Husky Eye Color

Husky Eye Color: All 13 Facts Eye Colors [ Full-Explained ]

Huskies have the most beautiful eyes, and the colour of their eyes is almost as well known as their beauty. But why do huskies have eyes that aren’t all the same colour?

You’ve probably seen them with icy blue eyes, but do all huskies have blue eyes, or are blue-eyed huskies rare?

What are the eyes of huskies most rarely seen? If you’ve ever thought a lot about huskies, you’ve probably had these ideas.

What color eyes can Huskies have?

Most huskies have blue or brown eyes. Their eyes can be blue, brown, green, or any other color. Some huskies have a condition called heterochromia, which makes each eye a different colour. Some huskies’ eyes are green in very strange ways.

Some people think that blue eyes are a sign of a health problem, while others think that all Huskies have blue eyes. People have a lot of questions about huskies’ eyes.

We spent some time going through all the information we could find on huskies and asked dog experts for their thoughts.

Husky Eye Colors

Not only do the almond-shaped eyes of huskies stand out, but so do their bright colours.

Blue Eyes

Most people think of blue eyes when they think of huskies. It’s the most common and well-known colour for huskies, and it’s one of the things that makes people like them so much. The eyes of most other dog breeds don’t even come close to the icy blue eyes of huskies.

Husky Eye Color

Some husky puppies have bright blue eyes, while others have eyes that look almost white, like ice. People often think that huskies’ eyes are white, but they are actually a very unusual shade of blue.

Most of the time, the skin around the eyes of huskies with blue eyes is darker. Because they are already pretty big, they look scary, and the bright blue colour makes that even more clear.

This ring of dark skin also helps huskies block the sun’s rays and make light reflect off of different surfaces, like snow or mirrors.

Green Eyes

Siberian huskies with green eyes are rare. In reality, the green colour of this puppy is not part of the breed standard set by the AKC.

Some pet owners say they have this very rare Husky breed, which is possible because a pup’s blue eyes turn brown when they are young. Some canines did not finish the process of changing, so they have green eyes.

Bi-Eyed

There are Siberian huskies with two eyes. In other words, their eyes are different colours.

The most common pairing is blue and brown, but green and brown and blue and green are also possible but not as often.

Even though green-eye tinnitus looks different, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with your eyes. It’s caused by heterochromia, which I’ll talk about later in this article.

Brown Eyes

Brown is another colour that huskies usually have. In reality, brown eyes and blue eyes are related because brown eyes turn blue when melanin is taken away (though this is not recommended). Even if you have two huskies with blue eyes, their offspring may have brown eyes.

For people who don’t know much about genetics, this can be confusing, and they might think something is wrong. On the other hand, your husky is perfectly healthy. They just have very different genes.

Brown-eyed huskies have different shades of brown, just like blue-eyed huskies. Some people have eyes that are very light, almost hazel, while others have eyes that are very dark brown.

Green

Once in a while, huskies can have green eyes. But because it is so rare, huskies’ eyes don’t have many different shades of green. But because green is already rare, it is thought to be special.

Since huskies with green eyes aren’t very common, the American Kennel Club doesn’t count it as a standard.

On the other hand, huskies don’t always have green eyes. Young adult Huskies can change from having blue eyes to having brown eyes. This change does not always happen all at once. Because of this, the colour of the eyes changes to green.

Heterochromia

Heterochromia is the medical term for when each eye is a different color. This is a sign of a birth defect in humans, but it is pretty common in animals.

It has to do with how much melanin is in the eye. Even Siberian huskies can have this condition. About 12–15% of huskies have heterochromia, which is a large number.

In fact, more huskies than any other dog breed have more than one colour in their eyes. Most of the time, brown and blue go together, but you might also see green and blue or green and brown. But this doesn’t happen very often.

MORE  Top 29 What A Good Dog Lastest Updates

Parti-Colored Eyes

Huskies often have eyes that are a mix of colours, which is another common trait. This is like heterochromia in that it involves two different colours, but this time both colours are in the same eye.

A husky, for example, might have eyes that are blue in some places and brown in others. Some huskies even have blue and brown eyes that are almost perfectly separate.

