What is a chalazion?
The chalazion is a small painless swelling of the eyelid and corresponds to an inflammation of a small lacrimal gland, called the Meibomian gland. It is a benign condition but nevertheless quite common in adult dogs.
How does a chalazion present?
The chalazion develops in the form of a small ball on the edge of the dog's eyelid.
If it does not usually cause pain in dogs, it can however sometimes be matched:
- inflammation and redness of the eyelid called blepharitis,
- itching and eye discomfort caused by lack of eye lubrication,
- the occurrence of a secondary bacterial infection.
What causes a chalazion to appear?
The chalazion is caused by the inflammation of one or more sebaceous glands present on the eyelid of the dog. These glands are the so-called meibomian glands. They produce an oily substance that enters into the composition of tears in order to delay their evaporation on the surface of the eye.
When this oily substance becomes too thick and/or is no longer able to flow normally out of the glands, it clogs them and forms the chalazion.
Meibomian glands can become clogged due to the presence of impurities in the dog's eye, a small local wound, the presence of another eye tumor or any other problem ophthalmologic causing obstruction of the gland.
How is chalazion treated in dogs?
A chalazion can sometimes go away on its own, if the gland manages to unclog on its own or after cleaning the dog's eye.
But sometimes the dog needs medical treatment to make the chalazion disappear. This treatment may involve the instillation of anti-inflammatory eye ointments and careful cleaning of the dog's eye several times a day. The vet may also prescribe antibiotic treatment for your dog if the chalazion is causing a secondary infection.
But, if the medical treatment or if it continues to grow, the veterinarian may recommend performing a minor surgery to remove the swelling. A large chalazion can indeed become very uncomfortable for the dog and it can also cause damage to promote the formation of a corneal ulcer, which justifies the use of surgery.