If you frequently look your dog in the eyes when you speak to it, you should make a point of assessing the appearance of its eyes. Ideally, everything will look the same for months and years, but there may be a time that you notice a change in the appearance of one of your dog's eyes. In some dogs, one eye can become cloudy. The cloudiness can be subtle at first but progress over time. Ideally, you'll be able to notice this change quickly so that you can take your pet to see its veterinarian. There are several reasons that a dog's eye may become cloudy, including the following.

Glaucoma

You've likely heard about humans getting glaucoma in one or both of their eyes, but you might not realize that dogs can also develop this serious eye condition. A common warning sign of glaucoma in a dog's eye is a cloudy appearance. This is a condition that can progress to the point of your dog losing its eyesight in the affected eye. There are various treatment options that are available for a dog's glaucoma, and early intervention gives the veterinarian the best chance of managing the issue and saving the dog's eyesight.

Ulcer

While many people think of problems with a human's stomach when they hear the word ulcer, this term simply describes a sore that can occur in various areas of the body. Dogs can develop ulcers in one of their eyes as a result of several different traumas. Any type of hard impact to the eye, for example, may result in an ulcer. Cloudiness is often a warning sign of an ulcer in the dog's eye, although a variety of other symptoms can also be present. An eye ulcer can be very painful for your dog, so it's important to arrange veterinary care quickly.

Cancer

Like humans, dogs can develop cancer in various parts of their bodies, including in the eyes. There are lots of symptoms that can suggest a dog has eye cancer, including swelling around the eye. Cloudiness can also be a warning sign that you may notice. Cancer can not only threaten the dog's eye but can also spread to other parts of the animal's body and potentially result in its death. While you'll hope that any cloudiness you notice isn't an early warning sign of cancer, it's important to arrange prompt veterinary care for your dog to determine the cause of this change in the appearance of its eye.

Contact a veterinarian for more information. 

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