This doesn’t show a problem or a flaw. Both parti-colored and heterochromatic eyes are normal, though parti-colored eyes are more common.

Green and brown or green and blue eyes are also possible, though they are very rare, just like heterochromia.

Eye Color Percentage for Husky: What Is the Rarest Eye Color for Husky?

You might be wondering which of the eye colours I talked about before is the least common. You may have made the right guess.

Bi-eyed Huskies are rare, but not as rare as puppies with green eyes or different coloured eyes. In the table below, you can find the Husky eye color%.

Husky Eye ColorPercentage
Blue40%
Brown40%
Green5%
Bi-eyed10%
Parti5%

Based on the numbers above, the most common colours for Huskies are blue eyes and brown eyes. They are often available from good breeders, and you can find them in most shelters and rescues.

If you want a puppy with green eyes or eyes of more than one colour, expect to pay more because they are hard to find.

Can Huskies Have Red Eyes?

Some people like to make fun of Siberian huskies by saying their eyes turn red out of nowhere. To wrap up, I want to say that Huskies do not have the red eyes of the devil.

Once the husky’s eyes have reached their permanent colour, they can’t be changed.

It may look red sometimes, but this is just a trick of the light or because you can see the red blood cells in their eyes when they look directly at a light source.

If the red colour in their eyes hasn’t gone away and you know it’s not a shade of brown, you should take your Husky to a vet.

They might have gotten conjunctivitis, corneal ulcers, glaucoma, or uveitis, which are all eye diseases. It’s also possible that they got hurt and got red eyes that way.

Are Blue Eyes Bad for Huskies?

Blue eyes can be a sign of danger in some dog breeds, but not in Huskies.

All Husky puppies are born with blue eyes because blue eyes are the most common trait in the breed. Between the ages of 4 and 8 weeks, their eyes may stay blue, change to brown, or become two or more colours.

Adam Boyko and Aaron Sams of Embark Veterinary Inc. did research to find out why some Huskies have blue eyes while other dog breeds don’t.

They found a genetic change near a certain gene that causes less pigment to be made in the eyes, which makes them look blue.

If the dog doesn’t have blue eyes naturally and they start to look blue, it could be a sign of an eye disease or something else wrong with many other breeds. Now is the time to pay attention to what colour your dog’s eyes are.

If your Husky has blue eyes, you shouldn’t be worried.

Do Husky Eye Colors Change?

Husky pups are born with blue eyes. The colour of their eyes might not change until they are about 5–8 weeks old.

This happens because of their genes and the amount of melanin (the pigment in their skin, hair, and eyes) in their bodies.

The picture below shows how Sasha’s eyes looked when she was a puppy. As you can see, they are a greyish blue.

As she grew, this colour changed from greyish blue to light brown, as shown in the pictures below:

Some husky eyes will stay blue, some will change to brown, and some will become two or more colours.

When Do Huskies Eyes Stop Changing?

The eyes of a husky can start to change colour when they are between 5 and 8 weeks old. By the time they are 12 to 16 weeks old, they have usually reached their final colour.

But some Husky owners say they saw colour changes in their dogs as late as 6 months old.

If your Husky’s eyes change colour after this age, you should take it to the vet in case it has an eye problem.

At What Age Do Huskies Eyes Stop Changing?

Between 5 and 8 weeks, your Husky’s eyes will start to change from a bright blue to a colour that will stay the same. If you want a puppy with blue eyes, don’t get too excited yet because it might still change.

When your Husky is 12 to 16 weeks old, its true eye colour will become clear. But some puppies’ eyes don’t stop changing until they’re six months old, so you have to be patient.

If your Husky’s eyes change colour after 6 months, you should take them to the vet to get checked out. This could be a sign of an eye disease that needs to be taken care of right away.

Husky Eye Genetics: Why Do Huskies Have Different Colored Eyes?

You might be wondering why Huskies’ eyes are different colors. In this section, I’ll tell you why these things happen and why you shouldn’t worry about your Husky’s eye health.

MORE  Top 20 How To Compliment Someone'S Dog Lastest Updates

Husky Eye Color

Heterochromia is the reason why huskies have different-colored eyes. This happens when the eyes don’t have enough melanin, which changes the colour of the iris. This is not dangerous because it has nothing to do with health.

