French bulldog cherry eye is probably one of the most irritative conditions your little Frenchie can develop. On the other hand, if it’s not treated on time, your precious French Bulldog can get a serious eye infection. Cherry eye issue is defined as a protruding third eyelid that is caused by the weakening, stretching, or detachment of anchoring tissue on an ocular gland.

The Causes of Cherry Eye Issue in Frenchies

The causes are not always known, but it’s believed that in most cases environmental factors and genetics are the triggers. So, if a puppy’s parents suffered from this issue, it’s very likely that their children will experience the symptoms at least once throughout their lifetime.

The condition is very irritating and is followed by significant discomfort. In case you live in an area with a low level of humidity, your French Bulldog’s eyes may become dry and irritated. As a result, he/she may start scratching the eyes and cause damage to the connective tissue. Cherry eye commonly affects brachycephalic breeds because they usually have big and protruding eyes that are prone to collecting different air allergens.

The Symptoms of a French Bulldog Cherry Eye

Cherry eye can usually affect younger Frenchies until their 2nd year of life. It’s because their eye ligamentous attachments are still not properly developed during that age. Here is the list of the symptoms that follows a cherry eye in French Bulldogs: 

• redness of the eye
• a dog is constantly rubbing and scratching the eye
• extremely dry eyes
• squinting
• excessive tear production
• discharge coming out from the eye
• infection of the eye
• swollen eyes
• blurred vision

How to prevent a Frenchie from developing the Cherry Eye issue?

Since Frenchies and Bulldog Breeds are naturally prone to suffer from this health problem, the best prevention is to perform a massage treatment. Their huge eyes need a regular massage of the skin around the eyes. I advise you to use a warm cloth and French Bulldog safe eye drops and to gently massage around the corner of your Frenchie’s eye. In case there wasn’t developed an infection, the protruding eyelid will start to go back in place after a couple of days. Another prevention is regular eye hydration. I recommend you ask your vet to recommend the appropriate eyewash ointment that you daily put into your French Bulldog’s eyes.