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What is the cloudy white spot on my dog's eye? Should I worry?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 3 years and 11 months old | 55 lbs

What is the spot on my dog’s eye? The one to the left.. the white spot to the right is just a reflection of the light. It looks like it is only on the surface and appears to be a little cloudy like it was fogged up or buffed. It moves with her eye.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on January 30th, 2018

It's a little difficult to tell from the pictures which layer of the eye the opacity is in, but I will discus the most common reasons for an opacity in the outermost aspect of the eye (the cornea). The first possibility is that if Lily had an ulceration of her eye, that the area could have scarred in which will result in tissue that is more white. I would have expected that you would have noticed that here eye was red, or she was squinting or tearing if that were the case. The most common reason that a corneal opacity will appear without any injury to the eye is actually a benign fat or cholesterol deposit. We don't know why some dogs develop them, but they tend to develop them in the other eye over time as well. I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Lily to verify that is what they think is going on. If that is the case, then there isn't any reason for concern. If Lily's eye is red or if she is squinting or rubbing her eye, please have your vet examine her right away.
I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 28th, 2017

    Poor girl. A white cloudy eye or part of be eye can mean several things including a corneal ulcer, uveitis, cataracts, nuclear sclerosis (hardening of the lens) or even corneal edema. Some eye conditions need to get immediate treatment to hopefully reverse the process (i.e. Corneal ulcer), while others are not as emergent but can be debilitating for the pet in the long run (I.e. Cataracts).
    It is best to get Piggy in to your vet to get the eye examined, which in some cases requires special instrumentation, or you can shoot us a picture of the eye via private consultation.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Ann Dion, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 31st, 2017

    Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is hard to tell exactly from the images as we can't see inside the eye, however there could be cataracts or their could be edema within the cornea (Swelling in the front layer of the eye), or an ulcer. It looks most likely that the cloudiness that you are seeing can be either cataracts (which can be linked to diabetes) or 'nuclear sclerosis' which is just a age change that doesn't affect vision. If this has been a sudden change, or if Bella starts squinting, or if it seems like she can't see, then I would recommend having her seen by a vet right away. Otherwise, if she isn't squinting, and seems to be visual (not blind), then I would have her checked by a vet sometime in the next couple weeks. Best of luck with Bella.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Rebecca, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 29th, 2018

    Hi, thank you for using PetCoach. If Spanky's eyes changed this quickly, I would strong recommend a veterinary check up. Changes in the cornea can also cause a white, cloudy looking eye and may be indicative of infection or abrasion to the surface of the eye. Cataracts are changes within the lens of the eye. Cataracts can be caused by age or genetics or may develop in animals with Diabetes Mellitus. Here are some articles for more information on cataracts and eye diseases. But any sudden change such as you describe should be evaluated by a veterinarian. https://www.petcoach.co/article/cataracts-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/glaucoma-cataracts-in-dogs/

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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