I have a lab that's around 10-12 y.o. now, and for the past few months her eyes have been getting "cloudy". Surprisingly, my regular vet who normally I'm very happy with had diagnosed this as cataracts but another vet who just glanced at her when we were walking around at a fair said it was a fungal infection as you could see the cloudiness was on the cornea and not the retina. She also can have a yellow discharge from the affected eye as well.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Other than this situation, I've had the same vet for 30+ years and am very happy with him, plus I'm out in the boonies so the next vet is close to an hours drive away. I live in the river valleys of the Mississippi and the Illinois so we are at risk of blastomycosis in addition to fungal keratitis but I have no knowledge of how to diagnose what she actually has and was wondering if someone might be able to point me in the correct direction. My vet is pretty open minded and I'd prefer to go back to him with some information and see where we go from there

Thanks for reading!

Mark

i have always treated my dogs' eyes with a triple antibiotic ointment. It has always cleared up infections. But first you need to determine if this IS an infection.

Ophthalmic antibiotics would be something to try and is the lesser of two evils. If it doesn't clear then I would say its cataracts. At that age cataracts can definitely be a possibility as well as infection especially with discharge. I would try the antibiotics first. Doesn't hurt to get a second opinion like you said also. The veterinarian should be able to distinguish where the cloudiness is coming from the cornea or the retinae

I am not a vet.

But a few points- cataracts affect the lens, not the retina. It’s between the outside layer (cornea) and the retina (the nerves at the back of the eye). It is easy to see the difference between cataracts and retinal or corneal problems with the right equipment. Heck, even a flashlight.

Cataracts do not cause eye drainage. Typically an infection has continuous heavy drainage (think pink eye) and the white of the eye should look irritated as well.

Typical antibiotic eye drops treat bacteria, not fungus.

If your pup is acting like his eyes are irritated, is having lots of drainage, and the lids are puffy or the whites are red, you should get him back in and explain that you are seeing these things, and ask the vet to explain what he is seeing. Cataracts might well (almost certainly are present in a 10+ year old lab) but if that explains everything is the issue. A opthamoscope will see cataracts easily, but it’s not the best thing for corneal issues- it’s hard/ next to impossible to see corneal abrasions without dye even using that- but a slit lamp makes it obvious... but those kinds of tools are not common for vets (IME).

If your vet isn’t willing to explain what he is seeing and what it means, and point it out to you, then I’d look at a second opinion.

Process of elimination, treat for fungal infection if it clears up, sweet. If not its cataracts.

Are you positive she doesn’t have anything in her eyes? I’ve seen grass seed make the eyes cloudy and have a discharge. Sometimes you have to flush multiple times to actually get it flushed out