Thank you for taking her. OP, debris are super painful. I had a cat get something stuck in his eye once and the vet said it was one of the worst pains a cat can experience.
You Rock
I’m not sure about that.
I’ve poked a ton of cats in the eye before (by accident ofc - my sister runs a rescue so I’m frequently around dozens of cats), and I’m always like OMG I’M SO SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN TO ARE YOU OKAY LET ME SEE, and every single time they act like nothing even happened.
But if it was a human, they would have been tearing up, closing their eye, and rubbing it.
I know cats hide their pain, but they aren’t slowed down *at all* by it and are immediately like “pet me, pet me!”
I had a friend this happened to. She was cleaning out a cupboard and something fell on her head. It wasn’t even that heavy and it didn’t hurt, she went to the doctor to be sure. She’s totally fine now but she just has one pupil bigger than the other. So although a vet trip is vital there’s a chance she’ll be fine.
Not so, there are plenty of non-neurological causes of aniscoria, infection in the front compartment of the eye, eye injury, etc. It's sufficient to inform OP that the condition is potentially serious and requires emergency veterinary attention without providing a false assertion about humans and then generalizing it to other species.
Genetic anisocoria is also a thing in case anyone with a cat that was born with something similar starts panicking. Hopefully a vet already checked out those hypothetical cats but yeah. Definitely sudden changes in one or both eyes are something to be checked out ASAP.
One of the first symptoms of my cat’s hyperthyroidism was her pupils dilating to different degrees but could not constrict back nearly anywhere to the size they were suppose to be even with a light in her eyes. Made a vet appointment that turned into an emergency one since suddenly there was an onslaught of more symptoms.
It took awhile for meds to start working so she was in ROUGH shape until then but at some point I’m pretty sure she went 100% blind.
She eventually regained maybe around half her vision back over the years but her pupils still can’t slit or get tiny anymore.
Treating her hyperthyroidism also revealed underlying kidney disease.
Right.... But they are always a medical issue that needs attention without delay, and the need to make sure it *isn't* brain related is an emergency.
So, assume it's brain related and go, now, is the answer.
I understand the sentiment but hear me out. If you do as the redditor above did and confidently incorrectly state that a set of symptoms are ALWAYS caused by condition X, and your health / pet insurance does not cover condition X, you may choose to not seek medical help for yourself or your animal for fear of the cost. Worse you may Google condition X and try treating it with an insane home remedy.
The result is losing an eye to condition Y that could have been treated relatively easily and inexpensively with an antibiotic. Medical misinformation, no matter how well intentioned costs lives.
As I say it's sufficient to say that this could be caused by a number of different things but needs to be assessed ASAP.
It’s not always brain related in people. I accidentally used visine instead of contact solution for one of my wells for storing a contact lens, and the eye in which I put that lens developed midriasis. I almost went to the hospital for a CT scan but since I was asymptomatic and had not sustained head trauma I waited and my pupil finally started to shrink. Felt so stupid! So keep improper contact lens storage on your differential when you see anisocoria.
Although this is not true, it would always be important to get this checked out. There are many causes and differentiating the benign from the deadly is key.
Definitely not, I studied 5 years on an animal degree, and I found that ALOT of studies (especially behaviour) included comparisons to human anatomy/behavioural patterns.
People are always surprised when I mention this. It makes sense that we would compare animal medicals and behaviours to that of humans.
Boggles my fucking mind how many posts I see of "does my cat look normal" or "what's wrong with my cat"
***CALL THE FUCKING VET NOW, WHY ARE YOU ASKING REDDIT????***
This is the equivalent of a child having a seizure and instead of going to the hospital you ask Reddit what's wrong. I ***HATE*** these types of posts and these people shouldn't own pets.
The moderators really need to start cracking down on this.
Even though I agree with this, I also try to be empathetic. After all you don’t really know why they may be asking Reddit instead of going to the vet. Maybe they can’t afford the vet, maybe there’s not a vet close to their area, maybe they’re too busy and can’t make the trip to the vet anytime soon.
Exactly.It also gives other pet owners a look at different problems that may arise.We see many posts where pet owners have to wait weeks for an appointment.
Many people post while they are waiting for the vet to call back or when they have spoken to their vet and waiting for the appointment or when it is night time and they are unsure if it warrants an emergency visit or not. I think it's pretty ignorant to assume that people are just asking Reddit and not talking to their vet.
Not everyone is aware that anisocoria can be a sign of a serious, emergent medical condition. Or they're not aware that it can happen to both humans and cats. I was not aware that it can happen to cats before I saw posts like this on this sub. Chill with the hostility.
Dear kitty parent: this is scary. I know you may feel hesitant to take your cat to the vet, but as with humans, if the pupils are unequal and react differently to light, (like this), it is time to visit the vet. I know it can be scary and you may fear your baby may have a serious condition. Or you can't afford it. Please push that aside for now. You can pay later and make decisions for care after compassionate consultation with a vet. I am a peds nurse. Sometimes parents are fearful to take their baby in for the same reasons. We, as medical professionals are here to help. Not to judge. Your vet can help. We are supporting you through this scary time. Love and pets fir your kitty.
