Expert: Jessica - 1/5/2012

Question
Hi,
I noticed one evening that my cat's outer edge of his iris was turning pink.  I took him to the vet, and after squeezing the eye and shining a light in it, the vet couldn't figure out what the problem was and referred us to an opthologist.  That night and the next day the cat seemed to be more sluggish and the eye was more sensitive.  (But it could have been because he also received a vaccination).  Three days later, my cat seems to be full of energy and the eye doesn't seem sensitive, however it is still pink.  My cat is a lynx point siamese with blue eyes.   Could his eye just be changing colors or loosing pigment?  I also take a lot of pictures of him, and sometimes forget to turn off flash.  

thanks!

Answer
Hi Mel,

The Siamese eye almost entirely lacks pigmentation, and if any inflammation is present, this can make it easy for blood vessels to show through or the collection of escaped blood to be easily noticed. Although the loss of pigment in both the skin and the eyes in not uncommon in old cats, and sometimes Siamese with very pale blue eyes will develop a pinkish hue to them, it's probably more likely he's suffering some condition that's causing inflammation. Because you noticed eye sensitivity, I suspect this to be the case, and I would certainly follow up with the specialist. Most vets can take care of the common causes - conjunctivits, keratitis, uveitis and corneal scratches and ulcers. But if those weren't evident on the exam, I imagine you're dealing with something a little more complicated. An ophthalmologist will have the ability to measure eye pressure and will have a broader range of diagnostic tools and knowledge about eye conditions.

Good luck!
Jessica