Richview Animal Hospital

Your pet’s eyelids are a natural and effective protective system for their eyes. Dogs have a thick eyelid with extra fat and fur to protect them from external particulates entering them. Cats have both external and internal eye lid layers, that work as a system, for their protection. The key part to remember is that there are multiple layers involved with the eye lid structure, which involves skin, mucus membrane, muscle, as well as an extensive nerve network for sensitivity. Unfortunately, the complexity of the animal eyelid also makes it prone to infection as there are more parts that can catch an external and unwanted particulate or become inflamed. And that in turn creates the noticeable eyelid infection. Animals are also prone to tumors in those areas, which in turn can create swelling and lumps.

Eyelid Tumors

There are five main tumor types that occur commonly, and dogs are very prone to them as their age progresses. In most cases, the tumor can be identified and removed with a surgical procedure when it is confirmed to be malignant. In many cases the tumors are benign and have no issue on the rest of the animal and its overall health. A minor cosmetic fix can be addressed but care should be taken when the tumor is large enough to cause a deformation of the eyelid if removed and it has no malignant effect. However, tumors grow over time, and even benign ones can begin to affect the animal’s ability to see and use its eyelid. So, every situation is frequently taken case by case. The five common tumors seen include:

• Adenomas (benign tumor)
• adenocarcinomas (a tumor in a gland)
• Histiocytoma (benign tumor in the skin layer)
• Mastocytoma (mast cell tumor that tends to form as a lump)
• Papilloma (benign epithelial tumor) 

As mentioned earlier, surgery is one method of tumor treatment. Another includes freezing the tumor and removing the deadened part. In many cases the tumor doesn’t usually return.

Some animals are far more prone to eyelid tumors simply due to their genetic disposition. For example, some dogs are not able to accommodate extensive exposure to sunshine without suffering reactions. Other types of dogs tend to have regular problems with their sebaceous glands. For any animal owner its simply smart preventative care to have regular checkups and ask a veterinarian for a closer look if something is found that looks out of the norm. In Etobicoke, Richview Animal Hospital is a great resource for eyelid problems and eyelid tumor examinations for your pet.