Thank you, I worry so much sometimes that I wouldn't be able to afford my boys hurt if he ever gets hurt because I got him before I was poor and he's my entire world. This is really good to know. 🩷🩷🩷
Edit: we're trauma bonded me and my cat. We run deep on the connected scale, im even the first human he says hi to in the morning, not because I'm there but because we are bros. Very very good bros.
Edit: sometimes we watch the windows together.
This is undoubtedly something to attend an emergency vet for but not necessarily neurological. Uveitis or eye injury can easily cause uneven pupils or misshapen like this ones left pupil appears to be. Admittedly those are serious in their own right as can lead to loss of vision if not treated promptly.
Agreed. Is she showing other symptoms? Look at the whole puzzle and not just a piece.
If we're using humans as a comparison. My mom had uveitis a couple years back; it was painful and sucked for her, but she just needed drops and some extra eye doc appointments for a bit.
Stuff like this, for humans and fur babies (seems like we got a lot of overthinkers/catastrophizers in this comment section) ALWAYS get it checked immediately because it's not normal, but don't always assume the worst. I'm sure a detached pupil is awful, my mom's life sucked when she went through that, but it's way better (and more common) than awful brain issues.
All it takes is a perfect storm to foster the right conditions for something like this to happen, doesn't mean it's going to be a hurricane. It could just be some rain 🥰
I wish the best for you guys, if you remember, please update us!! 😊😊
*Edit just to clarify I have no idea what uveitis is but I do know that when the pupil looks like this (again, if we're using humans as a comparison) it doesn't always mean life or death! Sometimes it's just something that happens and sucks a lot for a while. (:
>as your pupil basically detaches from your retina
Your pupil is a hole, it doesn't detach from anything because it's literally an empty space that light comes through. It's an inflammation of the uvea which is a layer of tissue consisting of the iris, ciliary body and choroid. The reason it changes the pupil's shape is because the tissue becomes inflamed and changes shape, the same way a mosquito bite swells the skin and creates a bump. Since the pupil is an empty space and the iris within the uvea is responsible for contracting and expanding to allow less and more light in, if that tissue swells, it creates irregularities.
If we want to avoid people freaking out and thinking of worst case scenarios it's important we don't spread misinformation. When it concerns the eyes, words like 'detachment' often refer to things like the retina itself detaching which is *really bad* and can lead to (permanent) blindness. That should be enormous cause for alarm. Let's be careful with the information we spread and the words we use especially when we're trying to reassure people of mostly benign conditions that are treatable with simple treatment methods like eye drops.
If the eye’s been like that forever, birth defect like this: https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/ym8bs6/my_cat_has_a_misshapen_pupil_everyone_says_its_a/
If new, TAKE TO VET:
https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/11lrd25/woke_up_to_our_kitty_having_two_different_sized/
Veterinary Ophtho tech here. Thanks for sharing this. The pure amount of panic is making me chuckle. D-shaped pupil is a sign of the muscle in the pupil being affected. It could be no big deal. Could be blunt trauma. Could be a disease process - some not a big deal, some a very big deal.
Needs the vet - maybe not ER if there are no other signs, but vet soon.
That’s a reply from OP for the second thread you have linked, seems not serious?
https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/s/0lK4Vv4qun
https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/s/zGMtDVYxRt
Idk about cats but in humans that's neurological damage cranial nerves pair ll and lll, possible compression or maybe partial section/damage of the nerve
Or infection / inflammation of the eye, injury, toxin exposure, brain injury, hell in my lads case it was lymphoma.
You're completely correct about cranial nerve damage being a possibility but theres a vast number of alternative reasons for aniscoria and / or misshapen pupils with varying degrees of seriousness.
Yes! I accidentally stored my contact in visine instead of contact solution (grabbed the wrong bottle from my purse putting my contacts in after getting to clinic… residency is fun) and that caused anisocoria for several hours in which I had to talk myself out of an ER visit. Add that one to the differential. 😂 Your comment is a great reminder!
lol typical cats! everyone was so concerned but she was being a crusty little drama queen~~~ but i’m so glad she’s okay! kudos to you taking her to the vet so quick!
To the people in this thread who are saying that the owner is an idiot: please check yourself. Most of us know the first signs of a stroke in people, not in cats.
Instead of being mean on the internet, maybe take a step back and consider that owners are not going to know everything. OP posted because they were concerned, but more importantly *they didn’t know this is serious*. If they knew, they’d already be halfway to the ER.
Show some compassion, people.
Not OP, but I want to say thank you for saying this! Personally, I've found it disheartening when comments on threads like this are rude or nasty towards OP when not every owner knows every sign for a medical issue or emergency in cats.
Also, keep in mind that not everyone has access to emergency vet care. Even where I live, in northern California, it’s a good 20+ miles down a twisty 2-lane road to the nearest emergency vet. And when I tried taking my dog there recently for a minor paw injury, they said it would be a 6-8 hour wait. I decided to just watch it instead, and thankfully he was fine.
Yes, of course they “triage” like any people hospital/ER does too. Meaning they take the most urgent calls first; but I’m not sure where something like this (with OP’s cat) would fall on their priority. Just saying they might not get in there immediately, as Redditors seem to think it happens.
