Signs That Your Dog's Eyelid Growth Needs Veterinary Attention

14 June 2022
 Categories: , Blog

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If you own a pet dog, there's a chance that you may notice a small growth on one of the animal's eyelids. Growths can occur at any age, but can often be an issue in older animals. The discovery of an eyelid growth doesn't necessarily mean that you need to visit your local veterinary clinic right away, especially if you take your dog for routine checkups. Instead, it's a good idea to monitor the growth. Various issues can prompt you to see your veterinarian instead of waiting for the dog's next scheduled appointment. Here are some things to watch for.

Watery Eye

If the growth appears on the outer part of the dog's eyelid, it probably won't be causing any irritation to the eye. A growth on the edge of the eyelid, however, will come into contact with the eye and may be an issue. It's important for you to look for any indicators that the growth is irritating your pet's eye. For example, you may notice that the pet's eye appears watery on a regular basis. Some dogs' eyes water for various reasons. If both of your pet's eyes are watery, it doesn't necessarily mean that the growth is causing irritation. However, it's a concern if only the eye that has the growth is watering.

Eye Redness

In the event that the growth on your pet's eyelid is starting to cause some irritation, you might notice some redness in the eye. It may be challenging to see if your pet's eye is red, so you shouldn't shy away from holding the animal to assess its eye. Gently pulling on the skin around the eye will move the eyelids and cause more of the eyeball to be exposed, allowing you to see whether the eye looks normal or has signs of redness.

Eye Squinting

You should also watch how your dog holds the eye in question versus its other eye. If the eyelid growth is starting to bother the animal, it may begin to squint with that eye. Dogs will often squint with both eyes when they're in sunny environments such as your backyard, but it's a clue that something isn't right if the pet is squinting with just one eye in an environment that isn't overly bright. You don't want your dog to suffer because of a growth on its eyelid, so you'll want to see your local veterinary clinic if any of the above issues are taking place.