My dog has a black spot in her eye. Is it cancer? What are my options?

You should always have something like this checked out by your vet in person. A special ophthalmoscope is needed to check the eye. My best guess is that this is an iris (uveal) cyst. If this brown spot moves around in the eye (floating) it is probably an iris cyst. If it is stationary and does not move, then it may be a cancer. This is not something that can be diagnosed over the internet.

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question about Ellie. The pigmentation can grow over time. I will put a link below to an article as to what this could be. If this is pigmentary keratitis, the underlying cause needs to be diagnosed so it can be treated correctly. Even if this was a melanoma, yes they are usually benign in dogs. In fact, 80% of them are benign. If it was melanoma, it could be destroyed with a laser since it's small. Have her see a veterinary ophthalmologist before getting too worried about it. Best of luck. https://www.northwestanimaleye.com/pigmentary-keratitis.pml

I recommend to have Cassie examined by the veterinarian. It's possible this is a benign iris cyst BUT it could also be melanoma or some other type of cancer. Once the doctor can determine where the black blob is found within the eye, this will give a better idea of what it could be. Cassie may also need a referral to a specialist. I hope this helps.

Hi, this looks like an uveal cyst which is a benign condition that can be easily distinguished from a melanoma by the perfectly spherical shape and by being translucent when trans illuminated during ophthalmic examination. Most uveal cysts generally occur without any precedent or concurrent ocular disease and originate from the pigmented epithelium of the iris or ciliary body. Theories exist suggesting the cysts are present at birth, but do not start to grow and slowly detach to become free-floating until later in life. As the cysts grow, they may become “wedged” in the visual axis and sometimes cysts collapse spontaneously, leaving pigmented deposits on the central to ventral corneal endothelium. There is no absolute answer to whether uveal cysts require treatment. In many dogs, single or multiple cysts may be present, floating in the anterior chamber, without any obvious effect on the dog’s visual behaviour. In your case, I would continue to monitor Oscar but given the fact the cyst is quite small, it’s most likely not causing him any problems with his vision even if it should move to the from of the eye and therefore can be left for the time being.

That is an unusual location for a mass. Good for your for being persistent in figuring out what it is. I would recommend consulting with a veterinary ophthalmologist to decide if it should be surgically removed. Ophthalmologists have additional years of surgical training with the eyes, so they will be the best source of information for you. You can find an ophthalmologist near you at this website. http://acvo.org/new/public/locate.shtml Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Oprah's mass is benign. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I would recommend to have this checked out by her vet who may recommend removal. Melanomas are not super common in dogs but they can present as a dark colored mass. That being said, just because a growth is dark colored does not mean its a melanoma. The doctor may also recommend to aspirate the mass first (if possible pending consistency of mass and pet temperament) to look at the cells and determine the origin of the mass. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Black spots on a dogs eye indicates either an eye freckle or eye tumor. The next step is to get your vet to do a complete eye exam, which then may lead to a second opinion through a veterinary ophthalmologist to confirm. I do hope that this is just an eye freckle, but it is impossible to say for sure with just a photo. I wish you all the best moving forward with Beck. Best wishes and take care. : )