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What's the red line on my dog's eye white? Is it a scratch or a vein?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 2 years and 2 months old | 56 lbs

Hello, there’s a red line on the white of my dogs eye. I think it’s been there for awhile (it’s not something we see everyday because she has to be looking up and us pulling her eyelid down). Does this look like a scratch? Or could this be a vein? If it is a scratch, what can we do to help it heal/avoid infection?

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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 March 14th, 2018

Based on what I can see in the photo, this looks like a normal blood vessel :) It's very common for dogs to have one or more enlarged veins in the white part of the eye, called "vortex veins" - these are normal, and are responsible for draining different types of fluid from inside the eye. As long as Delilah doesn't have any redness, squinting, or discharge from the eye, there should be no reason for concern.

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13Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 10th, 2020

    Is that a blood vessel? Dogs do have blood vessels in the whites of the eyes just like people. If this is new, I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian to check for other evidence of inflammation, blood pressure issues or retinal problems. I hope this helps.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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