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My dog's eye suddenly has a milky white film. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 60 lbs

My 8 year old mixed bread developed overnight a milky whitish covering over the side of her eye. Glaucoma looking per your pics but not red or bloody looking. Help

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on February 11th, 2018

Poor Shelby! Unfortunately, the photos here are quite blurry so it's hard to see exactly what's going on. You're right that glaucoma is a common cause of a milky "film" on the surface of the eye. Other possibilities would include localized corneal edema due to a corneal scratch or ulcer, or even some type of corneal dystrophy (mineralization or fat deposits in the cornea). Eye problems should always be seen and treated the same day, if possible, since in some cases waiting can lead to permanent damage or vision loss. So if you can, I would recommend taking Shelby to an emergency vet today for an exam. The vet there can take a close look at her eye with a bright light in a dark room, and may also use a special stain if needed to help diagnose the problem.

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    Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 31st, 2018

    This looks like serious ocular disease and unfortunately I think Tuti needs to see a vet as soon as possible. The milky color could be due to corneal edema or fluid in the clear part of the eye and could be related to a corneal ulcer or glaucoma. The milky color could also be from pus in the chamber of the eye due to infection. There are no over the counter medications that would help with these conditions, and things could progress quickly to where Tuti could lose his eye. You may want to see if there is a mobile veterinarian in their area who would be able to make a house call.

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