The problem: Lumps – benign and malign

“My dog has a small, round lump on her upper eyelid. Is this something I should worry about?”

- CHRIS DALE, BERKSHIRE

Vet’s advice Neil McIntosh SG’s gundog health expert

This is a common question, Chris, and a good one. It is alarming, as a dog owner, to find a lump and, obviously, owners will want an explanation in order to put their minds at rest.

An explanation

This is most likely to be a non-cancerous mass called a chalazion – a swelling caused by blockage of a meibomian gland. These glands line the eyelids and, if you look carefully, you can see their openings on the lid margin. They produce an oily substance that helps reduce the evaporation of the watery part of tears. Occasionally, the openings become blocked and the secretion builds up, causing visible swellings that can eventually rupture and disperse, or become infected. Warm compresses, gently applied to the swelling, can help to liquidize the material and aid its dispersal.

The eyelids