Yorkie Eye Colors & the Correlation to the Coat
The Yorkie, and all dog breeds and humans, have a reflective coating along the back of the retina called the tapetum. This layer provides the ability for light to reflect. Sometimes this tapetum is colored and sometimes it is not.
When a human has red blood vessels showing in the whites of their eyes, this is because that tapetum is not colored.
A Yorkie who has red vessels showing on the eye has a colorless tapetum.
A Yorkie with blue or green eyes, has a colored tapetum.
The color of the Yorkie’s eyes is directly related to its coat. Those who have clear colored tapetum (and get “red eye” when having photos taken” have a bronze casting on the coat. Those with green or blue eyes will hardly ever be able to show that “red eye” effect in photos, and the coat of the dog will have a blue casting. Most Yorkies with blue or green eyes have more silky coat. Most Yorkies with other eye colors will have a thicker, softer coat.
Common Eye Issues With the Yorkie
Inflammation
This is a condition of a Yorkie's eyes, stemming from a range of health issues, causing the eye to become extremely irritated to the point of needing medical treatment. This can occur when a strange element comes into contact with or enters the Yorkie dog's eye or can be a symptom of an underlying canine ailment.
Symptoms
* Intense blinking/ Squinting
* Great amounts of water discharge
* Sensitivity to intense lights
* A loss of bright color in the iris or a bluish hue casing the dog's eye
* Redness
* Inflammation
Treatment
The veterinarian will examine at the Yorkie dog's eye with an instrument that allows him to see the core of the eyeball. If the source of the irritation is not apparent, blood testing may be done. Quite frequently, medicine is given to the dog. For inflammation, anti-inflammatory medication will be given. For infection, antibiotics will be given. For pain, eye drops may be given.
If an underlying disease is discovered such as Brucellosis or Lyme disease, those will be treated as well.
Dry Eye
Dry eye does not sound like a severe aliment; nevertheless this condition can cause immense soreness for a Yorkie dog. There is a natural film that shelters a Yorkie dog's eyes. Without it, the dog's eye is not sheltered. The eye becomes very dehydrated, leading to numerous health problems. This can occur because of many reasons including: an wound to the eye, a dog not receiving appropriate nutrition, a mis-firing thyroid, infection or side effect from medicine.
Symptoms
* This is also at times called "Brown eye", as the eye may build up a brown tinted film
* Scar tissue may emerge on the dog's eye
*A cutting pain that is usually steady, as the eye loses all lubrication
* Blood vessels may grow quickly throughout the dog's eye
Treatment
The Yorkie dog will be given eye drops to lubricate the eye, inflammation and infection will be reduced with medication and the dog will be given eye drops to help his body create normal tears. Surgery may need to be executed by the veterinarian if a tear duct is extremely damaged.
Corneal Dystrophy
The cornea is the outside layer of a Yorkie dog's eye. This condition describes the clouding of the cornea. This is an inherited canine eye disease and will affect both eyes equally.
The Symptoms
Gray or white crystal-like matter will start to grow on the Yorkie dog's eyes. In nearly every case, both eyes are affected in the same amount of severity.
Treatment
Currently, there is not a treatment. Luckily, this issue is not painful. While it can have an effect on how clearly a Yorkie dog can see, it hardly ever fully blocks a Yorkie dog's eyesight.
