Uneven Pupils

cjs233

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Hello all.

I just noticed that my parent's Maine Coon mix has unevenly dilated pupils. He is otherwise acting normally, (Not pawing at his eyes or head, will chase a piece of sting when I play with him, no siezures or other episodes). I plan to call the vet tomorrow morning, but wanted to see what people's thoughts here are.
 

stephanietx

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How old is he?

If he's old enough to have cataracts, that might be why the pupils are different sizes.
 
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cjs233

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Originally Posted by stephanietx

How old is he?
Thanks for your reply!

He was a stray, but we think he's about eight years old. I just picked him up and looked him over and the difference between the pupil sizes is less distinct today. I also saw that he is closing that eye a lot, although it looks clear.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get in with the vet today, so tomorrow it is. I'll write in when I know more.
 
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cjs233

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The vet can't find anything wrong. Looks like it may have been an injury, a fall or he ran, head on, into something. (Neither of my parents would have hit him, don't worry.) Anyway, he's doing well, still behaving normally, looking at me with even pupils.
 

the_food_lady

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Originally Posted by cjs233

The vet can't find anything wrong. Looks like it may have been an injury, a fall or he ran, head on, into something. (Neither of my parents would have hit him, don't worry.) Anyway, he's doing well, still behaving normally, looking at me with even pupils.
Strangely enough, about 10 years ago I noticed that my cat Fuzzy's eyes had uneven pupils; one slightly larger than the other. Being an RN, I was quite worried for in humans that's surely something to investigate. I took her to a Vet Ophthalmologist then and he couldn't find any issues. It didn't seem to last and they've been equal ever since.

Though 2 nights ago I noticed my old cat Cleo (who I believe is Fuzzy's sister), she's at least 16 yrs old....one of her pupils was more noticeably larger than the other.....My cats are all indoor cats. Cleo was acting fine, I'm certainly not aware of her having any kind of head injury or fall, she's still a very active, spunky girl for her age. A few hours later I noticed pupils both equal. Just looked now, one is a touch narrower (smaller) than the other. In her case, I'm not going to worry about it but will watch.

You did the RIGHT thing by seeing your vet and having kitty assessed!!!!!!!
 

kittymom4

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This is called Aniscocoria.
If your cat has always been this way it's probably nothing - but always have it checked!!! It can be caused by the iris muscles - you may find your cat is sensitive to bright light.

It can be a sign of a fall or head trauma if it is sudden onset.

You need to check for uneven pupil dilation, or mydriasis, If you take them into a bright room (don't use a flashlight) see if the pupils dilate (get bigger and smaller) equally when you take them in and out of the brighter lights.

I think a bathroom if you have the brighter lights over your mirror is a good testing spot because you can usually step out into a hall or a bedroom into dimmer light but not just turn off the lights (because then you can't see the pupils enlarge
)

If the eyes are unequally reactive it's time for emergency! Though I would have your cat checked as soon as you can in any case if the pupils are uneven just to make sure you don't have anything neurological going on. Just my two cents from some vet tech training.... cats are very good at hiding problems. Better to be safe than sorry you know?
 
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