white area in iris. Help? (now w/ picture)

[Diamond]

I was holding Lily today and I realized that there is a white area in her eye.  It seems confined to the iris.  I don’t know how long its been there, and I was hoping someone might know what’s causing it and if it’s something to be worried about.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn84/lupinepyrefly/Mobile%20Uploads/20140117_193629_zpsbe80cc7f.jpg

[tanlover14]

I wonder if it’s the beginning of a cataract? Someone with more experience will probably come along and comment also. How old is Lily??

[Diamond]

Lily is a little under two.

[manic_muncher]

Sometimes a scratch on the eye can cause a white look too. Though the incidences I have personally viewed of this looked different than your picture shows. I’m with tanlover, hoping someone else with more experience sees this!

[Diamond]

Doing more research, and it’s looking like it was nothing to worry about after all, and the biggest problem is that I never looked too closely at the poor thing’s eyes before. Because what it looks most like to me now is a form of heterochromia caused by the Vienna gene, which none of us knew anything about because we’re not breeders. So scare most likely averted.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Could you post a clear picture of both eyes? It doesn’t necessarily mean all is OK when it’s symmetrical (i.e. Rupert has small cataracts in both eyes now) but often if it’s just one eye (or one side!) it does mean there is something amiss. From your picture all I can really make out is a reflection. Now age doesn’t always factor, while aged animals can develop cataracts (like my Rupert) there can be a disease process involved in early cataracts so might be worth a check. AT two I’d be concerned about one eye looking different then the other, if they both look the same I’d bet all is OK

[jerseygirl]

K&K, are you referring to the very white spot at 1 o’clock? I think that’s light reflection also.

Lily does have some Vienna markings (eg. the white blaze) and it does appear her iris has both brown and blue.
It’s the irregular shaped pupil that concerns me. At least, it looks that way in the photo. The area from 8 o’clock all the way around to 1 o’clock looks like its misshapen the pupil or is obscuring it from an more outer layer.

[Starah]

Sorry, I can’t see your picture as I’m on my phone so what I will say is based purely on experience;

A few weeks ago I posted about my buns eye changing colour and one of the replies suggested it could be related to the Vienna gene.
On Thursday morning we raced down to the vet in a panic because a tiny white spot had developed in the eye. They looked at it and were a little stumped, it’s not a cataract and it’s not a scratch. The two things they think it could be are;
-fatty deposits in the eye which is just one of those things, happens with no clear cause. This wouldn’t cause any issues except in later life if it became substantially bigger in Whig case there is a risk of ulcers
-the other possibility was; apparently does can sometimes get a surge of hormones that can cause such a flair up? I think this is more likely for Patsy based on her recent stompy, nippy behaviour (spay time this week, eek!)
Is your bun spayed? Domestic buns can still get that hormonal instinct as we come in to spring.

Patsy’s case has been referred to a specialist, so if it is the first possibility they will advise me on how to manage it and possible future ulcers.

As always, if you’re worried a vet trip is best, but (without seeing your pic) it sounds pretty similar and I’ll keep you posted on what the specialist says!

[Diamond]

Sorry I couldn’t get back faster, and I should have been more specific about the photo.  The only thing that concerned me was the large blue area in the lower right.  Every other abnormality in that picture is just reflection.  She also has two much smaller blue/white patches in her other eye, which I’m keeping watch on.  I don’t have a very good camera, so that’s probably the best picture I could get.

Thank you all very much for the advice so far <3

[jerseygirl]

Posted By Diamond on 01/18/2014 05:36 PM

Sorry I couldn’t get back faster, and I should have been more specific about the photo.  The only thing that concerned me was the large blue area in the lower right.  Every other abnormality in that picture is just reflection.  She also has two much smaller blue/white patches in her other eye, which I’m keeping watch on.  I don’t have a very good camera, so that’s probably the best picture I could get.

Thank you all very much for the advice so far <3

Good to know. That’s a relief!
It does look like its due to the gene then. I’ve only seen pictures where the blue part is really vivid. I wonder if its normal to see it developing like you and Starah are seeing?? You could ask about that on a breeders forum as they likely see this a lot. If you do, I’d just be clear to state you’re asking due to health, not with any intent to breed. That would help keep responses more specific.

[jerseygirl]

[ Double post ]

[LBJ10]

Wooly’s eye changed color as he got older. There wasn’t marbling that I noticed, although I have heard of it happening with the Vienna gene.

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