Brown Spot On Dog Eye : (15 Important Dog Eye Facts)

Detecting a brown spot somewhere on your dog’s eye can cause you a great deal of worry. You will certainly want to know what exactly the brown spot is, what may be causing it, and what can possibly be done about it. This article explores all these issues.

The brown spot on dog eye may be due to chronic inflammation, due to a tumor or due to the dog’s natural eye pigmentation. The chronic inflammation that may be causing the brown spot on dog eye may be due to the condition where eyes are unable to lubricate properly.

So you end up with chronically dry eyes. That in turn leads to chronic inflammation, ultimately resulting in brown spot on eye.

The inflammation may also be due to one or another eyelid disease.

In all such cases, we may refer to the condition as pigmentary keratitis.

Where the brown spot in dog eye is due to a tumor, the underlying tumor may be benign or malignant.

And where the brown spot on eye is due to natural eye pigmentation, it will normally start showing up early in the dog’s life.

But there are also cases where dogs may develop these brown eyeball spots in old age, and it still turns out to be due to natural pigmentation.

The reason behind the brown spot in eye will usually determine how to handle it. There are cases where medications or surgical procedures may be necessary, to remove the brown spot eye has.

In some cases though, all that may be necessary is to monitor the dog.

And in some other cases, like where it is due to natural pigmentation, nothing really needs to be done.

What Is The Brown Spot On My Dog’s Eye?

Upon discovering a brown spot on dog eye, the first thing you may want to know is exactly what that brown spot is.

As it turns out, in some cases, the brown spot is actually a tumor.

In some other cases, the brown spot is simply an amalgamation of pigment cells, which we refer to as melanosomes.

That amalgamation of melanosomes may in turn be due to chronic inflammation, or due to the dog’s natural eye pigmentation.

All in all, the brown spot dog eye has is either a tumor or an amalgamation of pigment cells (melanosomes).

Thus, if my dog has a brown spot on her eye, I would know that it is either one of those.

How do you tell whether the spot on your dog’s eye is actually a tumor or amalgamation of pigment cells? You need to examine it carefully.

If it is raised or somewhat rounded, and it is either in the limbus or uvea, then it is likely to be a tumor.

But if it is flat, and it is in the cornea or sclera, then it is an amalgamation of pigment cells (the melanosomes).

Thus any brown spot on dog’s sclera is likely to be either due to inflammation (pigmentary keratitis) or due to the dog’s natural eye pigmentation. In this context, the sclera is the white part of the eye.

So, to put it differently, pigmentary keratitis or the dog’s natural eye pigment is the most likely cause of brown pigment in white of dogs eye.

On the other hand, if you find brown around dogs iris, it could very well be due to a tumor. That is usually what is at play, whenever there is a brown spot near iris.

What May Cause A Brown Spot On Dog Eye

There are three key things that can cause a brown spot on dog eye.

First is inflammation. This often causes brown spots in dogs’ eyes – when it takes the form of pigmentary keratitis.

Second is a tumor. A benign or a malignant tumor can be the reason behind the brown spot on dog eye.

Third is natural pigmentation. Some dogs have brown spots on their eyes as part of their natural pigmentation.

To figure out the exact reason behind the brown spot that your dog has in its eyes, you may need to examine the brown spot carefully.

For instance, you may find that it is a brown spot on white of dog’s eye. Then you know that it is either due chronic inflammation or due to the dog’s natural eye pigmentation.

On the other hand, you may notice your dog’s eye growing brown over time, especially in the iris. Or you find a dark spot on dogs eye, whose center is the iris. In that case, you know that it may be a tumor.

This understanding can also help you in ruling out certain potential causes. For instance, if what you are seeing is a brown spot on white part of eyeball, then you know it is unlikely to be a tumor.

More likely, it is something to do with inflammation (pigmentary keratitis) or the dog’s natural eye pigment.

But what if it is a dark brown spot on eyeball – and it is specifically in the iris (or elsewhere in the uvea)? Then you know that it is unlikely to be due to inflammation or the dog’s natural eye pigment. More probably, it is due to a tumor.

Let’s now look at each of the possible brown eye spot causes at greater length.

Inflammation As A Possible Cause For Brown Spot On Dog Eye

Where a dog’s eyes are chronically inflamed, it may eventually lead to formation of brown spots.

The inflammation may be due to an eyelid disease. That may include where the dog has eyelashes that are abnormal, where the eyelids roll inward (entropion), where the eyelashes roll outwards (ectropion) or where the eyelid itself has a growth.

Or it may be due to the condition where the eyes are chronically dry, due to lack of lubrication.

The technical term for this condition is pigmentary keratitis: normally in the form of dogs eyes brown in white region.

