Growth On Eyeball

[Guest HoundyGirl]

Hi all,

 

I don't usually post, but this has me a little concerned. My grey Gus has a mass on his eyeball. It's pinkish-purplish, about the size of a half a regular M&M and is raised about a millimeter. It looks and feels solid. I noticed it Sunday evening. (It's hidden by his eyelid most of the time, but I was checking his eyes and found it.) I got him into the vet first thing this am. None of the vets in the practice know what it is. They are consulting with an opthamologist in Cary, NC (about 1.5 hours away). I asked and you can aspirate eye tissue and you can biopsy it. Has anyone ever had either done to one of their dogs? It doesn't bother him at all, fortunately.

 

Cindy

[Guest BlueCrab]

No ideas to offer. Sorry you're facing this, but I'd definitely consult an eye specialist if at all possible, particularly with the regular vets not knowing what it is. I love my current vets, but have over the years figured out that there's a bunch of stuff they don't know. I'd go with the specialist for something like this if at all possible.

[tbhounds]

Glad you're consulting with an opth. Hopefully, it's a correctable eye disease not cancerous.

[LuvAPuppy]

I can't say of course if it's the same thing but many years ago my dad developed a raised pink blister on the white part of his eye. I don't recall that they tried to sample it but the ophthalmologist said it was an allergy reaction. He was on Claritin for several months and it resolved and never returned. Hopefully your strange situation is as simple and quick to cure!

[galgrey]

I've no idea, but wanted to send good thoughts.

[Xan]

Sending good thoughts! My own Pogo had a growth on his cornea (the white at the outside corner of his eye). It was removed, sent to pathology, and found to be hemangiosarcoma. That was at least a year and a half ago (my memory is horrible!), with no return. Hopefully, whatever it is on your kid is NOT cancerous!! Good for you getting it checked immediately!

[Guest HoundyGirl]

Well, we're treating him for pannus right now, but I don't think that's what it is. The opthamologist mentioned it could be an NGE: Nodular Granulomatous Episclerokeratitis.

 

Treatment plan is to use steriods and cyclosporine for another week, see how it is. I, however, am impatient because we really don't know what it is yet. It's clear to me the eye drops are not doing anything to the growth, although they did get rid of some redness. I'm asking for the referral to the opthamologist a week early. I'd rather know what it is now than wait a week to get that going.

[EllenEveBaz]

Agree -- I like to get stuff checked out quickly, too.

[Guest HoundyGirl]

Opthamologist said it's bilateral scleritis. It's an autoimmune condition. The one eye was much worse than the other, which is why the bulging of the eye looked like a growth. He's on prednisone pills, prednisolone acetate drops and tacrolimus drops. He will eventually taper of the steriod pills, and way down on the steroid drops. Regular vet didn't catch the bulging on the other less affected eye. I certainly don't see it, but specialist noticed it right away. Definitely worth the drive to take him to a specialist.

[tbhounds]

Glad you have a diagnosis--sorry about the pred though-can really make them drink and urinate excessively. They can also loss a lot of muscle mass from corticosteroids. What dose is he taking?

[Guest HoundyGirl]

He's on 20mg for 2 weeks, 10mg for 2 weeks and then 10mg every other day for two weeks. He's doing pretty well so far on the pred.

[EllenEveBaz]

Glad he's doing okay on the prednisone. Keep us posted, if you can?

[Bill419]

Glad your going to an Opthamologist. Dee is on tacrolimus among other drops. She is on it for the rest of her life because of her surgery for dry eye.