Copper irides (irises) in cats with shunts
A few photos of cats with the ‘classic’ copper-coloured irides often associated with portosystemic shunts.
It was reported to me just recently that at least one of these cats developed the coppering in the period between 3 and 5 months old.
…and sometimes they don’t have copper irides:
Is the cats pupil with liver shunt always dilated?
Hi Therese, no, on the whole a shunt shouldn’t affect pupil size. Severe hepatic encephalopathy may be associated with slow pupillary responses but altered pupil size isn’t a consistent feature of shunts generally.
Hi there! I’m curious if there is a change of colour a served after a corrective surgery done on a portosystemic shunt. If a cats irides have coppered, are they expected to change back to their original colour?
At least in some cats they do go back to more normal colour, yes.
At what age do symptoms appear in a kitten with shunts? My kitten is four months old and isn’t gaining weight. She’s tiny and has high energy She has copper colored eyes.
From weaning or soon thereafter usually. Although sometimes they’re quite vague and just flare up intermittently.