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My dog has a visible lump above his eye. Could it be a brain tumor?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boxer | Male | unneutered | 88 lbs

Can brain tumors be visible as a lump above one eye? Doesn't the skull encase it/prevent it being visible? Or is it possible to see visible swelling? If so, how/why? It canbbe seen in the two close up pictures although it might not be obvious to you as itnis not obvious to us when looking from the front onkynfeom the top/behind, it is on his right side. He is a boxer dog,

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 27th, 2017

I can appreciate an increase in size/swelling above the right eye in your photos here. A brain tumor itself normally wouldn't cause a visible swelling, as the brain is encased in the bony skull and a tumor would just cause increased pressure on the brain but not cause changes in the shape of the skull. That being said, we can have bony tumors of the skull that can change the skull shape. We can also have tumors of the soft tissue (skin, muscle, connective tissue) that could be seen on the head, and also tumors of the eye/muscles behind the eye. Your dog should definitely have an examination done by the vet. They may recommend an aspirate of the swelling to help tell what is causing it, an x-ray of the skull, and possibly more advanced imaging like a CT scan. This problem may be something easily fixed or may be more involved, but we won't know without further testing.

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    Answered By Amy Poole, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Unfortunately I can't really tell if there is a lump based on the pictures or not. I understand it is subtle. Most brain tumors do not cause distortion of the head as they are inside the skull. Dogs with suspected brain tumors usually present with neurologic signs, like seizures, behavior changes, or trouble walking. If you are seeing a lump above Taz's eye, I would recommend taking him to a vet to have it checked out. If it just appeared, it could be related to an inflammatory process, like an insect bite. It also could be related to another type of tumor below the surface of his skin. Taz may need a fine needle aspirate done of the lump to tell what is going on and if further treatment is warrented. This is when the vet takes a needle and tries to exfoliate cells and look at them under the microscope to tell what is going on. It is relatively painless for Taz (like getting a vaccine), and can give a lot of information.

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