Is a Blue Ring Around My Dog's Pupil a Cataract?
Reader Question
i have a dog hes about 5 years old my neighbors were sprayin some thing areound because they had fleas so i do not know i barely notest that my dog has something blue around the pupil and im really worry the vet told me it was caracts i do not believe it i been cryn and it hurts my heart to know this so he told me to get him to a opthomologist to call him by monday at the same time i do not want him to get operated or surgery so how could i make sure is that the vet told me it was the caracts and im a student in a college and im afraid i cant afford to help him out well my email is i will send you a picture later when yor respond back to my email to see if it is a caract you can hardly see it when he is in the sun but you could see it in the dark thats the thing i dont get my sister is teeling he had a blue pipil since he was little but im not sure so can you please help me by emailing and tell me exactly what it is well have a nice day :)
Answer from Our Team
A bluish look in the pupil can be a cataract, but it can also be nuclear sclerosis (a normal aging haze), corneal changes, or simply how the eye reflects light. Only an eye exam with the pupil dilated can tell, which is why your vet suggested an ophthalmologist.
A cataract doesn't always mean surgery. Many small cataracts never affect vision, and the ophthalmologist can tell you whether it is likely to grow and how to protect the eye. A neighbor's flea spray is very unlikely to cause cataracts. If cost is a worry, ask your vet about a payment plan, or look for a low-cost clinic, humane society clinic or veterinary school near you.
See cataracts in dogs and cloudy eyes in dogs for the differences.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.
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