Cherry Eye

With all "purebred" dogs and now the "designer" dogs, everyone needs to understand that all breeds of dogs come with a variety of issues that may pertain to their own breed. Cockers along with a list of many other purebreds can be prone to what we call Cherry Eye. The photo to the left is an excellent representation of what this looks like.

I can assure you it looks far worse than it actually is. This is fairly common and quite easy to fix. Yes, it will need to be fixed. My advice to you before purchasing a cocker spaniel is to ask your vet how they repair a cherry eye and the cost to do so.

Cherry Eye is something that crops up from one minute to the next. You can be playing with your dog, turn your head for an instant and there it is. Cherry Eye will usually occur within the first year. It may show up in one eye or both.

Breeding for 25 years I have had a Cherry Eye here and there. How could we not? What I do advise is this. First off DON'T PANIC, it is far from serious. It is however an inconveinance that will need to be corrected. Feel free to call your vet and have it looked at. If you would like to wait a few days to see if the other eye may break that is most preferred. At this time you can schedule an appointment to have it fixed, saving time and money on extra visits. I would say that you need to ask your vet what procedure they use and if they do a cut and tuck, their success rate. Some vets are excellent at this procedure and it does not reoccur. If they are not.... it may pop back up. There are a couple different procedures, so do not hesitate to ask about success rate and cost.

Cherry Eye is just something that happens, we cannot track or anticipate what puppy may break with this. It falls under the catagory of "things just happen" and will need to be addressed.