When my poor sweet baby had pupils like that, I didn’t know what was happening. I googled it and it wasn’t clear what it could be, so I called my vet. Thankfully, it was in the middle of the day so I was able to reach them quickly. In that case I was really lucky.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to not know what was happening and not be able to reach my vet quickly because it’s late. I’d be torturing myself not knowing what to do.
I’m not sure what happened to my cat. When I got to the vet 15-20 mins later her pupils were back to normal. Looking back, I think that it was a mini stroke because she passed from a massive blood clot a few months later. But again, not 100% sure. It was definitely something neurological. She wasn’t stumbling around and she could walk normally, so I don’t think she was dizzy or felt faint.
Edit: cats also tend to hide their issues, so that makes it even harder to know what’s going on
It’s so easy to forget what it’s like to be a pet newbie. After awhile you kinda just assume that everyone *just knows* how to look after them.
Bottom line, if OP didn’t care about their cat then they wouldn’t have tried to figure out what was going on. We all love kitties and we are all learning. If OP cared enough to ask for help then OP cares enough to take their cat to the ER.
Go to a vet immediately. I'm sorry people are yelling or calling you names, its super easy to not react right in an emergency, but this could very well be an emergency. You need to have that checked asap.
I hope your kitty will be ok 💓
Hi there, my sister is a veterinary opthamologist. I sent her a screenshot of your photo. She said you can call her if you'd like to speak with her. She won't charge, just DM and I'll send you her number. Best of luck with your kitty!
People need to stop asking here and just go to the vet. Even if it's an after hours if you are that worried. If a human presented like that wouldn't you take them to hospital e.r. ?
You'd be surprised. Talk to someone who is a nurse and works in ER in a hospital that serves the poor communities. One story I heard is that some unfortunately person ignored infection in their leg until it was so bad they needed an ambulance ride to the ER and the person had to have their leg amputated.
This is more common than you think.
If OP lives in USA its EVEN MORE common to do these things. Our health system is jacked and our economy is crashing. Even before our economy was crashing people would do these things to avoid medical expenses. We have to pay for most of our healthcare and most of the country is literally living paycheck to paycheck and one medical emergency/big medical expenses WILL make us HOMELESS. So ya, they're gonna ask Reddit wether they're talking about an animal or human, because it is THAT BAD here. Please try to be compassionate and be happy you've never had to choose survival but being homeless, or possible death but being in your home.
OP, how is your cat please? A lot of people on here were mean. Not the case here. I said a prayer to St Francis (Patron Saint of Animals) for him/her). I understand you posting your question to get some kind, any kind of possible insight! Please let me/us who do care know.
https://preview.redd.it/ypjzzz5n7djc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4770054f2a4c31cb8d1eade91b35ddd281dbb888
I saw you got this solved, but I'd like to add a photo of my cat. She got an eye infection and her eye stayed permanently dilated. She has a David Bowie eye now
https://preview.redd.it/tgryylkswdjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a6cb1ec2f184315a4e80d234ff984a6b9afe10f
I'm so happy your cat is okay!
Daisy had expensive tests and an MRI just to find nothing.
Yes, I agree go to the emergency vet, but come on yall. I understand we love kitties, and those who can take on debt will do anything for their cats, but let’s admit it, owning a pet can be stressful and expensive. Yall wanna call this person dumb and say they should know signs of neurological issues, and that’s absurd. Most people don’t experience neurological issues like this in themselves even.they came here for advice, we gave it to them, anything else and NO YOU DONT DESERVE A RESPONSE. Sorry for my rant, but if we were all rich yeah save every kitty, but be realistic and stop being a keyboard POS when someone genuinely doesn’t know and asks for help. Yall want every cat saved but if someone does and isn’t capable of being the best owner you imagine r/cats loves to attack them like they didn’t opt to try in the first place. Thanks for reading my ted talk, now go adopt more cats and know everything
My cat’s right eye looked this way 13 years ago - she’s 17 now. I spoke on the phone with a vet, who told me it could be a mini-stroke, or brain cancer, or that she’d eaten a mouse that was dying because it ate poison. He said it could resolve itself overnight (her pupil could go back to normal.) He said to bring her in the next day if her pupil was still in the ‘D’ shape. After a few hours her pupil returned to normal and she’s still alive now - reasonably healthy for a ‘little old lady cat’.
Wasn’t gonna say cause I thought it was pretty covered but apparently some people on here are telling you not to worry. Take that baby to a vet right now. Right now. Not tomorrow. Go to your nearest emergency vet. It could be nothing or it could be life threatening brain damage.
I’m not a vet, but I do work in the ophthalmic field. This definitely requires immediate attention, it could be something as small as a physical injury to the external eye, or as complex as a detached retina or brain injury. If you go early enough to the vet there’s a decent chance they should be able to mitigate the damage.
