Pigmentation, blood vessels in the cornea and calcium are different components of corneal degeneration. Of these, calcium is the most troublesome. Calcium has been deposited in the cornea of this dog. The white arrow indicates the calcium with a corneal ulcer within. Calcium is the mineral which makes bones strong.
Calcium is in solution in all tissues of the body.
In these circumstances, the epithelium and stroma of the cornea can become whitish. Sometimes the calcium deposits will coalesce and break through the surface and little chips of the deposit can slough off. Alternatively, the calcium may become quite dense immediately beneath the epithelium. The sloughing of the calcium or the peeling off of the epithelium will result in a corneal ulcer which is quite painful. If an ulcer is present, the ulcer needs to be treated with topically applied antibiotics to prevent infection while the ulcer heals.