Could this be anything besides cherry eye?

None of the text came up with these photos. The question reads:   Hello. Yesterday after lunch my chihuahua had what looks to be a cherry eye forming out of nowhere. No trauma or anything. She had her nails trimmed at the groomer 2 days ago and I’m worried she caught something or maybe a hair in her eye? It does look like it could be something else, as it’s not a round little ball protruding but moreso her eyelid being pulled down and inside is enflamed. I have tried to massage and warm compress. Does cherry eye go away? Do I need medicine? I’ve been told this isn’t urgent but to bring it up at the next vet appt. I’m worried it’s an infection. It’s watery and a little goopy in the mornings maybe trying to flush out something. I’ve been told cherry eye can cause DRY eye and her eyes are not dry. She’s 13 so surgery is probably not in the cards if it gets worse. I just want to know if it could go away on its own from just compress

Hello and thank-you for this interesting case.  I do not diagnose over the internet - I simply do not have enough information without asking more questions and examining your dog - but I would advocate getting this seen right away.  Some dogs do develop cherry eyes later in life (and some breeds are more predisposed to them than others), but yours sounds to have gone 13 years without ever having had a lump in the medial canthus, which begs a question as to what has made this lesion appear now.  For example, could pressure changes or neurological changes (secondary to some other process in the body) or a foreign body or even a cancerous growth be involved?  I feel that your vet might want to examine your dog in order to try to detect any such problems.  My second concern would be that if that is a cherry eye, or indeed any other lump or growth, it could prevent the eyelid from doing its job.  The eyelids (all three of them) keep the cornea - the front of the eye - moist and clean and clear.  Without this, dry-eye and ulcers can be a substantial risk.  Your vet can check the quality of the tear-film and reccommend treatment to protect the eye if this is required.  Age should not a barrier to surgery, but co-existent conditions can be.  Some old dogs may have other concerns that take priority.  I hope that your vet is able to examine this lesion and to discuss it with you given the context of the patient.

It is probably also worth saying that there may be other changes to the eyes worthy of discussion.  Again, this is better assessed in context, with an opthalmoscope.  Please will you come back and let us know how you get on?