Dog eyelid growth and itchy torso

Hi Lisa,
Shayna's eyelid growth appears to be a benign Meibomian gland cyst/adenoma. They arise from the glands that line the eyelashes. They can be surgically removed, but I find they usually grow back. In the meantime, it would be best to lubricate her cornea with olive oil, or 2-3 drops into her eye, 3 times daily, if the growth is rubbing on her cornea.

Treating her WHOLE system, not just the eyelid tumor, but also for her itchy, dry skin, and her behavior (you wrote, "she doesn't like too close inspection all over her body") would be best. A holistic veterinarian would be able to help. I would ALSO advise you to decrease or stop vaccinating her until her health has been restored, and even then I would be cautious about any more vaccinations since she is approximately 8 years old now.

Start with decreasing the DRY DOG FOOD in her diet and add in more canned, or better yet, some raw meat diets. See our page on 10 best dog food options.

From the condition of her skin, it sounds like she does need to have weekly baths with some oatmeal shampoo
. This will remove the excess oil, and the oatmeal will decrease the itchiness.

If you are adding some Omega 3 fish oil for dogs she should have at least 2,000mg two times daily. I am not familiar with your GMC brand of omegas and amino acids.

I am sorry to hear about the health problems of your older dog, Griffin. I do not think he is secreting anything while he is on Chemo drugs and pain killers that would affect Shayna. And if she were bit by a deer tick, these are not the symptoms she would be exhibiting.

Please see the rest of my response below...

(continued from above)

Some other supplements that I am familiar with, that may be helpful for both Shayna and Griffin, are:

1. Missing Link Canine Formula

2. OrthoMolecular Specialties, Mega C Powder

Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

P.S. If you've found this service or our web site helpful, please "Like" us by clicking the like button at the top of the left margin. Thank you!

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Related Pages:
- Dog Warts,
- Dog Skin Conditions,
- Ask a Vet Online Library - Dog Warts, Cysts and Strange Growths Section

Hello, Thank you for your help!

I began bathing Shayna more often with oatmeal soap and I added salmon oil into her diet. (The GNC supplement was not clear about how much omega was in the dosage.) Her itching subsided but did not go away altogether. The growth on her eye continued to get bigger.

I then added Missing Link Canine Formula - as you recommended. After getting her up to her proper dosage, the growth on her eye got pink and soft and then shrunk considerably. It is almost gone and she has NO more itching!

I recommend The Missing Link to all my friends now.

Thanks again. This was very helpful!

Hi Lisa,
Thank you for updating us on Shayna's progress. That is great news that she is doing so well. Yes, the Missing Link Canine Formula is a very good product!

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

P.S. If you've found this service or our web site helpful, please "Like" us
by clicking the like button at the top of the left
margin. Thank you!

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

We have a Jack Russell terrier who also developed this type of growth. He is 15 years old and we are afraid to put him under anesthesia. The vet wants to cut out a triangular piece of his eye lid. Sounds scary. It is a pretty large growth. Started out with only one small bump now it looks to be three or four one atop of the other.

So sorry to hear about your Jack Russell. I am not a vet. I am the original poster. I'd suggest getting a second opinion and in the meantime get the Missing Link. Shayna's growth is gone completely. After just over 2 weeks on ML, it reduced dramatically and a month or so after that (while still taking ML), it was gone.

I reduced how much I give her now, but if I reduce it too much, the flaky skin and itching come back. I swear by the stuff and recommend it to all my pet loving friends.

Good luck.

Dear Anonymous,
For your 15 year old Jack Russell terrier with a large eyelid growth, I agree that surgery is out of the question. I would suggest that you seek the help of a holistic veterinarian, improve diet, and NO more vaccinations.

You should also consider the supplement, Missing Link Canine Formula as mentioned in the previous posting.

For more specific questions, I'm happy to help, but we only accept new questions from subscribers (the original question above was from a subscriber).
Please click here to sign up and submit your question and photos.

I'll then get back to you right away at the bottom of your newly created web page.

Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Hi, my 10 yr old husky has a lump on her eyelid that is touching her eye, and it looks like exactly the same thing; I brought her to the vet and they want to cut it off, but I really don't feel comfortable with her getting surgery, and them getting so close to her eye.

So, I went on the internet to see what other possible choices there were. I found this site, and I would like to try Missing Link and see if it helps make it go away without having to take her to have it cut off. Shes had this lump for I think a few years now, but has just recently gotten bigger and it must be scratching/ irritating her eye because it has been very red.

The vet gave me drops for her eye, and it has helped a lot, but through this whole thing, it doesn't seem to be bothering her too much, she has not been scratching it.

My question is, which Missing Link formula have you been using? Or does it not matter which one you use? I was thinking the best one would be the hip and joint formula becasue she is older, and it would just be a benefit to her.

Dear Anonymous,
For your 10 year old Husky with the eyelid growth and the question about Missing Link, I agree the one with the joint care formula would be best.

Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Hello,
Our 5 year old male Shih Tzu has developed a growth on his eye and is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday. I came upon your site and am now wondering if we should go through with the surgery, or try something less invasive that will help him. The lump does not seem to bother him, but it has grown larger over the past few months. What would you suggest?
Thank you,
C.A.

Dear C.A.
Regarding your 5 year old Male Shih Tzu scheduled for surgical removal of an eyelid growth, your veterinarian may be concerned that it is malignant, therefore has scheduled surgical removal and biopsy. As you have not submitted a photo, I am hesitant to advise further.

Also, we only accept new questions from subscribers (the original question above was from a subscriber).
Please click here to sign up and submit your question and photos. I'll then get back to you right away at the bottom of your newly created web page.
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Hi, my 12 year old Akita has a growth on the corner of her lower eyelid, much like the one shown at the top of the page. She has had it for about 2months and recently we've noticed it has grown, we would prefer she did not get surgery and as it doesn't seem to bother her or irritate her eye we were hoping there was an alternative treatment available. Have heard about the 'missing link' but is there anything else like eyedrops, without prescription maybe available at the local drug store???

May 21, 2013

Dear Anonymous,
For your Akita, thanks for your question. I'm happy to help, but we only accept new questions from subscribers (the original question above was from a subscriber).

Dr. Carol Jean Tillman