Heterochromia in Pets

I’ve had my Alaskan Klee Kai, Fenrir, for over 6 years now.  Since his debut on the blog, I get SO many questions about his eyes.  Fen has two different colored eyes, or heterochromia.  His left eye is a beautiful light/ice blue, while the right is a very dark brown.  Heterochromia is common in certain breeds of dogs, such as Alaskan Klee Kai, Australian shepherds, and huskies.  It can also be common in dogs with dapple, or merle coloration.

Different in Looks Only…

The question I seem to get most often is whether or not Fenrir can see normally.  He can!  Both of his eyes are healthy and he can see just as well as any other dog.

Heterochromia in dogs can occur for a number of reasons.  Sometimes it can be caused by an injury or defect in the eye.  In Fenrir’s case, it’s just genetics.  Dogs born with two different colored eyes are often referred to as being bi-eyed.  Scientifically, it’s called heterochromia iridum.

Fenrir has what’s called complete heterochromia, which means that his eyes are two completely different colors.  There are other forms of heterochromia where only parts of the eye differ in color.  Central heterochromia is the most common type.  That’s when the center ring of the eye, around the pupil, is a different color than the rest of the iris.  Sectoral heterochromia, which can also be common in certain northern breed dogs, is when one, or both, eyes have sections of different colors.

Heterochromia, although rare, also occurs in other animal species – humans included!

I love Fenrir’s eyes.  They were one of the first things that drew me to him when I saw him for the first time.  Once in awhile we get some negative comments about them but, in general, people seem to react positively to Fen’s unusual eyes.  Not that it matters what other people think.  What matters most is that Fenrir is a happy, healthy pup!

Comment below!  What color are your pets’ eyes?  Have you ever shared your life with an animal with heterochromia, or some other unique eye color?