Spotty cat eyes

February 23, 2008 1:45 PM

My cat has dark spots in one of his eyes. Is this something I should worry about?

One of my cats has a couple of black-ish spots on his eyeball. The biggest one is a couple millimeters wide but he has a couple more smaller ones. Is this normal? Will it affect his vision?

posted by puke & cry to pets & animals (7 comments total)

My cat had a dark spot develop on his iris. The vet recommended his eye be removed as it may have been cancer. Even if the spots are not on the iris, you should have a vet check it out.

My cat does just fine with one eye, by the way. He's a pirate!
posted by naturesgreatestmiracle at 1:53 PM on February 23, 2008

If these spots are something that have recently appeared, I'd get him to the vet ASAP.

If they've been there for years without changing then maybe it can wait till the next annual check-up.

Is this something I should worry about?

That's the question for the vet. If you wait until you can be 100% certain that the answer is "yes," you've waited way too long.
posted by winston at 2:09 PM on February 23, 2008

These spots could be anything from normal age related changes in the pigmentation of the iris to something serious such as melanoma.

Iris colour in cats can change with age, in older cats there is often a loss of pigment and darker areas from the back of the iris then show through. This is usually a diffuse (slow) change. Any sudden change in the appearance of his eye needs to be investigated as soon as possible to establish the underlying cause.

Ask your vet to examine your cat.

Good luck!
posted by Arqa at 2:13 PM on February 23, 2008

I guess I should mention his age. He's 3 years old.
posted by puke & cry at 2:37 PM on February 23, 2008

Don't recall the color but my cat developed an ugly spot in his iris. Vet said it was probably giving him terrible headaches, and the eyedrops he prescribed cleared it up pretty quick.
posted by Rash at 3:28 PM on February 23, 2008

Is it on the actual globe of the eye (the eye ball) or on the membranes surrounding? It is common in "fair skinned" cats (i.e. orange cats, white cats, calicos, and others with pink noses, paws, and lips) to get dark spots called Lentigo Simplex, which is a change in pigmentation, like freckles on people.

My own orange cat has a couple of areas like that in the inside corner (nearest to his nose) on his right eye (view it here), and it developed pretty young on him. He was maybe a year old at the time (he's now 9). Our vet has assured us that it's nothing to worry about - although, like freckles and moles on people, it should be monitored for excessive growth.

However, if it is on the actual globe, you probably want to have a vet inspect it. If cost is an issue, check your local area for weekend 'clinics' where you can drop in and pay a minimal fee. My local vet waives the office fees and only charges for the service, so things like vaccinations end up only costing a few dollars.
posted by giddygirlie at 6:03 PM on February 23, 2008

It's on the eyeball.
posted by puke & cry at 6:11 PM on February 23, 2008