees of displacement that can occur. 

• Bulging out more than the average eye
• The eye is partially popped out but still somewhat in the eye socket
• Complete prolapse of the eye where it is freely hanging out of the socket

In the majority of cases of dogs with a prolapsed eye, trauma is the cause. Maybe your dog got into an altercation with another animal; maybe he bumped into something with moderate force and hurt himself. Either way, the trauma caused injury to the eyeball itself and the socket. 

Some dog breeds are more prone to developing eye prolapse than others. For example, Pugs, Bulldogs, Toy Spaniels, and other small breeds with a short, squished faces tend to suffer from this condition more than other breeds.

Veterinarians can diagnose a prolapsed eye with one quick look at your dog. It is a very obvious condition and even a non-medical related person will know something is not right. If your dog is experiencing eye prolapse, basically it is slipping out of place. The eye may also appear to be bulging out of the socket.

To properly treat a prolapsed eyeball, you dog will need immediate veterinary attention. The longer his eyeball is out of the socket, the harder it will be to get it back into place. If you want to attempt to put your dog’s eyeball back in its socket, you should place a warm, damp cloth over the eyeball and gently but firmly press the eyeball inward. If you cannot get it back into the socket or do not want to try, your veterinarian will do what she can. She may need to sedate your dog due to his pain and discomfort while trying to put it back into place. 

Once properly and safely cleaned, it can surgically be returned to its socket. Once back in place, the veterinarian can suture the eyelid shut in order for it to stay in place for a week. This will allow the tissues of the eye begin to repair itself and keep itself in place after the healing process has begun. She will then bandage it to keep the light and dirt out while also helping hold it in place in addition to the sutures. 

Medications will be prescribed to go home for you to administer to your dog over the next two weeks or so. An antibiotic will be given to treat and prevent any infection. Cortisone may be sent home to control any swelling. Topical medications for the eye may also be prescribed as well as a mydriatic eye medication.

If you are able to pop the eye back into its socket relatively soon after it prolapsed, the prognosis for it staying in place is good. However, if it is out of the socket for too long, the prognosis declines. However, even if the eye is put back into place, the chance of vision returning to the eye is only 50%. 

If the globe cannot be saved, some owners may decide to have it removed completely. Some owners will then have a glass globe put into place to at least keep the eye like form. Dogs do well with one eye removed and only have the one remaining eye to work with. They compensate for the loss of vision very quickly and easily. While it may not look very pretty in the beginning, your dog will be perfectly fine with just one eye. He will be able to live out his life just as he would if he were to have two.