My dog's eye is turning white. Is she losing vision or going blind?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on February 13th, 2017

  She could have sclerosis of her lens, cataract, glaucoma, infection, etc. Have your vet take a look at her to diagnose and determine if treatment is needed. Without an examination, it is hard to know the cause and if it is affecting her vision. Call your vet and schedule an appointment.

  

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• Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on May 24th, 2018

  Hello, that color can either be from cataract or nuclear sclerosis. The difference is that cataracts may inhibit vision, where as nuclear sclerosis typically does not. Medicine does cure either of these, with cataracts they need surgery to remove this and with nuclear sclerosis, its typically a permanent change.
  
  Cataracts can be secondary from diabetes, so Budda must have a full physical exam and bloodwork to make sure that she does not have diabetes. Contact your veterinarian and have her evaluated.
  
  Hope this helps and best of luck.

  

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• Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

  Veterinary Technician

  Published on April 29th, 2017

  It's very likely Marley has what is called a coloboma. It's a genetic defect that affects dogs, mostly of the collie and herding breeds (which Marley is). In most cases it doesn't bother the dog at all, though it can cause some sensitivity to light in severe cases. If the defect hasn't changed at all since birth and Marley has normal vision, I wouldn't worry about it. However if the defect changes, the eye becomes bothersome, or you see other issues surrounding it, then it's always best to have your vet take a look.

  

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• Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on March 29th, 2018

  This is not specific to any one disease, but is suspicious of uveitis, which is often due to an infection, or other disorder within the eye. It's difficult to tell what the white thing is without seeing it, but it's likely related to the eye disorder. This could also be due to some disease affecting the cornea, which is the outside of the eye. The fact that she's keeping the eye closed indicates that she is in a great amount of pain - these conditions are often very painful. Considering this and that these conditions have potential to do irreversible damage to the eye, I recommend taking Maggie to a veterinarian as soon as possible. It's likely not an emergency, but I wouldn't wait longer than 24 hours to have her evaluated by a vet.
  
  For now, you can flush the eye with normal saline. Saline flush can be bought at the pharmacy, or supermarket in the eye care section. Flush the eye 3-4 times daily and gently wipe away the discharge with a warm/moist cotton or cloth. Below is a link to a good video that demonstrates how to flush the eye.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lXVNMcPzhs
  
  For more information about the suspected conditions, I recommend you read the articles at the links below.
  
  https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/uveitis-in-dogs
  
  https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/corneal-ulcers-in-dogs
  
  I hope that helps and Maggie gets better soon.
  

  

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