ADVICE

Distichiasis

Distichiasis is a common condition in dogs where eyelashes develop in an abnormal location, emerging from the eyelid margin at the level of the opening of the meibomian glands, rather than the eyelid skin.

What are the signs of distichiasis?

In many dogs, the hairs are thin and soft and cause no problem, but in some cases they can be stiff and the irritation from these hairs can cause discomfort (blinking/squinting), discharge (weepy eye), redness of the ‘white’ part of the eye and in severe cases they can damage the surface of the eyes to cause corneal ulcers.

What are the treatment options for distichiasis?

Distichiasis only requires treatment if the hairs are causing irritation, conjunctivitis or corneal ulceration.

There are several treatment options:

Non-surgical treatments

• Ocular lubricants – The use of a lubricating gel or ointment two to three times daily will improve the tear film and may reduce irritation in mild cases. Lifelong treatment will be required.
• Plucking – The extra eyelashes can be plucked using epilation forceps. This is also useful to prove the cause of irritation. Epilation is a temporary treatment and will need repetition every four to six weeks for life.

Surgical procedures

These treatments require a general anaesthetic. They rely on an assumed location of the hair follicle and so do not have a 100 per cent success rate. They can cause some scarring and depigmentation of the eyelids, but this is usually temporary.

• Electrolysis – A fine electrode is inserted into each gland opening alongside the emerging hair. A current is applied to attempt to permanently destroy the hair follicle, preventing regrowth of the distichia. Only those hairs present at the time of treatment can be identified and treated, so new hairs may emerge at a later date and cause irritation. The procedure may need to be repeated a number of times if necessary. Rarely, electrolysis can cause some scarring and depigmentation of the eyelids, but this is not usually severe.
• Cryotherapy – This technique can be useful when many hairs are present. A probe is applied to the inner surface of the eyelid in the region of the hair follicles, and the eyelid is then frozen to destroy the hair follicles. This procedure may also need to be repeated. It has a similar success rate to electrolysis, although the swelling of the eyelids immediately post-operation may be greater. This should settle in a few days. The treated areas will lose pigment, which usually returns after several weeks.