My dog has a dark, growing mark on her eyelid. Does it need removal?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. This will likely require sedation because of the location of the growth. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

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

This looks like an infected meibomian cyst. These are common and usually don't cause a problem. If it enlarges or causes excessive tearing or eye irritation then we usually remove them. Do keep an eye on the black spot as sometimes these can become cancerous. From the photo though it's nothing to be overly concerned about. Should it change or enlarge please get a veterinary exam. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Archie's.

It is a growth on the upper eye lid. It is still small but some of these growths have tendencies to get bigger over time and potentially cause problems. It may, for example start rubbing on the eye or it may change the shape of the upper eyelid. I would suggest you to take Beau to your local vet for full clinical examination and to decide what to do with this small growth. One option is to surgically remove the lump. The other option would be to wait and see if the lump is going to get bigger and cause any problems.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree, that a meibomian gland cyst is the most common cause for Nicki's right upper eye lid mass. Most of these cysts do not cause a problem, though they do slowly grow over time. I recommend removing them while they are small. You can watch it for growth and discuss removing it will your Vet if it grows larger. I wish Nicki the best!

Fortunately, the majority of eyelid masses on dogs are benign Meibomian gland adenomas. As long as the mass does not start growing significantly, bleeding, or causing Murphy to scratch, continue monitoring progression of these masses with photos to show to your vet in August. If anything changes significantly or seems to bother Murphy, he should go in for an exam sooner. Since he has fear-based aggression (very common!) and will need to have his eyes thoroughly examined, consider calling his vet to ask if he should have a sedative at home prior to his exam both to decrease stress and allow for a more thorough exam. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

I am afraid that this red mass looks like a tumor or multicystic mass. This is definitely something that needs to be seen by a vet as it a) keeps your dog from closing his eye lid which can damage the eye to the point of losing vision (will dry out the cornea), and b), tumors can grow invasively, ie destroy the eye. Your vet will examine the mass, possibly take a little bit of tissue to examine under the microscope or send in to a pathology lab and then, depending on the findings, discuss treatment options, which could include removal of the mass alone (if possible), medication to remove it or make it shrink, or even removal of the eye. Please make an appointment with your veterinarian soon.