You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

When the whites of the eyes turn yellow it is an important sign of disease

The white part of the eye (called the sclera) is a useful indicator of disease, for example if it becomes red (bloodshot) it can be an indicator of local inflammation of the eye, or of an internal disorder.  Sometimes it turns yellow and this is called "jaundice". 

Jaundice is caused by the presence of yellow pigment in the tissues. The most important pigment involved in this process is a bile pigment called bilirubin which is one of the normal breakdown products of red blood cells, and it is usually eliminated by the liver. 

Red blood cells are continually being broken down and replaced by the body and there are two main situations in which the amount of bilirubin increases in the bloodstream, and gets deposited in tissues  (including the whites of the eyes) causing jaundice:

• Liver disease - so the pigment isn't eliminated
• Increased destruction of red blood cells - such as occurs in some infections and immune diseases, in which case the liver cannot cope with the amount of bilirubin being produced

Yellowing of the eyes is therefore an important sign of disease, and on close examination other visible parts of the body might also appear to be jaundiced particularly :

• The skin
• The pinnae of the ears
• The gums
• The vulva

In many cases jaundice is a temporary state, and the animal can overcome the underlying disease with appropriate treatment, but sometimes it is much more serious. In any event, if you notice your animal's eyes are yellow get the advice of your veterinarian as soon as possible because the earlier the underlying cause is diagnosed and treatment is started the better.

Updated October 2013