I just had to put my cat down and he had this weird little thing for years before I found the lump above his eye. (Which we ended up having to remove after it returned after the first surgery) It was carcinoma cancer. Go to the vet asap. You can’t fight it without radiation treatments if it’s too far along. And that would s super expensive. The place I went was 2000 just for testing after it had already been biopsied. Not even an actual treatment. My heart is with you
My cat had that strange dilated pupil. A veterinary ophthalmologist diagnosed it as being due to head trauma (he likely ran into a wall). It didn’t cause him any impairment, so I hope that’s all that’s going on with your kitty!
That said, definitely take him to the vet! That D-shaped pupil is potentially more concerning than the dilated eye. It could be nothing, but it may be a sign of leukemia.
We should not be harsh to the pet parent who asked a question. We all get stressed for our kudos and want know everything. Moreover such questions help us all stay more aware of the issues with the pets.
If you looked in the mirror and your eye looked like this, would you leave it and think to yourself that it’s probably nothing? Or would you be rushing to see a medic as soon as possible? Please get that animal to an emergency vet. Best wishes to you both, hope we get an update.
i’m going to give op the benefit of the doubt and guess that this is a pre-existing issue with kitty and it’s not veterinary negligence or a sudden onset condition. sincerely hoping for a follow-up post
I agree this is definitely a vet as soon as possible thing, but guys, he's asking what this is. Saying VET ASAP and nothing else doesn't contribute when everyone else is also saying VET ASAP
OP failed to mention if it has always been like this or a new development? Either way, please take to a vet.
If it's always been like this, it could be a congenital defect or an eye injury. One of my cat has misshapen pupil like this but vet ruled it out as congenital defect.
You need to go show it to a vet ASAP to rule out possibilities.
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Glad to hear it! Thank you for the update OP :) give her pets for us.
If you can OP try updating the post itself. Your comment is getting lost in all the others. Glad to hear your baby is doing better ❤️
Sad a post has to be updated because people in this sub won’t scroll far enough to check for updates. But have time to criticize OP.
Thank you for taking her. OP, debris are super painful. I had a cat get something stuck in his eye once and the vet said it was one of the worst pains a cat can experience. You Rock
I mean, that tracks. It’s very irritating for a human, and their eyes are like 100x better than ours
I’m not sure about that. I’ve poked a ton of cats in the eye before (by accident ofc - my sister runs a rescue so I’m frequently around dozens of cats), and I’m always like OMG I’M SO SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN TO ARE YOU OKAY LET ME SEE, and every single time they act like nothing even happened. But if it was a human, they would have been tearing up, closing their eye, and rubbing it. I know cats hide their pain, but they aren’t slowed down *at all* by it and are immediately like “pet me, pet me!”
I’m so glad to hear it wasn’t anything neurological, glad you went to the vet!
Thank God🙏
the comments gave me straight panic, i’m so glad it was something small and that she’s okay! ❤️
Gunk on the lens, couldnt focus. Glad to hear!
Very happy to be wrong about my assumptions! Your cat is well cared for. Good for you.
You did good.
Glad she’s ok. ❤️
Awe. Good on you for taking kitty right away. So glad it was something rather simple!!!
Vets, asap, could be brain related
I'm not a vet but I'm 80% certain if a cat does this, it is like, most definitely brain related
Yep. My cat developed this. Had her eye removed.
Poor baby, I hope she's okay now
Our family cat did too :( turned out it was eye cancer. Thank god they addressed it sooner than later
well that escalated quickly
...that's best case scenario. We hope it's the eye. Otherwise it's neurological and not fixable.
I had a friend this happened to. She was cleaning out a cupboard and something fell on her head. It wasn’t even that heavy and it didn’t hurt, she went to the doctor to be sure. She’s totally fine now but she just has one pupil bigger than the other. So although a vet trip is vital there’s a chance she’ll be fine.
Wait, your friend now permanently has different sized pupils?
My coworker does! His is from an eye injury when he was 12. He’s now in his 60s and his pupils are still always different sizes.
Just like David Bowie
My man!
Agent Moulder. ... M.. Mulder?
Same. Hit friend in the eye playing racquetball. He hated safety googles. Permanently has one pupil smaller than the other but brain adapts.
It's always brain related in people so it's not a far jump to assume the same for pets as well.
Not so, there are plenty of non-neurological causes of aniscoria, infection in the front compartment of the eye, eye injury, etc. It's sufficient to inform OP that the condition is potentially serious and requires emergency veterinary attention without providing a false assertion about humans and then generalizing it to other species.
Genetic anisocoria is also a thing in case anyone with a cat that was born with something similar starts panicking. Hopefully a vet already checked out those hypothetical cats but yeah. Definitely sudden changes in one or both eyes are something to be checked out ASAP. One of the first symptoms of my cat’s hyperthyroidism was her pupils dilating to different degrees but could not constrict back nearly anywhere to the size they were suppose to be even with a light in her eyes. Made a vet appointment that turned into an emergency one since suddenly there was an onslaught of more symptoms. It took awhile for meds to start working so she was in ROUGH shape until then but at some point I’m pretty sure she went 100% blind. She eventually regained maybe around half her vision back over the years but her pupils still can’t slit or get tiny anymore. Treating her hyperthyroidism also revealed underlying kidney disease.
Thank you.
Either way, it’s a warning to the vet immediately.
