Hello everyone,
I spotted a bit of eye gunk on my old girl earlier (unusual for her) ad when I was wiping it away I noticed her eye is slightly cloudy, it may have been before but I'm not sure, if it was just clouded I would assume it was cataracts but there seem to be a slight mark in the centre of the surface of her eye. the best I can describe is like a slight chip, I can only see it against the light so its not huge or red so I can't be sure the mark is new as I wouldn't normally be peering in her eyes like that. Does that sound like the start of an ulcer or could it just be old eyes/cataracts?
I've had a dog with an ulcer before but that was very obvious quite quickly. He ended up having an operation which wouldn't be an option with my oldie so if there is something starting I want to squash it quickly. Obviously I'll watch it and I can take her to the vets tomorrow if necessary.
thanks

If she is elderly the chances are she has cloudiness anyway. However, I would definitely see the Vet as an ulcer can be treated with ointment. I have had one dog that hit herself in the eye with a ball on a rope and she was treated within 2 hours by the Vet with no problems

My male pug had an eye injury that looked like a chip out of the surface. 

He was walking behind my chow who got a branch caught in his coat and then it swung back and hit him in the eye.  He just needed drops and it healed really well and the chip filled in. 

I would say that a trip to the vet is a must, any injury not medicated may develope into an ulcer.

Sounds very much like an eye ulcer, a trip to the Vet asap is essential, if caught quickly can easily be sorted with eye drops. 

Thanks all, spoke to my vet this afternoon, he OK'd me giving her eye ointment (antibiotic) that I had for sheep eye ulcers and I have an appointment for 9 am tomorrow with the practices' ophthalmic specialist. Her eye is looking worse (though the cream makes it looks worse than ever), starting to wish I'd got her in this afternoon but they shut up at 6 and apparently the eye guy was off sick for the afternoon anyhow.
I am worried as I've had one of my others with an ulcer 5 years ago (he's still going strong) and I don't know if it came up really quickly or I didn't spot it so early as the drops didn't work with him and he had to have an eye graft. My old girl has been ok generally but is increasingly doddery with Hd/arthritis and lopsided from a possible stroke that I don't think it would be fair to put her through an op. Already having doubts as to that though when people ask me why an operation would be such a big deal!

fingers crossed I'm borrowing trouble too early and its nothing serious. :(
thanks again

Have had this with pekes. Used viscous tears and fucithalmic from the vet  every couple hours, used the tears an hour before the ointment as I was instructed.The vet however , young girl , not the one who usually deals with pekes, suggested if it didn't clear up that the eye was to be tic tac toed ... a scrape , to stimulate healing . Luckily there was an eye testing session coming up where I could consult ' the eye ' man (as far as I am concerned).He said the damage was not as bad as made out , involving removal of eye etc ,(12 yr old peke); and  he was horrified at the tic tac toe suggestion , saying he would, never ,under any circumstances do that to a pekes eye .It took a week and very strict application  of tears and ointment but cleared and could not even be seen afterwards.

Just to update: She has an ulcer, it's all over her eye but not especially deep. the vet wondered if she could have come across a chemical as it is unusually widespread but I don't think she has. It's also (or because, I'm not sure) not producing many tears so that may be why its spread over the eye I think. She also has a dark spot that is probably a ruptured iris cyst but he thinks that is unrelated and harmless.
I have viscotears and Ciloxan for her. They are both human meds from the instructions. I was told 3x day for the visco tears and 4x day for the ciloxan but for the human dose it says coreneal ulcers should be treated every 30 mins for  1st day then decreasing t 2 hrly by the 3rd day with the 4xday dose only for bacterial infections. I'll do as recommended for now but I just wondered if anyone had any opinions?
thanks

Not heard of Ciloxan so can't comment on it, would use it as directed by your Vet.  We've always had Fucithalmic and have had excellent results with it.

My Border Collie had an eye ulcer.

Fucithalmic and visco tears worked.  I was told to use both 4 times a day.  I was worried as the eye did look quite bad.  I was also amazed how quickly I saw improvement.

just had a quick google, looks like the fucithalmic is more for infections of the white and lining of the eye and ciloxan for corneal ulcers (which she has) different active ingredient anyhow.
I cant really see any improvement yet, looks a bit different but I'm afraid that might be worse not better. The only positive is she seems unconcerned by it though it must be at least irritating. looks horrible. :(