What is Nuclear Sclerosis?

Nuclear sclerosis is extremely common in dogs over six or seven years of age. Dog with nuclear sclerosis

Nuclear sclerosis is a cloudiness of the lens of the eye, typically with a blue grey coloration. The lens of the eye is actually made up of tissue fibers, and as a dog ages, these fibers become more dense. The increase in lens fibers, will cause the eye to reflect light differently, but the lens will still retain it's transparency. Nuclear sclerosis is considered a normal part of aging, and will not usually require any type of treatment. It is very different from a cataract, because with nuclear sclerosis a dog can still have excellent vision. Here is a picture of a ferret with cataracts so you can see the difference. Ferret with cataracts

Eyes with cataracts often appear to have a whitish appearance, as you can probably tell by these pictures. If you notice cloudiness in your dogs eyes, it's always a good idea to have a veterinarian take a look. If your dog is over six years old though, most likely it's just nuclear sclerosis from old age, which shouldn't effect his vision.