Eyelid swellings – miebomian gland tumours
Dogs often get swellings on their eyelids. There are little glands along the eyelids called miebomian glands and they can form cysts or tumours. An infected gland may resolve in a few weeks, but often the swelling is permanent and can only be resolved with surgery.
Some larger tumours are very irritating to the eye causing constant redness and discharge.
This swelling has been there for months without resolving so is going to be removed surgically.
To excise the tumour a wedge incision is made removing a section of eyelid. The eyelid then needs to be carefully opposed with a suture placed away from the eye so that it can not scratch the eyeball. Dr Jill likes to use the magnifiers for this surgery especially because she looks so funny.
Dogs are wonderful at self trauma. After surgery an E-collar is applied so the eyelid is not disturbed while it is healing. After the surgery the eyelid will swell and look worse than before.
But after 2 weeks everything has settled down. The lid has healed well and the eye looks so much better. 
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