My dog's third eyelid is showing, and meds aren't helping. Why?

Poor Ella! I'm sorry to hear that she's having this problem. It's a bit hard to tell from the photos exactly what's going on, but it looks like her third eyelid is elevated in the right eye - that's the pale-colored membrane that you can see in the inner corner of her eye. It also looks like the area surrounding the eye may be a bit swollen. These symptoms could be caused by a number of different things, so she would really need an in-person exam and possibly some testing to diagnose the problem. Conjunctivitis or an injury to the eye such as a corneal ulcer can cause swelling and third eyelid elevation. She could also have an abscess or tumor behind the eye, causing it to bulge outward and have this appearance. Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to.

Your vet prescribed a general antibiotic eye drop which also contain steroids, from my experience when both third eyelids go up into the eye like this, it is usually not an eye related disease, it's more likely to be an intestinal disease. if she has not been dewormed lately, i would recommend starting by deworming her, often it is the discomfort related to the worms in the intestines that is causing this symptom. once the abdominal discomfort will be over, this symptom will disappear.

What you are seeing on Jax is his third eyelid (known as the nicitating membrane) sticking out over the rest of his eyeball. I can not say for sure why it has prolapsed. This can happen due to an injury or an infectious process. The nicitating membrane has several important responsibilities, so making sure that it is still fully functional is important. While it is not an emergency, if the membrane does not return to its normal location by tomorrow I would consider bringing Jax in for an appointment. In the mean time, I would recommend obtaining some artificial tears from the drug store and keeping the eye nice and lubricated. Do this every 4 to 6 hours in case there is a lack of tear production.

Depending on what drugs were used to sedated her, this can certainly be normal - many sedatives, acepromazine in particular, very commonly cause third eyelid elevation. If this is the case, it's not a cause for concern, and I would expect her eyes to be back to normal in the next 12-24 hours. If they're still not normal by this time tomorrow, or if she develops any other symptoms you're concerned about, I would suggest giving her vet a call or taking her back in for a recheck to make sure everything is okay.

Hi, and thanks for your question. That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

If her third eyelid is up, it could be something more concerning such as a scratch on her cornea. If she is pawing at her eye, please put an e-collar on her to prevent her from causing significant damage to the eye but rubbing it. You can use an eye wash to rinse the eye (here is a great one for pets https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-eye-wash-for-dogs. If its just allergies, this will usually help. Also, Benadryl can be safely given to cats and may help if its an allergy, however most cats HATE the taste, so giving it can be a challenge. Here is an article including dosing information: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-eye-wash-for-dogs If her eye is still bothering her, and/or if the 3rd eyelid is up, take her in to your vet. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The pictures of Ziggy's eyes are hard to say for sure, but it appears what you are seeing is his third eyelid. It can become visible for a number of reasons, the most common of which in a dog his age include lymphoid hyperplasia (a condition that is self-limiting and rarely requires intervention), ocular foreign body which is usually irritating and makes them rub at it and squint, and a local allergic reaction to something in his environment. Keep watch on this, and if it does start bothering him, gets larger, or fails to subside within a week or two, please have him examined by a veterinarian. Hope this helps!