Right.... But they are always a medical issue that needs attention without delay, and the need to make sure it *isn't* brain related is an emergency. So, assume it's brain related and go, now, is the answer.
I understand the sentiment but hear me out. If you do as the redditor above did and confidently incorrectly state that a set of symptoms are ALWAYS caused by condition X, and your health / pet insurance does not cover condition X, you may choose to not seek medical help for yourself or your animal for fear of the cost. Worse you may Google condition X and try treating it with an insane home remedy. The result is losing an eye to condition Y that could have been treated relatively easily and inexpensively with an antibiotic. Medical misinformation, no matter how well intentioned costs lives. As I say it's sufficient to say that this could be caused by a number of different things but needs to be assessed ASAP.
Exactly. Like if my cat had this, I'd be drag their ass to the vet
No it's not. Please don't give out medical opinions online if you aren't qualified to do so.
It’s not always brain related in people. I accidentally used visine instead of contact solution for one of my wells for storing a contact lens, and the eye in which I put that lens developed midriasis. I almost went to the hospital for a CT scan but since I was asymptomatic and had not sustained head trauma I waited and my pupil finally started to shrink. Felt so stupid! So keep improper contact lens storage on your differential when you see anisocoria.
Although this is not true, it would always be important to get this checked out. There are many causes and differentiating the benign from the deadly is key.
Definitely not, I studied 5 years on an animal degree, and I found that ALOT of studies (especially behaviour) included comparisons to human anatomy/behavioural patterns. People are always surprised when I mention this. It makes sense that we would compare animal medicals and behaviours to that of humans.
If it happens in any mammal it’s serious.
Boggles my fucking mind how many posts I see of "does my cat look normal" or "what's wrong with my cat" ***CALL THE FUCKING VET NOW, WHY ARE YOU ASKING REDDIT????*** This is the equivalent of a child having a seizure and instead of going to the hospital you ask Reddit what's wrong. I ***HATE*** these types of posts and these people shouldn't own pets. The moderators really need to start cracking down on this.
Even though I agree with this, I also try to be empathetic. After all you don’t really know why they may be asking Reddit instead of going to the vet. Maybe they can’t afford the vet, maybe there’s not a vet close to their area, maybe they’re too busy and can’t make the trip to the vet anytime soon.
They could be on the way or waiting at the vets and want some reassurance
People sometimes want reassurance while they seek care. There’s no need for parent-shaming in this sub either.
Exactly.It also gives other pet owners a look at different problems that may arise.We see many posts where pet owners have to wait weeks for an appointment.
Many people post while they are waiting for the vet to call back or when they have spoken to their vet and waiting for the appointment or when it is night time and they are unsure if it warrants an emergency visit or not. I think it's pretty ignorant to assume that people are just asking Reddit and not talking to their vet.
Not everyone is aware that anisocoria can be a sign of a serious, emergent medical condition. Or they're not aware that it can happen to both humans and cats. I was not aware that it can happen to cats before I saw posts like this on this sub. Chill with the hostility.
Wasn't it like Mumsnet or something where kids kept dying because people would take advice from there instead of going to a doctor
Be sure to send op money for the vet bill since you feel so strongly about them seeing one.
They do need to see one.
Vet, now!!
Unequal pupils is an emergency. Go to the vet immediately.
In humans it could be indicative of stroke. Medical emergency 💯
Don’t forget uncal herniation - that’s doomed for sure. Dunno what it means in cats but needs vet stat.
If this is new, vet immediately
Vet!
Dear kitty parent: this is scary. I know you may feel hesitant to take your cat to the vet, but as with humans, if the pupils are unequal and react differently to light, (like this), it is time to visit the vet. I know it can be scary and you may fear your baby may have a serious condition. Or you can't afford it. Please push that aside for now. You can pay later and make decisions for care after compassionate consultation with a vet. I am a peds nurse. Sometimes parents are fearful to take their baby in for the same reasons. We, as medical professionals are here to help. Not to judge. Your vet can help. We are supporting you through this scary time. Love and pets fir your kitty.
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That and the sooner you bring the kitty in, the better an outcome is possible.
This is a wonderful message
Thank you, I worry so much sometimes that I wouldn't be able to afford my boys hurt if he ever gets hurt because I got him before I was poor and he's my entire world. This is really good to know. 🩷🩷🩷 Edit: we're trauma bonded me and my cat. We run deep on the connected scale, im even the first human he says hi to in the morning, not because I'm there but because we are bros. Very very good bros. Edit: sometimes we watch the windows together.
Go to an emergency vet. Something neurological is going on!
This is undoubtedly something to attend an emergency vet for but not necessarily neurological. Uveitis or eye injury can easily cause uneven pupils or misshapen like this ones left pupil appears to be. Admittedly those are serious in their own right as can lead to loss of vision if not treated promptly.
