Disorder - Eye colour

Organ Systems Involved
Nervous/sensory

Alternative disorders described within LIDA

Coat colour and deafness

Alternative Names
Albinism; Hyperchylomicronaemia; Ocular pigmentation

Presenting Signs

Inheritance of eye colour is thought to be determined by several genes. There is a wide variation in eye colour, ranging from grey-green to gold, yellow to deep copper, or pale grey to sapphire blue. The iris may have many different colours. Cats without the heat-sensitive genes for coat and eye colour usually have yellow-orange coloured eyes. Cats with the heat-sensitive genes that prevent development of pigmentation have lighter coloured eyes, such as greens and blues. Pedigreed cats are more likely to exhibit amber, green and blues.

Albinos have a lack of pigmentation in the skin, coat and eyes. Incomplete albino cats have a completely white coat, pink skin and blue eyes. Complete albino cats, with red eyes, have only been reported once in the literature. Cats with white coats and blue eyes have also been reported to have a high incidence of deafness. The gene for blue eyes in Siamese cats does not produce deafness.

Hyperchylomicronaemia is a deficiency of an enzyme that breaks down fat. It can lead to the sudden onset of a cloudy, blue appearance to the affected eye/s.

Cats at Risk

Ocular pigmentation – all cats
Albinism – offspring of cats that carry or express the albinism gene
Hyperchylomicronaemia – cats with a disrupted barrier in their eye that also have lots of fat in their blood.

Treatment

Ocular pigmentation – none
Albinism – none
Hyperchylomicronaemia – topical corticosteroids, low-fat diet and management of the underlying disease.

PubMed References
Eye colour

Contributor
Tamara Butler