Pigmented keratitis is a brown or black film that spreads across a dog's cornea. It is most common in flat-faced breeds like Pugs and Shih Tzus, and it is the eye's response to long-term irritation. Here is what it means, whether it is bad for your dog's sight, and when to have it checked.
Screen your pet free ↗Pigmented keratitis is a brown or black film that spreads across a dog's cornea, most often in flat-faced breeds like Pugs and Shih Tzus. It is the eye's response to long-term irritation such as dry eye or hair rubbing the surface. It is usually a slow Monitor, but pigment spreading over the pupil can reduce sight, so have it checked.
| What you see | What it may point to | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| A small brown speck at a corner of the cornea | Early pigment | Monitor |
| Brown or black film spreading across the eye, mild cloudiness | Established pigmented keratitis | Monitor |
| Pigment reaching the pupil, the dog bumping into things, redness or pain | Sight may be at risk | Urgent |
| Clear, transparent cornea | Likely normal | Normal |
Severity labels follow PawCheck's Normal / Monitor / Urgent screening scale. They are a guide, not a diagnosis.
A brown or black haze or film on the clear surface of the eye, starting near a corner and spreading inward. Often there is also some cloudiness or signs of dryness.
Brachycephalic breeds have large, exposed eyes and shallow sockets, so the cornea is constantly irritated. The pigment is the eye's long-term defence against that irritation.
Pug, Shih Tzu, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso, and Boxer. These flat-faced breeds are very popular in India, which makes this a common finding in Indian clinics.
Owners often mix up a dark corneal film with the cloudiness of cataract or old-age haze. They sit in different parts of the eye.
| Pigmented keratitis | Cataract | Nuclear sclerosis | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour | Brown or black | White or grey | Bluish-grey haze |
| Where | On the surface (cornea) | In the lens, behind the pupil | In the lens |
| Effect on sight | Reduced if it covers the pupil | Can lead to blindness | Usually normal (an age change) |
| Usual severity | Monitor | Urgent | Normal |
When in doubt, a vet visit is always the safe choice. PawCheck helps you judge how quickly to act, it does not replace that visit.
Pigmented keratitis is not contagious, and the pigment itself is usually not painful. What matters is that it is a sign of ongoing irritation on the eye. Caught early, the goal is to ease what is driving it, before the pigment spreads far enough to block vision.
If a large part of the cornea is covered, sight can be affected, which is why a dog with a spreading dark film should be seen by a vet rather than just watched.
PawCheck screens for pigmented keratitis as one of 7 dog eye conditions, returning a Normal, Monitor, or Urgent severity read from a single photo. For flat-faced breeds it gives you an easy way to track whether the film is spreading. Free on Android, 5 scans a month.
Further reading: MSD Veterinary Manual; Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. This page is general information and does not replace an examination by a qualified veterinarian.
PawCheck's AI eye scanner covers 7 dog eye conditions in a single scan.
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