Can you help with my dog's cloudy eye problem?

by Nicole
(Dallas, TX)

Reader Question on Cloudy Eye Followed by Suggestion From Our Vet

We bought our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (female), Teal, at Pet Land in June or July of 2010. She is currently 11 months old and has not had any serious medical problems in the past. She is up to date on all her vaccines and currently on heart worm prevention, Sentinel, I believe, and seems to be in good health other than this eye problem that seems to be gradually getting worse.

Her left eye seems darker than her right. At first, I thought maybe she was just born that way and didn't think much of it, but now it is cloudy and looks like a very old dog's eye, which is weird obviously because she's only 11 months old. I'm not sure what's wrong with it. Can you help? We are willing to pay as much as we can to help her, but the less expensive it is, the better. Thanks.

Suggestion From Our Veterinarian on Cloudy Eye

Hello,

I’m afraid I can’t tell what might be going on with your dog’s eye based on the pictures you sent, but I am concerned since the problem does seem to be getting worse. It would be in Teal’s best interests to make an appointment with her veterinarian. He or she will perform a complete physical and ophthalmological exam and then may need to run a few simple tests like a corneal stain to look for any scratches or ulcers on her eyes, a Schirmer tear test to determine if she is producing a normal amount of tears, and a check of eye pressure to rule out glaucoma and/or infections within the eye. Based on the results, Teal’s doctor should be able to come up with a plan for how best to proceed.

Best of luck,
Jennifer Coates, DVM