09/04/2026
Did you know your pet can have extra eyelashes?
These abnormal hairs are called distichia (or distichiasis), and they grow from the gland openings on the eyelid margin—places where eyelashes normally shouldn’t grow!
Some distichia are very fine and soft and may never cause a problem. However, thicker or more rigid hairs can rub against the surface of the eye, leading to irritation, excessive tearing, squinting, redness, or even painful corneal ulcers.
Treatment depends on whether the hairs are actually causing irritation. Some pets need nothing more than monitoring or added lubricants, while symptomatic distichia can be treated with specialized procedures to remove the abnormal hairs and help prevent them from growing back.
If your pet seems to have chronically irritated eyes (like Milo) or recurrent ulcers, those tiny eyelashes could be the culprit!
Come see us to determine if distichia are present and whether treatment id needed!
Peep for closeups of Milo’s distichia before and after cryotherapy treatment. If you look super closely on the last picture you may be to tell that these are not always singular hairs but can be little tufts of multiple hairs coming out one opening.
