Ectropion is the turning out (eversion) of the eyelid. This usually affects the lower eyelids giving the animal a "droopy" eye appearance. Aside from being unattractive, ectropion can result in irritation because it causes exposure of the eyeball and the sensitive inner lining of the lid (conjunctiva) to irritants. It also causes drying of the eyeball due to increased tear evaporation and exposure.
Causes
Treatment
Although ectropion may be harmless in some animals, it may cause problems in others. Medical management of ectropion includes the use of ocular lubricants to protect the exposed sensitive tissues.
Surgical correction of the anatomic abnormality is often recommended in affected animals that have chronic or recurrent irritation or infections or that have evidence of corneal damage associated with exposure.
Prognosis
Depending on the severity, affected animals may be prone to eye irritation and consequences of chronic exposure including infections and corneal irritation. Surgical correction generally leads to marked improvement in most patients. Depending on the individual's healing abilities, some patients may require more than one attempt to achieve the desired result.