Thus it normally manifests as brown pigment in white of dog’s eye. The resultant spot is flat: not raised.

Is pigmentary keratitis bad for dogs? The answer is that whereas the pigmentary keratitis dog manifests may be harmless, the chronic inflammation behind it may be worrisome.

That is why, in most cases, the pigmentary keratitis treatment dog receives is usually aimed at resolving the underlying inflammation.

Now what causes pigmentary keratitis in dogs may be eyelid diseases or the condition where the dog’s eyes are always dry, due to poor lubrication.

And one of the key pigmentary keratitis dog symptoms is where we see the brown eye spots. Those are specifically brown spots on sclera.

Thus if what you are seeing are brown spots on white of eye, pigmentary keratitis may be the underlying cause.

There is always a high probability of any brown spot on eye white being due to this condition. Thus wherever you see a brown spot on eye white, this may be the first thing to rule out.

Or if you are trying to answer the why is the white of my dogs eye brown question, this is one of the first possibilities to consider.

Tumor As A Possible Cause For Brown Spot On Dog Eye

Sometimes, what looks like a brown spot on dog eye is actually an underlying tumor.

The technical term for this sort of tumor is melanoma.

And if you research on what does melanoma look like in a dog’s eye, you realize that one of the manifestations is a brown spot.

Or if you research on what causes brown spots on my dog’s eyes, you see that melanoma is one of the possible causes.

Typically, where a tumor is the reason behind the brown spot, the spot will either be in the uvea or limbus.

So it is effectively a brown spot on eyeball (right at the core, rather than in the peripheral regions).

For instance, a brown spot on iris eye may well be due to a tumor.

Or if it is a brown spot on eyes limbus, it may actually be due to a tumor.

Conversely, if it is a brown spot on white of eyeball, it is unlikely to be due to a tumor. That is unless one is referring to an eyelash tumor, which in turn causes inflammation leading to a brown spot. But that is a different affair altogether.

The dog breed may help in telling whether a tumor is a likely cause. That is because these tumors seem to be more common in dogs whose skin pigmentation is denser.

Suppose, for instance, you have both a Golden Retriever and white Pitbull with brown spot on eye. It is in the golden retriever that it is likely to be due to a tumor. And that is because these tumors are more common in dogs with more skin pigmentation – like Golden Retrievers.

All in all, tumors are responsible for some of the cases where we find dog eyes brown.

Natural Pigmentation As A Cause For Brown Spot On Dog Eye

There are dog’s whose natural pigmentation leads to formation of brown spots on their eyes.

Thus if, for instance, you see a brown spot on sclera, it could well be due to natural pigmentation.

It may also manifest as a brown ring around dog’s eye. So it doesn’t always manifest as brown spot on eye sclera. It can even be a brown mark in eye. Or it can be brown stain on eyeball – and generally all sorts of brown stains on eyes.

Thus if you were wondering, why is the white part of my dog’s eye brown, then it could be due to natural pigmentation.

Or if you were wondering, my dog has a brown spot on her eye, what may be the cause – then it could be due to natural pigmentation.

In many cases where the cause is natural pigmentation, you may find that the whites of dogs eyes are brown right from when they are very young.

But there are also cases of white part of eye turning brown dog owners report in older dogs, and which still turn out to be due to natural pigmentation.

All in all, where it is due to natural pigmentation, the brown spot will tend to be flat. It is not raised.

Thus if, for instance, you find brown spots on eyes white that are raised, then they are unlikely to be due to natural pigmentation.

Pretty much anything else though could be due to natural pigmentation though. Even a brown spot on conjunctiva (or brown spot on dog’s eyelid) could be due to natural pigmentation.

And if you were wondering, why does my dog have brown spots under his eyes, there is still a possibility of it being due to natural pigmentation.

How Brown Spots On Dog Eye May Be Detected

Sometimes, the brown spot on dog eye is so conspicuous that one can notice it from afar.

For instance, you may find that the whites of dog’s eyes are brown in a very conspicuous manner. The brown coloration here is so conspicuous that you can’t help wondering, why are the whites of my dogs eyes brown.

In other cases, the brown spots on dogs’ eyes may be so subtle that observing them takes careful examination.

So, for instance, while playing with the dog, you happen to observe a brown spot in its eye.

And that gets you wondering, what does a brown spot in the eye mean? Or if they are many spots, you find yourself wondering, what do brown spots in eyes mean in a dog?

In yet other cases, the brown spots are detected by vets, while treating dogs for other conditions.

For instance, while administering a routine vaccine, a vet may notice a brown spot on white part of eye. Or he may notice a dark brown spot in eye iris.

