My dog's third eyelid is showing. What should I do if vet is closed?

I would have Maggie seen by a vet immediately. The eye is such a delicate and important structure that any problem with it should be considered an emergency. That's because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. The vet can diagnose what is causing her third eyelid to cover her eye, and can give her medication to treat it. I would take Maggie into an ER vet or find a vet on call to see her now.

A closed eye is often a painful eye, and a painful eye should be seen by a veterinarian. A scratch or ulcer of the cornea is the most common reason I see this, although many other problems can cause it as well. Good luck and I hope he improves soon.

It actually sounds like Oso could have facial nerve paralysis on that side that is making him unable to close his eyelid. The third eyelid is controlled by a different nerve so dogs with facial nerve paralysis will use the third eyelid to protect the eye. Facial nerve paralysis can be caused by a severe ear infection, or some neurologic diseases. I'd recommend seeing your veterinarian to see if this is a possibility. You may want to try applying an artificial tear ointment to keep his eye lubricated until you can see your vet

Hi. The white part coming from his lower eye lid that you are seeing is Speck's third eyelid. When the eye is irritated or injured the third eyelid may be more prominent and noticeable. You can gently clean around his eye with a soft cloth and warm water to remove any discharge or any topical allergens. He may have some irritation due to allergies or dust. If he is squinting, holding the eye closed, rubbing it or otherwise acting painful he should be evaluated by his vet. They can look for any foreign body around the eye or may stain the eye to make sure Speck doesn't have a scratch or ulcer. Do not use human OTC eye drops in his eyes.

It could be that Jezzie's eye aren't actually rolling up into her head; rather, you may be seeing the third eyelid sliding across her eye. This third eyelid isn't normally seen when a dog is awake and has their eyes open. It's function is to protect the eye, and spread tears across the eye's surface. When it is raised, this could be due to irritation to the eye, such as injury and infection. The other possibility is that it isn't the third eyelid, and Jezzie rolling her eyes back could be due to a seizure. Given that she acts ok and responds to you, I would be less inclined to think it was a seizure. She should be seen by a vet, as any eye problem is considered an emergency. The vet can diagnose if it is her third eyelid coming out or not, or if seizures are the cause, and can treat according to the diagnosis.

This white covering you are seeing is likely Tyson's third eyelid, which is a normal part of a dog's anatomy but should only come out when his eyes are closed such as when he is sleeping. When you see it out while his eye is open, that is a sign of illness such as an eye infection or foreign body in the eye. Clearly his eye is bothering him if he is rubbing at it, and you need to put an Ecollar on him to keep him from doing that because he could make the problem worse. I will put a link below on how to make an Ecollar at home. Next step is get him into a vet asap. The eye is such a delicate and important structure that any problem with it should be considered an emergency. That's because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. The vet can diagnose what is causing his third eyelid to protrude and how best to treat it. Good luck, I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

The pictures you have attached from Neely show that his third eyelid is elevated. This is the pink area on the lower inside part of his eye seen in the picture. Elevation of the third eyelid can mean either something directly wrong with his eye OR problems of internal illness or neurologic disease. Regardless, if he is feeling well at home otherwise, eating, drinking, normal behavior please schedule an appointment with his veterinarian in the near future. The doctor can examine his eye to verify if there is a problem or the doctor may identify an internal problem based on the rest of his/her good thorough physical exam. If Neely is stumbling around, has abnormal mentation, squinting of the eye, decrease in appetite, vomiting and/or diarrhea he should be evaluated as soon as possible.