Also, it’s important to know that heterochromia isn’t caused by too many close relatives. A breeder who knows what they are doing will tell you this and even tell you more about how this came to be.

Many experts have already disproven the idea that people with heterochromia are more likely to get UV damage when they are out in the sun. Huskies with two or more eyes are just as healthy and cute as other Huskies.

Huskies with Different Colored Eyes

As you can see, huskies’ eyes can be anything from icy blue to deep brown. Let’s take a closer look at their eyes, which are two different colours.

This condition, called heterochromia, can also happen in other types of dogs and in some people. Heterochromia is a genetic flaw that causes one eye to be blue and the other to be brown.

The colour of the eyes is determined by how much melanin is in the eyes and where it is (which is a natural pigment that gives us our skin, hair, and eye colors).

This is a disease that runs in families. Even though this is a less common eye colour for Huskies than having two eyes of the same colour, it is still a common one.

People often think that if your Husky has two different colours of eyes, it will have trouble seeing in the future. It also doesn’t mean that your Husky is a mix.

How to Determine Eye Color in Husky Puppies?

Do you find it hard to tell what colour your Husky’s eyes are? Here are some tips to help you figure out if your dog has the right colour of eyes.

  • Tip #1: Don’t look into your husky’s eyes for at least a month. This is because their eyes start to change colour between 5 and 8 weeks of age. Between the 18th and the 20th day, when they first open their eyes, you may notice that they have blue eyes. However, this may not be their permanent eye colour.
  • Tip #2: Instead of using flashlights to find out what colour their eyes are, take them outside for a few minutes and look at them in natural light. This will help show you the real colour of their eyes, so you can tell if they are blue, brown, green, partially coloured, or have two eyes.
  • Tip #3: Use the examples of eye colours we gave you above, or look for more pictures on Instagram and Pinterest. From the pictures you collected, make an eye colour chart and compare it to your dog’s eyes.
  • Tip #4: Ask the breeder where you bought your puppy for help, since they have more experience figuring out the colour of eyes. You can also talk to a veterinarian for help.

Common Eye Diseases for Huskies

Huskies often have problems with their eyes from birth, no matter what colour their eyes are. Most of the time, these problems are found by veterinary ophthalmologists, who are trained to tell the difference between hereditary and non-hereditary diseases.

Because there isn’t yet a DNA test that can quickly find these problems, the Siberian Husky Club of America and the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) have put out a list of rules that breeders can follow to stop the spread of these hereditary diseases.

The following is a summary of what it says:

  • A vet who is certified by the ACVO should check out a Siberian husky that will be used for breeding. The checkup should be done in the same year that the dog will be used to having puppies.
  • Only dogs with healthy eyes should be used to start a new breed.
  • If a Husky is related to a dog with an eye problem but doesn’t have the same problem, they shouldn’t be bred together.

Here are three eye problems that may be passed down to your Siberian Husky:

Hereditary or Juvenile Cataracts

Cataracts in children are different from those that form as a puppy gets older. Most Huskies are born with this condition, which can show up as early as three months old.

Since the job of the eye lens is to focus light rays and turn them into pictures for the retina, a cloudy eye lens makes it harder to see.

Siberian huskies usually get cataracts in the back part of their lenses. This is caused by a recessive gene.

Depending on what stage they are at, cataracts are treated in different ways. In the beginning, your veterinarian may give your puppy eye drops.

You also don’t have to worry because huskies can use their senses of smell and hearing to get by if they can’t see. But if your dog’s cataract is already making them blind, you should have surgery.

Corneal Dystrophy

Corneal dystrophy affects the clear outer layer of your dog’s eyeball, which is called the cornea.

This condition, which is similar to cataracts, makes the eye cloudy or opaque because of an abnormal buildup of lipids in the cornea. Most of the time, this happens to young adult dogs, especially female Siberian huskies.

This eye disease is caused by a recessive gene, according to research that is still going on. Most of the time, this condition doesn’t make it hard for the dog to see, so it doesn’t need to be treated.