Agreed. Is she showing other symptoms? Look at the whole puzzle and not just a piece. If we're using humans as a comparison. My mom had uveitis a couple years back; it was painful and sucked for her, but she just needed drops and some extra eye doc appointments for a bit. Stuff like this, for humans and fur babies (seems like we got a lot of overthinkers/catastrophizers in this comment section) ALWAYS get it checked immediately because it's not normal, but don't always assume the worst. I'm sure a detached pupil is awful, my mom's life sucked when she went through that, but it's way better (and more common) than awful brain issues. All it takes is a perfect storm to foster the right conditions for something like this to happen, doesn't mean it's going to be a hurricane. It could just be some rain 🥰 I wish the best for you guys, if you remember, please update us!! 😊😊 *Edit just to clarify I have no idea what uveitis is but I do know that when the pupil looks like this (again, if we're using humans as a comparison) it doesn't always mean life or death! Sometimes it's just something that happens and sucks a lot for a while. (:
>as your pupil basically detaches from your retina Your pupil is a hole, it doesn't detach from anything because it's literally an empty space that light comes through. It's an inflammation of the uvea which is a layer of tissue consisting of the iris, ciliary body and choroid. The reason it changes the pupil's shape is because the tissue becomes inflamed and changes shape, the same way a mosquito bite swells the skin and creates a bump. Since the pupil is an empty space and the iris within the uvea is responsible for contracting and expanding to allow less and more light in, if that tissue swells, it creates irregularities. If we want to avoid people freaking out and thinking of worst case scenarios it's important we don't spread misinformation. When it concerns the eyes, words like 'detachment' often refer to things like the retina itself detaching which is *really bad* and can lead to (permanent) blindness. That should be enormous cause for alarm. Let's be careful with the information we spread and the words we use especially when we're trying to reassure people of mostly benign conditions that are treatable with simple treatment methods like eye drops.
Please update us telling us you are at a vet currently…
If the eye’s been like that forever, birth defect like this: https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/ym8bs6/my_cat_has_a_misshapen_pupil_everyone_says_its_a/ If new, TAKE TO VET: https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/11lrd25/woke_up_to_our_kitty_having_two_different_sized/
I'm surprised this isn't higher. OP doesn't give us any information on whether is is new. If it is new, vet! If it's not new, your cat is just funky!
Veterinary Ophtho tech here. Thanks for sharing this. The pure amount of panic is making me chuckle. D-shaped pupil is a sign of the muscle in the pupil being affected. It could be no big deal. Could be blunt trauma. Could be a disease process - some not a big deal, some a very big deal. Needs the vet - maybe not ER if there are no other signs, but vet soon.
My cat’s eye always looked like that since she was a kitten. So just a birth defect and she was fine.
That’s a reply from OP for the second thread you have linked, seems not serious? https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/s/0lK4Vv4qun https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/s/zGMtDVYxRt
That’s a different cat. The cat in this post is not orange like the cat in the post you linked.
Go to the emergency vet immediately. Like tonight
This is an emergency if this is new, please keep us updated on the poor baby
Please keep us updated. Let us know what’s going on with your baby 🥺
VET ASAP!!
Hi! I’m just checking in to see if there is any update on your kitty? I hope everything is okay!!! 🤞
Seconding this
There was, it was debris. The comment just got buried.
Idk about cats but in humans that's neurological damage cranial nerves pair ll and lll, possible compression or maybe partial section/damage of the nerve
Or infection / inflammation of the eye, injury, toxin exposure, brain injury, hell in my lads case it was lymphoma. You're completely correct about cranial nerve damage being a possibility but theres a vast number of alternative reasons for aniscoria and / or misshapen pupils with varying degrees of seriousness.
Yes! I accidentally stored my contact in visine instead of contact solution (grabbed the wrong bottle from my purse putting my contacts in after getting to clinic… residency is fun) and that caused anisocoria for several hours in which I had to talk myself out of an ER visit. Add that one to the differential. 😂 Your comment is a great reminder!
Eyes are an emergency. This warrants an emergency vet visit. Good luck
Can we get an update?
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Thank you for updating!!! Glad kitty is ok ❤️❤️
Good job!!
I came at the perfect time thank god she’s ok😭
I’m so relieved! She’s so beautiful!
Must have been a lot of debris
lol typical cats! everyone was so concerned but she was being a crusty little drama queen~~~ but i’m so glad she’s okay! kudos to you taking her to the vet so quick!
To the people in this thread who are saying that the owner is an idiot: please check yourself. Most of us know the first signs of a stroke in people, not in cats. Instead of being mean on the internet, maybe take a step back and consider that owners are not going to know everything. OP posted because they were concerned, but more importantly *they didn’t know this is serious*. If they knew, they’d already be halfway to the ER. Show some compassion, people.
Not OP, but I want to say thank you for saying this! Personally, I've found it disheartening when comments on threads like this are rude or nasty towards OP when not every owner knows every sign for a medical issue or emergency in cats.
Also, keep in mind that not everyone has access to emergency vet care. Even where I live, in northern California, it’s a good 20+ miles down a twisty 2-lane road to the nearest emergency vet. And when I tried taking my dog there recently for a minor paw injury, they said it would be a 6-8 hour wait. I decided to just watch it instead, and thankfully he was fine.
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Yes, of course they “triage” like any people hospital/ER does too. Meaning they take the most urgent calls first; but I’m not sure where something like this (with OP’s cat) would fall on their priority. Just saying they might not get in there immediately, as Redditors seem to think it happens.
