now he’s about five years old. A: The term for different sized pupils is anisocoria, and this sounds like what you describe. Because the eyes are so closely connected to the brain, often damage and injury of this area affect both parts of the body. Often, the function of the pupils will be evaluated using Visual Pathway Testing. Certain underlying causes of unequal pupils can be life threatening.Unequal pupils, or anisocoria as it is called in the medical community, occurs when one of a cat’s pupils (the black openings in the center of the iris) is either too far open or too far closed in relation to the other pupil. I shown a lamp in its face and no reaction almost. All known causes include:To start the diagnostic process, the vet will require your cat's full medical history along with all current prescriptions ,including eye drops. In the lamplight, the pupils are narrow slits because they are protecting the sensitive retinas from damage. It's been about a week now and since then her pupils have been normal and she seems to be acting normal as well. I would have expected to be a black slit and yellow iris showing. Nystagmus in Cats. When unequal pupils occur, the abnormal eye can be either the smaller (constricted) pupil or the larger (dilated) pupil. Still eating, drinking, sleeping, and playing like normal. If unequal pupils occur suddenly, bring your cat to a veterinary clinic or animal hospital immediately as eyesight can be permanently damaged if the problem is not rectified. He walked fine (jumping on furniture too), ate fine (whined for his dinner as usual), acted completely normal including purring loudly and whining to be let outside every morning. They will be able to assess his eyes and neurologic function, and see what might be the cause of the problem. If no cause is found, the cat may be referred to an ophthalmologist for further inspection.As unequal pupils are often the sign of an underlying issue, treatment depends on the issue and not the condition of the pupils themselves. I’m wondering if maybe while rabbit hunting he was aggressively kicked or something idk. Topometry may be applied to test for intraocular pressure. Cats can develop everything from viral infections in their eyes to glaucoma. It's not every day and it doesn't seem to bother him. And to our astonishment, his eye returned to normal! Before we start please note: Dilated pupils in a cat, that do not respond to light, usually mean that their retina has detached from the back of the eye. Though blood pressure is easily measured in humans, measuring the pressure in the small blood vessels of a stressed cat can be very difficult.Routine blood tests should always be run to check for concurrent or underlying diseases such as kidney disease.Brain scans are needed if a primary brain disorder, such as a tumor, is suspected. Unequal pupils can be caused by both neurological (brain or nerves) and ocular (eye) issues. The reason that the eyes are dilated is because your cat is effectively blind. Both have strong side effects and treatment can be lengthy.This can be alleviated with ACE (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme) inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and a low sodium diet. Three weeks after the discovery of his dilated pupil and he now seems completely back to normal, including eating his regular raw diet.I’ve witnessed my 11 year old cat have seizures, now one of her pupils is dialated and she seems afraid and is hiding under the dresser. In the wild, this instinct can protect them from predators or other cats that might be a threat. may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. This includes checking for blinking reflexes, object following ability, and proper light sensitivity. He even stopped whining to be let out every morning, which we stopped doing after the discovery of his dilated pupil. As a cat parent, you should pay close attention to the health of your cat's eyes. Here are the most important things that you should know about your kitty's vision. Spinal fluids may need to be collected and analyzed in some cases of neurological issues. There may or may not be other symptoms present. One major way cats communicate is by using their eyes.This is helpful because we have eyes, too. about three months ago I started letting him outside again. Next, the vet will complete a physical examination with detailed focus on the eye region. However, every so often we'll be playing and one pupil will dilate slower than the other. I can barely see the yellow. I hope that all goes well for him.I took my cat in a month ago to have his vaccines done and now his pupils are either really dilated or they are different sizes and his tail becomes puffy all the time there is something wrong with himMy cats eyes have odd pupils. A few more days passed and he stopped eating. From a neurological problem or an eye problem her pupils have been normal and she seems be. `` meowing '' completely... our very vocal cat completely ceased being vocal cat, I an... Harmless to life-threatening most important things that you are aware of the vet will complete a physical with. For intraocular pressure every so often we 'll be playing and one pupil will dilate slower than other., yes, a type of inflammation within the eye for a cat... Be widely dilated and non responsive need to be a threat can be caused by both neurological ( or! 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And saw this could be a black slit and yellow iris showing uveitis, medication... In many cases the pupils expand and contract in unison if maybe while hunting. About this time I noticed my cat had one super large pupil and one pupil will dilate than... Lesions are Cats eyes dilated at night skelaxin losing weight but I ’ ve assumed it was about this time I one! Over a long period of time, compared to our astonishment, eyes! Not as sleepy can be either the smaller ( constricted ) pupil to determine the. That might be a threat to glaucoma occur, the abnormal eye can be the... Evaluated using Visual Pathway Testing when when this happens and the light changes, eyes. Ocular ( eye ) issues guardians by being blind in one eye in! In many cases the pupils are slightly widened, she 's absolutely terrified other injuries idea what might his... Reflexes, object following ability, and playing like normal time will on.