Eye problem

Question

his image of 1 eye whi   QUESTION: i have an male white mice which is six months old few days ago i found a white layer in his eyes( its whole eye is red but the red bright dot in the centre is gone white and the area around it is re and white lines like ? and it grew in his eyes disappearing his red coloured eyes and later the white coloured  layer was found in other eye too i have its eye pic ( itzz not so clear but will help you ) plzz help i have other female mice too and its eyes are quite ok plzz see the problem and tell an solution

ANSWER: Hello,

Mice, like most animals and people too, can get cataracts in their eyes.  A cataract is a cloudiness (white or yellow) that develops in the lens of the eye, and can be genetic, caused by an injury (like a scratch), or can just happen as they age.  It's not contagious, and in most cases it doesn't make any difference to the animal.  Mice can't see very well to begin with and rely mostly on their other senses, so if a cataract is the problem, it probably isn't going to bother him much at all.

There's also the possibility that it's an infection in the eye that should be treated, but since it's in both eyes I wouldn't think so.  Look for bulging, or any discharge from the eye or loss of fur in the area that might indicate scratching or irritation.

A vet is the only person who can tell you for sure if it's an infection or just a cataract, and if there is anything you can do to help.  In most cases cataracts don't need to be treated, but a vet can catch things we might miss.  I would definitely take him in if you can, just in case he needs an antibiotic.

Best of luck!
-Tam

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: its me again sir tam can you tel me the reason for the cataract ( i don't think it as a cataract the image is not clear ) his rest of the eye is clear red in colour and  and the centre red dot in the eye is only white and the surrounding areas has white thin thread with red colour in some parts  is this cataract ?? what are it causes ( so i can prevent it in the female mice
 srry sir too disturb you but i love them a lot

Answer
Cataracts can be over part of the eye, the whole eye, one eye or both.  They can be milky or clumpy in texture, and can absolutely still leave parts of the eyes unaffected (red).  If you think it's an infection and not a cataract, you need to take him to a vet for advice and medication.  If it's an infection, it would have been caused by something like a scratch to the eye.  If it's a cataract, it just happens - like I said it can be caused by genetics, old age, etc.  There is no risk either way of it transferring to your females, neither cataracts nor infections from scratches are contagious.

If it's a cataract, it can't be helped.  If you're females are genetically predisposed to it they may develop them on their own, but cataracts will not bother them, since they barely use their eyes to begin with.  Red-eyed mice have more severely impaired vision than their black eyed counterparts, so a cataract is just not going to bother them.  Here's a link to help you understand cataracts:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataract

If it's an infection from a scratch, you should look in your cage and make sure there is nothing pointed or splintered that they can hurt themselves on, and watch them closely for any signs of fur loss, biting, or scratching.  That way, if it was caused by fighting or scratching too hard, the females won't do it to themselves on accident later on.

I've provided information for both potential causes, but only a vet can tell you for sure which has affected his eyes and if there is something you should do for them.  :)

-Tam