My dog has a white bead on her eyelid. Should I be worried about it?

This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. I would suggest to have it checked as it can rub against cornea and create discomfort and possibly corneal damage in the long run. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, inflammation of the eyelid glands, benign or more sinister type of tumors. If just inflammatory, a medical treatment can be attempted to reduce its size. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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.

It may be a cyst or local infection/irritation. Monitor for rapid change or growth, discharge or bleeding as well as discomfort. Ideally, he can be examined by your veterinarian to diagnose the underlying cause and provide the appropriate treatment. If he is pawing or rubbing at it, place an e-collar (cone) on him until he sees the vet.

To me, this looks like a Meibomian gland cyst. These are best removed surgically. It is unlikely that it will go away on it's own. It will likely continue to grow. The surgery will remove part of the lid margin, and then close with a suture. They heal very well.

It looks like a benign wart. Usually we leave them alone unless it is bothering the dog or it grows larger. If it grows larger it may rub on the cornea and cause irritation/ulceration. Just watch it for now and if starts to cause problems have your vet check it.

It is difficult to say for sure without seeing it in person but it looks like a meibomian gland cyst. They have small gland along their eyelids that will get clogged and form these which resemble tumors. If she previously had one removed in this area, this could be that one growing back or a different one. If it isn't causing her eye to be irritated, red, or to squint then you could just watch it. If it is growing or irritated her eye or if you are unsure, I would have your vet take a look at it. It is always easier for a vet to remove it while it is small than waiting until it becomes really large. I hope this helps!

It is not uncommon for older dogs to get benign growths on their eyelids. Usually these do not cause much problem. If it continues to grow and his eye is red or has more discharge than normal then I would take him in for an exam. They may prescribe eye medication and tell you whether it would be best to remove the growth. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Taylor.