My 3 year old Shi Tzu/Poodle mix, Lexie, was diagnosed with Cherry eye three weeks ago by our vet and two weeks ago she had surgery to "tack it down," as he put it. She then had to wear an Elizabethean collar for two weeks, and we took it off this morning. Then a matter of minutes later, I noticed the cherry eye was back and worse than ever.

So besides being amazingly angry with my vet, who I've been taking my animals to for 12 years, I'm wondering if I should just take her somewhere else to have it fixed again.

But how do I find a good veterinarian in my area (NE Ohio) that specializes in eye surgery? I've tried search engines and phone books but they don't provide much info and I want to make sure I find someone who can really fix it. Are there any questions I should ask or are there alternative treatments I don't know about? Thanks!

Have you been satisfied with the care of your vetinarian for these last 12 years?

Have you discussed the fact that this condition has re-emerged with your vet?

Cherry eye appears to be a fairly routine condition for repair, but it appears that it can be caused by irritation and can become infected.

Here is a little discussion about it:

quote:

The exact cause of cherry eye is not known, but it is strongly suspected that it is due to a weakness of the connective tissue that attaches the gland to the surrounding structures of the eye. The weakness of the connective tissue allows the gland to prolapse. Once the gland prolapses and is exposed to the dry air and irritants, it can become infected and/or begin to swell. The gland often becomes irritated, red, and swollen. There is sometimes a mucous discharge and if the animals rub or scratch at it, they can traumatize the gland further or possibly create an ulcer on the surface of the eye.

You might consider discussing the problem again with the vet, they may have had nothing to do with the relapse of the eye injury.