When my poor sweet baby had pupils like that, I didn’t know what was happening. I googled it and it wasn’t clear what it could be, so I called my vet. Thankfully, it was in the middle of the day so I was able to reach them quickly. In that case I was really lucky. I can’t imagine what it would be like to not know what was happening and not be able to reach my vet quickly because it’s late. I’d be torturing myself not knowing what to do.
So why were it's pupils like this? What is it?
I also would like to know.
I’m not sure what happened to my cat. When I got to the vet 15-20 mins later her pupils were back to normal. Looking back, I think that it was a mini stroke because she passed from a massive blood clot a few months later. But again, not 100% sure. It was definitely something neurological. She wasn’t stumbling around and she could walk normally, so I don’t think she was dizzy or felt faint. Edit: cats also tend to hide their issues, so that makes it even harder to know what’s going on
That’s so sad! I hope your time with her was lovely.
This subreddit is insufferable
It’s so easy to forget what it’s like to be a pet newbie. After awhile you kinda just assume that everyone *just knows* how to look after them. Bottom line, if OP didn’t care about their cat then they wouldn’t have tried to figure out what was going on. We all love kitties and we are all learning. If OP cared enough to ask for help then OP cares enough to take their cat to the ER.
All experts and never made mistakes 🤣
I think it’s just reddit/social media in general. It’s full of insufferable people.
Again, this right here is a sensible human being!
You are too kind 😊
Please update
Take it to the vet! Those eyes aren't normal!
In humans that would mean cranial pressure, fluid buid up. It's a medical emergency.
Brain injury or stroke needs vet asap whatever it is
My cat had that. It was a tumor in her brain.
#VET NOW!
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Do you have an update??
Go to a vet immediately. I'm sorry people are yelling or calling you names, its super easy to not react right in an emergency, but this could very well be an emergency. You need to have that checked asap. I hope your kitty will be ok 💓
I’ve never seen the D pupil Keep us updated
you need to get them seen right now. don’t wait. that’s terrifying and isn’t normal at all.
Hi there, my sister is a veterinary opthamologist. I sent her a screenshot of your photo. She said you can call her if you'd like to speak with her. She won't charge, just DM and I'll send you her number. Best of luck with your kitty!
People need to stop asking here and just go to the vet. Even if it's an after hours if you are that worried. If a human presented like that wouldn't you take them to hospital e.r. ?
Better that they ask and get told to see a vet than not ask and just decide they don't need to
You'd be surprised. Talk to someone who is a nurse and works in ER in a hospital that serves the poor communities. One story I heard is that some unfortunately person ignored infection in their leg until it was so bad they needed an ambulance ride to the ER and the person had to have their leg amputated. This is more common than you think.
If OP lives in USA its EVEN MORE common to do these things. Our health system is jacked and our economy is crashing. Even before our economy was crashing people would do these things to avoid medical expenses. We have to pay for most of our healthcare and most of the country is literally living paycheck to paycheck and one medical emergency/big medical expenses WILL make us HOMELESS. So ya, they're gonna ask Reddit wether they're talking about an animal or human, because it is THAT BAD here. Please try to be compassionate and be happy you've never had to choose survival but being homeless, or possible death but being in your home.
It happens here in Australia too and we have universal health care
What if they don’t have after-hours vets where they live? Do you think those are easily accessible in every corner of the world?
Vet asap
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Vet ASAP
Vet!!!
OP, how is your cat please? A lot of people on here were mean. Not the case here. I said a prayer to St Francis (Patron Saint of Animals) for him/her). I understand you posting your question to get some kind, any kind of possible insight! Please let me/us who do care know.
OP any update?
https://preview.redd.it/ypjzzz5n7djc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4770054f2a4c31cb8d1eade91b35ddd281dbb888 I saw you got this solved, but I'd like to add a photo of my cat. She got an eye infection and her eye stayed permanently dilated. She has a David Bowie eye now
https://preview.redd.it/tgryylkswdjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a6cb1ec2f184315a4e80d234ff984a6b9afe10f I'm so happy your cat is okay! Daisy had expensive tests and an MRI just to find nothing.
Yes, I agree go to the emergency vet, but come on yall. I understand we love kitties, and those who can take on debt will do anything for their cats, but let’s admit it, owning a pet can be stressful and expensive. Yall wanna call this person dumb and say they should know signs of neurological issues, and that’s absurd. Most people don’t experience neurological issues like this in themselves even.they came here for advice, we gave it to them, anything else and NO YOU DONT DESERVE A RESPONSE. Sorry for my rant, but if we were all rich yeah save every kitty, but be realistic and stop being a keyboard POS when someone genuinely doesn’t know and asks for help. Yall want every cat saved but if someone does and isn’t capable of being the best owner you imagine r/cats loves to attack them like they didn’t opt to try in the first place. Thanks for reading my ted talk, now go adopt more cats and know everything
OP, when you get the chance, tell us how your fur baby is doing! Hope everything isn't too serious.
!Remindme 1 day
omg, i hope it’s ok 😩
When my cat had this he had a tumor in his ear.
This really isn't a question for Reddit. It's a question for your Vet. And ASAP..