Still, I strongly suggest that you take your puppy to a good veterinary ophthalmologist for a full eye exam, as this could lead to corneal ulcers.

MORE  Can You Use Desitin On Dogs? 5 Step Manual

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is the worst of all these problems. Dogs as young as five months old can lose their sight because of this disease.

This is because PRA hurts the retina, which has two kinds of rods that are important for a puppy’s vision.

If your Husky gets this eye disease, they may lose their ability to see at night, then their ability to see during the day, and finally go blind.

Siberian huskies have a special PRA that is like PRA in people. This is called XPRA because it is passed down through the XX chromosome of a female Husky.

VCA Hospitals says that there is no good way to treat this illness. Most veterinarians recommend vitamins and antioxidants, but they don’t help cure XPRA in any significant way.

Most Prevalent Eye Defect

So, which of the three eye problems listed above do Siberian Huskies have the most often? The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists did a study to find out about this very thing.

They looked at the eyes of 1,345 Huskies and found that cataracts, corneal dystrophy, and progressive retinal atrophy are the most common inherited eye problems in this breed.

Husky Eye Color

The table below goes into more detail about what ACVO’s research found:

Eye DefectNumber of Huskies Afflicted Out of 1,345 Examined PupsPercentage
Juvenile Cataracts1078%
Corneal Dystrophy443%
Progressive Retinal Atrophy4Less than 1%

Recommended Eye Check-Ups for Husky

Huskies can get eye problems from their parents, so it is very important to have a veterinary ophthalmologist check their eyes regularly.

They should have the eyes of their dogs checked. This is very important for breeders. Here are some things you should know about eye exams:

  • Every year, the dog’s eyes should be checked because most eye problems show up when the dog is three years old.
  • When the dog is between 7 and 8 years old, the last eye exam is done.
  • If a Husky is over 18 months old, an eye exam might not be necessary unless the dog gets a cataract.
  • Even though the dog has to be held down so that the eyes can be looked at with lights and magnifiers, the exam is not painful or invasive.

Husky Eye Color FAQ

What percentage of Huskies have different colored eyes?

Your husky has a 40% chance of having blue eyes, a 40% chance of having brown eyes, a 15% chance of having eyes with two colours, and a 5% chance of having eyes with more than two colours.

How can I tell if my Husky will have blue eyes?

Your Husky might or might not have blue eyes. All husky puppies are born with blue eyes, but as they grow, some of them will get brown, two-toned, or mixed-colored eyes.

If your Husky puppy’s eyes start to get cloudy and dark blue between the ages of 5 and 8 weeks, they may get brown or amber eyes instead of blue eyes as adults.

Why are Huskies eyes so blue?

Some Huskies have blue eyes because of a change in their genes that makes their eyes less coloured.

About 40% of Huskies have this abnormality, which gives them blue eyes that range in colour from icy blue to dazzling blue.

But not every Husky has blue eyes. Huskies’ eyes can be brown, two-toned, or a mix of both. This makes them a unique breed in terms of eye colour.

Are Huskies the only dogs with blue eyes?

Not all dogs with blue eyes are Huskies. Even though it doesn’t happen very often, some breeds, like Australian Shepherds, have blue eyes.

Heterochromia is also seen in Border Collies, Daschunds, Dalmatians, Weimaraners, and Cardigan Welsh Corgis, among other breeds.

Final Thoughts

It’s not easy to take care of a husky because they like to run away and can be very destructive when left alone for a long time.

Even though they have these problems, many people still choose to buy them because they look nice.

They look like wolves and have thick, different-colored coats. The colour of their eyes is another reason why many pet owners want them.

The eyes of huskies can be either blue or brown. On the other hand, green eyes are almost never seen. A lot of Huskies have two or more than two eyes because they have heterochromia.

If they didn’t know it was normal and possible, the strange mix of colours in their eyes would be scary.

Even though the AKC doesn’t recognize Huskies with two eyes or green eyes, this doesn’t mean that they are more likely to get eye problems or diseases.

All Huskies can get or pass on certain eye problems, and it is the owner’s responsibility to have them checked regularly.

Princy Hoang
See more articles in this category: Dogs

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *