> Okay... got a question. How do you look for cataracts in an albino?
>Do the red eyes get a fog the same as dark ones?
 
Dear XXXXXXXXX:
 
Cataracts appear as a whitish hazy area inside the pupil.  What you are
actually looking at is the lens, which sits behind the pupil - all light
must pass through it before it hits the retina - no matter how large the
pupil it gets, the lens covers the entire back side of the pupil.
 
The "red eye" that you are seeing is the retina (as opposed to most ferrets
which has a greenish reflection to the retina due to the increased amount
of pigment.  In albinos, the reddish sheen to the back of the eye is due to
the exaggeration of the vessels.  (Actually, there are no more vessels in
the retina than in sables, but with the diminished pigment, they stand out
much more.)
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3411]