Question
The picture of Tiki's eyes (a tabby cat aged, maybe, 10 to 14) shows that her eyes are 'marbled', that is to say overall green but with an irregular pattern of brown 'marbling'.
I know that patches of brown coloration may be an indication of melanoma but Tiki's eyes are consistently 'marbled' in an even fashion.
However I have never seen eyes quite like hers before and I wonder if this is common, or not.
Otherwise, despite having been a somewhat reclusive stray for at least two years, and now that she has felt confident enough to settle down in a domestic environment, her health and appetite and functions are all excellent. So my worries about a possibly extensive melanoma are receding and I am favouring a genetic reason for her 'marbled' eyes.
Can anyone be definitive about this ?
Answer
Brown spots that appear in your cat's eye can be either iris melanosis or iris melanoma.
The big difference in the two is that one is benign (with a chance to turn malignant), and the other is malignant. This is often easier to spot when the cat's eye changes over the time of you owning them. In your case, this has not been a long time.
The only way for you to know whether this is in fact a disease or just a pigment in your cat's eye is to see the vet. The vet can find out which of the two it is by checking:
- the color of the spot on the iris
- whether the iris is distorted
- whether the eye pressure is elevated (glaucoma)
- whether cells are floating in the anterior chamber of the eye
In conclusion: See your vet about this. This is not something we can diagnose over the internet.
https://www.thecathospitalofmedia.com/iris-melanosis-vs-iris-melanoma/
Answered By - SerenaT
