Health
A shiny red lump in the corner of the eye, there overnight in a young dog. Not a middle-of-the-night emergency, but not something to leave for months either.
Caution. An eye held shut, a cloudy cornea or a white spot on it, yellow or green discharge, constant rubbing, or a gland that has turned dark or is bleeding all need a same-day visit to your own vet.
Do not look for the answer in a Facebook group, on TikTok or on a forum. Look for someone trained for this: your dog's own veterinarian, the only person who can examine, investigate and treat them.
Use this page to know what to observe, what to note and what to ask at the appointment, not to treat at home. If you still have doubts after a consultation, ask another vet or a specialist (dermatologist, internist) for a second opinion, not a group. And if you do not have a regular vet yet, find one now, while your dog is healthy: how to choose a veterinary clinic.
Your cocker puppy is six months old and this morning he woke up with a shiny red lump in the inner corner of his eye, about the size of a pea. It was not there last night. He is eating, playing and does not seem bothered, but you cannot stop looking at it. Or you have a bulldog who has already had cherry eye surgery on one side, and now the same lump is starting on the other. It is not something to rush to an out-of-hours clinic for at midnight. It is not something to leave for months either, and a couple of well-meant mistakes at home can damage the eye for life.
Dogs have a third eyelid: a membrane that slides across the eye from the corner nearest the nose and wipes it, like a windscreen wiper. At its base sits a gland that produces a large share of the tears; the veterinary literature puts it at roughly a third, sometimes more. Normally the gland is anchored to the tissue around it and you never see it. When that anchoring is weak, the gland flips up over the edge of the eyelid and swells. That is the red lump, which vets call a prolapsed gland of the third eyelid.
It mostly happens in dogs under two, usually in the first year. Some breeds get it far more often than others: English and French bulldogs, cocker spaniels, beagles, shih tzus, Lhasa apsos, Neapolitan mastiffs, cane corsos and Boston terriers. It is not usually caused by a knock, and you have not done anything wrong. It comes down to how the eye is built.
If the lump is the only sign, the dog opens the eye normally and is not scratching at it, you are not looking at an emergency. Book an appointment for the next few days. Phone today, though, if:
Those last two do not usually look like cherry eye. A new lump in an old dog can be a tumour, and a raised third eyelid in both eyes has other causes, from dehydration and pain to nerve problems. Your vet will tell them apart.
Photograph the eye every day, in the same light, from the front and from the side. Especially early on, the gland can pop in and out by itself for a few days, and the photos show your vet how much of the time it is out.
Note when it is out: all the time, only first thing in the morning after sleep, or only when he is excited.
Check the other eye every day as well. Fairly often it starts there too, a few weeks or months later, and caught early it is simpler to deal with.
Look at the eye under the gland. Is he blinking normally? Is the eye clear and glossy, or dull and dry-looking? Is there sticky mucus in the morning?
Watch how he behaves. Is he scratching, rubbing his face on the furniture, holding one eye narrower than the other?
If the breeder has told you that his parents or littermates had the same problem, tell your vet.
| What you see | Most likely | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth red lump in the inner corner, young dog | Cherry eye (prolapsed gland) | Put back surgically, gland kept |
| Third eyelid folded outwards, edge rolled over, large breeds | Scrolled cartilage of the third eyelid | A different problem, a different operation |
| Third eyelid raised in both eyes, dog flat | Dehydration, pain, general illness | The whole dog needs seeing, not just the eye |
| Irregular lump, older dog | Possible tumour | Biopsy, at the vet |
| Whole eye red and painful | Conjunctivitis, ulcer, glaucoma | An eye emergency |
Ask which technique they use, how often they see the gland come back out, and whether they would suggest a veterinary eye specialist for your breed. With the most prone breeds, some vets prefer to refer the operation to an ophthalmologist.
Most dogs carry on with the eye exactly as before and have no idea anything happened. There is one thing to keep an eye on: if the eye turns dull and sticky, with a lot of mucus in the mornings, it may be dry eye, and caught early it is easier to treat. Mention the operation to your vet at every check-up, even five years on.
Until the operation, he can do nearly everything he did before: walks, play, training. The gland does not usually hurt. Just steer clear of dense undergrowth and long grass, where he could scratch it, and of windy, dusty days.
What dog owners search for most often on the internet about this problem, with the short answer. The answers are a guide only: the decision belongs to your dog's own vet, after an examination.
Rarely. At first the gland may pop in and out by itself for a few days, but it usually ends up staying out. The longer it is out, the more it swells and dries. That is why vets suggest an appointment within days and, in most cases, repositioning surgery rather than waiting months.
Because the gland makes a large share of the eye's tears. Dogs who had it removed, as was routine a few decades ago, ended up far more often with chronic dry eye: sore eyes, mucus and drops for life. Today the gland is put back and kept. It is only removed if it has been destroyed.
Yes, fairly often, weeks or months after the first. Photograph both eyes and tell your vet if you see a lump starting in the other corner. With prone breeds, some vets talk through from the outset what to do if it appears on the other side.
Only if your vet has shown you how and thinks it is worth it. With fingers and a wriggling dog you can scratch the cornea, and the gland usually pops out again within hours. It is more useful to stop him scratching, with a protective collar, until the appointment.
The information on this page is educational and does not replace an examination. For full details and a diagnosis, consult your dog's own veterinarian.
They often come together: the same causes, plans that complement each other.
A red eye, watering, brown gunk in the morning, one eye held shut. Conjunctivitis is the word that springs to mind; often it is something else, and eyes do not wait.
A bluish sheen in the eye, a halt at the top of the stairs, a pearly spot in the pupil. Not every cloudy eye is a cataract, and not every cataract ends in blindness.
Claws on the belly at midnight, paws licked red, an ear infection every summer. Behind the word "allergy" sit at least three diseases, each with its own plan.
The neighbour says before her first season, the breeder says in a year. The right timing depends on the dog, and recovery has clear rules worth knowing in advance.
We work with your dog's behaviour, not its health. For any sign described here, book an appointment with your own vet; the related services page explains how to choose a clinic.