Premium
Convergent strabismus in a white Bengal tiger
Author(s) -
BERNAYS ME,
SMITH RIE
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
australian veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.382
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1751-0813
pISSN - 0005-0423
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1999.tb11220.x
Subject(s) - strabismus , fundus (uterus) , ophthalmology , cats , anatomy , tiger , medicine , esotropia , white (mutation) , rose bengal , retinal , optometry , biology , biochemistry , genetics , computer security , computer science , gene
A white Bengal tiger was noted to have a convergent strabismus with poor vision since a cub. The tiger and a littermate with normal colouring and apparently normal eyes were anaesthetised for comparative ocular examination. A fundus typical of colour‐dilute cats and dogs was noted in the white tiger. Except for strabismus, no abnormalities were observed. Electroretinography showed similar retinal function in both tigers. Possible causes of strabismus considered were an adaptation to genetically determined abnormal visual pathways related to lack of pigment, abnormalities of the abducent nerves and mechanical restricting conditions of the medial rectus muscles.