My puppy's third eyelid tore, a piece is hanging. Does it bother her?

Its a little hard to appreciate on the photo; it looks like the third eyelid may have been damaged. As long as he isn't pawing at it, rubbing his face on the ground, squinting, or having discharge from his eyes, I don't think you need to rush in. Just have your vet take a look at in at your annual exam. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the photos you provided, it appears as though the area you are concerned about is a flap of tissue from the conjunctiva or third eyelid that was somehow damaged. A problem like this will typically heal on its own but may stick to the cornea permanently as scar tissue. The scar tissue will not cause any harm but will just be noticeable when you look at the eye. If there is any drainage, the eye is swollen or she is squinting, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine the eye to ensure there is no trauma to the surface of the eye itself that needs to be treated. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

I recommend bringing Chester to the veterinarian. A torn eyelid can cause irritation to the cornea and pain and annoyance for Chester. If you can't get to a veterinarian tomorrow you can put an ecollar on him until you can get to a veterinarian. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

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.

Thank you for the good photo! It looks like she tore the corner of the third eyelid. It is usually from an injury but often we don't know how it happened. I would not say is not common but I have seen it before. I agree with you, if it is not bothering her I would just leave it be.

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.