Dear Dr. John,

My cat is a spayed female who is almost 13 years old. She started rubbing her left eye with increasing frequency and I noticed that the upper eyelid was starting to puff out. She was also having increased tears and discharge from the eye. My vet everted the eyelid to show me a mass on the inside of the eyelid and suggested that it was most likely a malignant mass. How common is this in cats? I was told that rapid intervention was needed but despite doing so, she would still have a poor prognosis. I was told that surgically removing her eyelid was one of several options but in doing so there could be a large defect so an even more radical procedure including eye removal might be needed. What do you suggest that I do? I am heartbroken about this and wonder if there is any hope. C.W.

Dear C.W.,

I am sorry to hear of what you are facing, and the difficult decisions that will need to be made. Time is important now and the sooner you address the issue the better. However, most cats with eyelid tumors have limited lifespans of 1-2 months. Eyelid tumors in cats are not very common and almost always malignant.

Only by biopsy or fine needle aspirate and histologic examination can the specific tumor be identified. The challenge surgically, if that is what is needed, is the ability of the eyelid to remain functional to cover the eye and close. As you were informed, the size of the defect after surgery may necessitate additional removal of the healthy eye to close the area properly. All of this is mostly dictated by location of the mass on the eyelid, size, and resultant function. I suggest that you start with a preliminary and confirming diagnosis with your veterinarian and then consider either consulting with either a veterinary oncologist or ophthalmologist. If surgery is decided as the best route, then either they or your primary veterinarian could proceed with the best option. There is always hope so proceed quickly and good luck!

Dr. John de Jong is President of the World Veterinary Association. He owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and can be reached at 781-899-9994.