Why does my Pomeranian have dark pigment on the white of its eye?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. In pugs, this is a normal thing to see. There is increased pigmentation (melanin) deposited on the eye. Pugs can develop pigmentary keratitis, in which a dark film develops over the eye itself. This does not cause any pain and unfortunately there is nothing you can do to make this go away or slow down the progression. If the eye becomes irritated, you can use steroid drops. Something that a vet would need to prescribe Dexter after examining him. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kalua. This is a normal pigment change that some dogs will develop. Some will get it on the outer edges of the eyes as well. If he starts showing signs of pain such as squinting or tearing or if the pigment extends over the colored portion of his eye, then he will need to see his veterinarian. Otherwise, I do not see any reason for concern. I hope this information helps!

While this could be pigmentary keratitis I am concerned that it looks like the pigment may be inside the eye which would mean that an iris cyst or mass would be more likely. I’d recommend having your vet take a look in person. If it is pigmentary keratitis then your vet would look for things that could cause inflammation or irritation of the cornea like dry eye, abnormal eyelashes or an inability to fully close the eye.

This is quite common with pugs and I don't see anything concerning in the picture provided. Signs of a significant problem causing the sclera to be darker or injected would be excessive eye discharge, swelling around the eyes and scratching at the eyes. Considering you haven't noticed any of these problems, I would consider this normal and not a concern. If you happen to notice any of the above-mentioned problems, then it would be best to have a vet evaluate him. I hope that helps and all is well with Marcelino.

Yes this is likely normal for her. As long as she isn't squinting that eye, rubbing it, or having green/yellow discharge from that eye then I wouldn't be concerned. Also the dark brown in her fur is normal tear staining for her breed. I hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think it would be a good idea to mention this to your veterinarian next time he goes in. However, this may be normal. Sometimes there are changes in pigmentation in that region of the eye which are not considered abnormal especially if not bothering the patient. Good luck and have a good night!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Reno. If the dark pigment is only on the white portion of the eye, that is typically not problematic. However, if the pigment extends across the cornea or if there are raised pink lesions across the surface of the eye, this is worrisome. Has he had eye testing performed? This is my first step in evaluating eyes. I will check for scratches to the surface of the eye, measure the pressure within the eye as well the amount of tear production. I hope this information helps!