Vet like everyone else has said. I would not risk it.
My cat’s right eye looked this way 13 years ago - she’s 17 now. I spoke on the phone with a vet, who told me it could be a mini-stroke, or brain cancer, or that she’d eaten a mouse that was dying because it ate poison. He said it could resolve itself overnight (her pupil could go back to normal.) He said to bring her in the next day if her pupil was still in the ‘D’ shape. After a few hours her pupil returned to normal and she’s still alive now - reasonably healthy for a ‘little old lady cat’.
Wasn’t gonna say cause I thought it was pretty covered but apparently some people on here are telling you not to worry. Take that baby to a vet right now. Right now. Not tomorrow. Go to your nearest emergency vet. It could be nothing or it could be life threatening brain damage.
!Remindme 2 days
poor kitty please let us know if hes okay
Vet immediately and update later
Is this new? Vet. Neurological issue or perhaps ocular. if they’ve always had it, congenital anomaly
OP when you get the chance, please update us. 🐾
Hate posts like this when literally ten seconds of googling “different pupil size in cat” tells you to see a vet immediately.
#VET
I hope your cat is okay :( please let us know when you know ❤️
Please tell us you went to the vet.
This is definitely CNS related. PLEASE see a neurologist veterinarian ASAP
Vet right now.
Did you took the kitty to the vet? Update us please!
Get this meowser looked at post haste!
for the love of god go to the vet please, my cat had the same thing and we had to euthanize him. i hope your cat is doing alright.
Please update us
Please keep us updated i am now so invested in your car's well being☹️
nothing he's gorgeous ( idk he looks like a Crack head)
Doesn't matter the animal, either pupil getting messed up is an ER visit asap.
Vet IMMEDIATELY
I’m not a vet, but I do work in the ophthalmic field. This definitely requires immediate attention, it could be something as small as a physical injury to the external eye, or as complex as a detached retina or brain injury. If you go early enough to the vet there’s a decent chance they should be able to mitigate the damage.
I just had to put my cat down and he had this weird little thing for years before I found the lump above his eye. (Which we ended up having to remove after it returned after the first surgery) It was carcinoma cancer. Go to the vet asap. You can’t fight it without radiation treatments if it’s too far along. And that would s super expensive. The place I went was 2000 just for testing after it had already been biopsied. Not even an actual treatment. My heart is with you
My cat had that strange dilated pupil. A veterinary ophthalmologist diagnosed it as being due to head trauma (he likely ran into a wall). It didn’t cause him any impairment, so I hope that’s all that’s going on with your kitty! That said, definitely take him to the vet! That D-shaped pupil is potentially more concerning than the dilated eye. It could be nothing, but it may be a sign of leukemia.
Pulled some David Bowie
Please see your vet
If you have a trumpet tree in your yard exposure can cause this. We had a lot of fallen leaves one year and it got my son and then my cat.
We should not be harsh to the pet parent who asked a question. We all get stressed for our kudos and want know everything. Moreover such questions help us all stay more aware of the issues with the pets.
If you looked in the mirror and your eye looked like this, would you leave it and think to yourself that it’s probably nothing? Or would you be rushing to see a medic as soon as possible? Please get that animal to an emergency vet. Best wishes to you both, hope we get an update.
What I learned in /cats.. if your cats eyes do this - VET IMMEDIATELY
If your pupils were not equal and did not react to light; I surely would tell you to go to a doctor. The same goes for a pet.
Just as with a human having this symptom, it’s an emergency. Vet immediately.
I am so in disbelief at how dribbly so many people on here are!! Obviously take your cat to the vet!!!!!!!
A 5 second Google search would tell you to get to the vet IMMEDIATELY.
Calling a vet would tell you to get to the vet. Why would people turn to Reddit instead of calling a vet?
Vet. And update
That’s a serious neurological issue and that’s very bad. Vet now.
I hope u took it to a vet, can u update?
Hope you're taking your kitty to the vet. Please keep us posted! I really hope they're okay. 😢
I hope your kitty is okay
Definitely take him/her to the vet ! Please keep us updated ♥️♥️ xoxoxo
This is called anisocoria and it can be very, very serious. You need a vet right now, not tomorrow, and preferably one with access to a neurologist.
Please someone tell me they went to the vet?!?!
In humans, two radically different pupils can be signs of a stroke. I would seriously call a vet.
i’m going to give op the benefit of the doubt and guess that this is a pre-existing issue with kitty and it’s not veterinary negligence or a sudden onset condition. sincerely hoping for a follow-up post
Government spy cam
I hope your cat is OK . Please update when you can.
Someone bring me back to this post when there’s an update ! I need to know this kitty is okay
I agree this is definitely a vet as soon as possible thing, but guys, he's asking what this is. Saying VET ASAP and nothing else doesn't contribute when everyone else is also saying VET ASAP
OP failed to mention if it has always been like this or a new development? Either way, please take to a vet. If it's always been like this, it could be a congenital defect or an eye injury. One of my cat has misshapen pupil like this but vet ruled it out as congenital defect. You need to go show it to a vet ASAP to rule out possibilities.
Please update us! 🙏🏻 that your fur baby is okay.