Trichiasis is a condition of normal hairs lying on or irritating the globe. Examples of this would be very long facial hairs in long haired dogs and nasal folds in the Pekingese. Also tiny hairs at the nose side of the eye can act as a wick and cause tear spilling in Miniature Poodles and Persian cats. Distichiasis is the condition of eyelashes coming out of an abnormal position such as the glands that are located along the eyelid edge. Districhiasis is more than 1 eyelash coming out of each of the gland openings.
Ectopic cilia are abnormal hairs that exit a hair follicle on the inside of the eyelid.
Ectopic cilia are very painful. The successful elimination of the offending hairs will require surgical treatment. In animals with lagophthalmos, the ability to blink is impaired, and owners may notice the animal sleeping with the eyes partially open. Whilst these animals may not exhibit any signs of eye problems for years, increased pigmentation will start on the cornea at the nose side of the eye. An all too common presentation will be the patient that develops a corneal ulcer in the center of the eye.