4 week old puppy has lower eyelid with 'extra' membrane?

by PJ
(Texas)

I have a 4 week old cattle dog puppy that has a strange extra eyelid on her left eye. It seems like the lower lid has a membrane that has prevented the eye from totally opening where the eyeball shows.

The eye opens in that the membrane still covers the eyeball. The tiny part of the eyeball that shows appears to have an tiny ulcer or white spot on it.

She also has a bit of balance problems.

The other puppies in the litter are normal.





Hi PJ
Unfortunately I'm not a veterinarian so I can't say what is causing this problem with your puppy's eye, except to tell you what you already know... that it's not normal!

This could be a birth defect of some sort, or it could be that something has got into her eye and caused the irritation and swollen membrane. The white spot on her eye you notice could be an ulcer or a scratch of some sort and could possibly be the root of the problem.

She needs to be seen by a veterinarian right away so that whatever is wrong can be fixed quickly. Many times an injury or inflammation can be treated with antibiotics and other medications, but if left untreated she may end up with real vision problems.

The balance problems may be related to the fact that her vision is 'off kilter' due to just having one eye working properly. Or it could be an additional and unrelated health problem. Again only a vet could make that diagnosis.

I hope you can get her some help quickly and that she makes a full recovery. Best of luck.