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My puppy's eyes glow like a flash photo constantly. Is this normal?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Goldendoodle | Male | unneutered | 25 lbs

My 4 month old puppy has a reflective gloss in his eyes, like when you take a picture with a flash-but all the time. I have mentioned to my vet but they say all looks normal. However, I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. He doesn’t act like he can’t see, but it just doesn’t seem right. I have attached a photo that looks like it was taken with a flash, but it isn’t. Any advice would be appreciated.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on March 11th, 2022

This is normal in dogs! It's a part of their anatomy (also in cats and other similar species) called the tapetum lucidum. This is what gives dogs that glowy, reflective look and a "red eye" when looking into a camera or light at night.

Here's an article on the structure of the eye that you're seeing: https://www.acvo.org/tips-treatments-tricks/why-do-my-dogs-eyes-shine-at-night

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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