Eye Surgeon Glenn Carp About His Pride And Joy “Enzo”

Named “Enzo” – as in Ferrari – he was bound to be born with the speed gene. Adopted by a leading ophthalmic laser surgeon, and one might also assume that he would have interesting eyes.

The four-legged power house that is Enzo the Boston terrier – owned by London Vision Clinic surgeon, Glenn Carp, and his wife Deirdre – does not disappoint on either count.

Being super sporty (also like his owner), might go with being a member of the terrier family; however his eyes are distinctively unusual in that they are different colours.

The correct medical term for this condition is heterochromia which, in anatomy, refers to a difference in coloration – usually of the iris, but it can also be of the hair or skin. In Enzo’s case – he has one brown eye and one that is a light blue – it is caused by a recessive gene.

Enzo was born in March as part of a litter of five puppies. After carrying out a thorough examination of his eyes to make sure that he didn’t have any sight issues – a precaution he would have taken when choosing any dog – Glenn had no problem in making his selection.

“He is the best looking dog in the world! He is special, in a nice way”, said his proud “Dad”.

While he might be perfect in the eyes of his doting owner, to the Kennel Club and other members of the dog breeding hierarchy he will never be “Best in Show”.

“This didn’t matter at all to us – we never wanted a show dog”, said Glenn.

“It would be normal if Enzo had two brown eyes but this defect does not in any way affect his vision which is fine. Strangely it is more common in black and white dogs – like Enzo”, he added.

As well as other members of the animal kingdom, most notably cats, heterochromia of the irises also affects a small number of humans; famously including Alexander the Great, the Irish dancer Michael Flatley, and –controversially – David Bowie who is reputed to have one hazel and one light blue eye.  However it is also reported that Bowie’s appearance is the result of a permanently dilated pupil and not heterochromia.

Enzo’s different eyes show more clearly in bright light and sunshine – when the pupils are small. At night time, when the pupils are large, less of the iris colour is visible.

Glenn’s advice to anyone with different coloured eyes is to have a thorough examination to make sure that there are no underlying or secondary reasons for the condition.

“There are a host of different medical issues that can affect our eyes and it is certainly sensible to get your eyes checked.

“Some people might feel self conscious and chose to wear coloured contact lenses to disguise the condition. Coloured lenses can produce unhealthy side effects and should only be used under the advice of an experienced optometrist”, he said.

Clearly it doesn’t bother Enzo at all as he goes through all the normal puppy stages of development and learns his new house rules. Here he can be seen letting off steam on a beach in the Lake District.