Cloudy Eyes

Q: My 10 week old Boston Terrier eyes have a blue haze and a dimple in the middle of the haze. She squints a lot and her eyes water constantly. Any idea what is wrong?

A: The cornea or clear part of the eye is made like an onion, there is a thin protective layer over the surface and underneath are multiple soft sensitive layers. The blue haze you see is corneal edema, fluid trapped between the layers, caused by damage to the cornea. The dimple you see is most likely a corneal ulcer, a crater in the cornea which involves at least the protective outer layer and may involve the deeper sensitive layers. Since this affects both eyes the most likely causes could include: 1. Caustic injury from irritants such as chemical sprays, fleas sprays, shampoo, etc. and I have seen this also from being sprayed by a skunk. 2. Defects in eyelid closure, aberrant eye lashes, or any change to the smoothness of the edge of the eyelid. 3. Trauma to the eye is a possible cause but since both eyes are affected the other causes would seem more likely. Any corneal damage can be serious and you should have her eyes checked by a veterinarian as soon as possible.