Some of the brown eye spots are more easily noticeable than others.

For instance, a green eye with brown spot may be very easy to notice. Similarly, a white dog with brown eye patch may be very easily noticeable. That is also akin to how a blue eye with brown spot is so easily notable.

But a light brown spot on white of eye may be harder to pick.

There are cases where advanced veterinary equipment may have to be used, to detect certain types of spots.

For instance, in case of a brown spot eye white, an ophthalmoscope may be necessary.

Generally though, brown spots on white part of eye tend to be quite conspicuous, due to the contrast.

Brown Spot On Dog Eye – Should I Worry About It?

When you notice a brown spot on dog eye, you should at least be concerned.

Even if it is just a brown stain in a dog’s lower eyelid, it should still arouse some concern.

As noted earlier, some of the possible causes for a brown spot on dog eye are worrisome.

For instance, a brown spot in eye white may be due to chronic inflammation. And that has potential to worsen with time.

Similarly a dark brown spot on dog’s eye (in the iris) can be due to a tumor (melanoma). And that has potential to keep on growing, with worse effects over time.

You just need to look at some dog eye melanoma pictures, to see how bad it can become.

Thus whether it is a small or big brown spot on dog’s eye, it should be cause for concern.

At the very least, it is something you should mention to your vet during your next visit.

The vet may then help in deciphering the brown spots in eyes meaning.

True, brown spot in eye color can also be due to natural pigmentation. But you want to rule out the other worse possibilities, before you settle on natural pigmentation being the cause for the brown around dogs eyes.

Some cases shouldn’t wait for the next routine vet visit though. For instance, if you spot a brown spot on iris of dog’s eye, it is best to take the dog to a vet immediately. That is because, as noted earlier, it could be due to a malignant tumor.

Indeed, any sort of brown spot growing on dog’s eye shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Even if dog has brown spot on side of eye (rather than in the eye itself), it is still something that requires attention.

Brown Spot On Dog Eye – What Should I Do About It?

The first step is to observe it, taking note of its exact location, shape and size.

As noted earlier, brown spots in dogs’ eyes may have different implications, depending on their locations, shapes and sizes.

For instance, a dark brown spot in dog’s eye may have a different implication from a light brown spot in dog’s eye.

Even where it is actually a black spot you find upon close examination, you should still ask, what is the black spot in my dog’s eye?

So you observe the spot, taking note of its location, shape and size.

The next step is to take the dog that has the brown spot in the eye to a vet.

Even where you don’t deem an urgent visit to a vet necessary, you should at least mention the spot to the vet during the next routine visit.

The vet will then examine the spot more carefully. Further, the vet may order tests – including lab tests and x-rays – to find out what the issue may be.

Even a seemingly minor brown spot on dog eye may be a sign of something worse.

How Do You Get Rid Of Brown Spots On Dogs Eyes?

How to get rid of brown spots on dogs eyes depends on what seems to be the reason behind the spots.

Take where the spots are due to the dogs’ natural pigmentation. Then it may not be possible to get rid of them at all.

This can be hard news to swallow. For instance, if you have a white dog with brown spot on eye, and the spot is irremovable, that may not exactly be good news.

You would still need to accept it as part of your dog’s identity.

But there are cases where the white spots are removable.

For instance, if the underlying problem is chronic inflammation due to lack of eye lubrication, it may be solvable.

Use of artificial tears may be helpful. Or the vet may just prescribe drugs that increase tear production.

Where the inflammation is due to eyelid disease, there are treatments that may resolve it.

And where the brown spots are due to tumors, and the tumors are malignant, removing them may remove the brown spots as well. But tumor removal surgery is usually not a neat affair. So it is only done when absolutely necessary.

Final Verdict – Brown Spot On Dog Eye

Brown spots on dog eyes may be due to chronic inflammation. The chronic inflammation may in turn be due to eyelid diseases or due to the condition where the eyes are always dry due to lack of lubrication.

A brown spot on dog eye can also be due to a tumor: which may be benign or malignant.

There are also cases in which you may have a brown spot on dog eye due to the dog’s natural eye pigmentation.

Any case where you notice a brown spot in your dog’s eye deserves some attention. In some cases, you may need to organize urgent vet visits. In other cases, you should at least mention the brown eye spot issue during your next routine vet visit.

Where the problem is due to inflammation (as in pigmentary keratitis), treating the underlying inflammation may resolve it.

In cases where it is due to a tumor, monitoring of its growth may be what is necessary. But if the underlying tumor is malignant, then it may have to be removed.

And where the brown spot on dog eye is part of the dog’s natural eye pigmentation, then you just have to live with it.

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Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️