fig. 1 – Blindness

Recently Stephan asked on the Facebook group for photos of mice with faults. These are to display on the club website. Sadly for me but not the website, I have a plethora of faulty stock. I have started taking and forwarding a few pictures for the website and thought I would expand via the mag on some of the mice in the pictures.

Firstly mice with eye issues.

The self Red [fig 1] was clearly blind when it opened its eyes. Both are opaque. The cause could have been infection, either in utero or after birth. It could also be an inherited congenital condition or a random congenital affliction.

fig.2 – Small eyes

Milky eyes can also be caused by injury (but not in this case). Club rules state that a mouse blind in one or both eyes must be disqualified. There is no place for such an animal for breeding purposes (and yes this one did have the best colour in the litter!).

The Brokens are siblings. One has small squinty eyes [fig 2], the other [fig 3] has no eyes. This is known as microphthalmia. It can be hereditary, caused by infection when the eye is developing before birth or caused by medication (toxins) given to the mother at the crucial point of eye development in the unborn babies.

fig. 3 – No eyes

The small eyes and empty eye sockets are prone to repeated eye infections and again have no place in the breeding pen.

More to follow. . . . .