Encrusted Eye

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Notamuised

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2007
Messages
71
Location
Sudbury
My girl Emily came to me months ago just before our evil pet store closed. She has always had one eye that was bigger than the other but never seemed to be affected by it at all.

Friday I found her with it swollen and crusted over. It doesn't look like an eye at all anymore. It's kind of a grey colour, bit bigger than a pencil eraser and has a hard crusted shell. No resemblance of an eye whatsoever but it does look like it is attached as if it is her eyeball.

She is eating and drinking well and is healthy otherwise. A little off balance being a one-eyed rat but still her same old sweet self.

I tried a warm cloth compress (gently) but that has made it bleed a bit. She doesn't seem to bother with it and I don't want to irritate it and make it worse. Any advice?
 
Hi Notamuised.
Nic and I were just wondering how Emily was doing. Unfortunately her sister has since passed away from a majour neurological event. We are thinking a stroke or it could have been a pituitary tumour but she just seemed so young for that.

From what you describe, the unbalance has nothing to do with eye sight, rats do not rely on sight at all for walking, but unbalance can be due to ear infection or other neurological issue.

Her eye could have suffered some kind of trauma, I would suggest a vet visit to get some eye ointment and perhaps get her on meds in case infection sets in.
 
As Jo stated, rats don't depend on their eyesight to get around. Any problems with balance are based on some other factor, most likely either a neurological problem or an ear infection.

She should really see a vet so that they can see if there's been some sort of trauma to the eye and to treat both the eye and balance issue with antibiotics and an ointment for her eye.
 
These pictures are terrible but do show the size. It really isn't as red as it appears. I'm going to run out now and get some eye ointment. Thanks guys.

Eye2.jpg


Eye.jpg
 
Have her put to sleep humanely. She will never recover from that and she may be hiding her suffering. I don't even know if an enucleation would work at this time since I would bet there's infection in there somewhere.
 
The pictures look worse than it is but I will call the vet Monday morning. She seems quite comfortable and normal. I put some ointment on it about an hour ago.

Right now she's happily munching on a lab block.

Will keep you posted on how it goes :(
 
Even if the portion of the eye that appears black in those photos is only a 'darker grey' or something along those lines, it seriously looks like necrotic tissue. Which means her eye is dying. Whatever infection is in there is likely going systemic and is going to kill her, which would fully explain her balance problems lately.
 
Notamuised said:
The pictures look worse than it is but I will call the vet Monday morning. She seems quite comfortable and normal. I put some ointment on it about an hour ago.

Right now she's happily munching on a lab block.

Will keep you posted on how it goes :(
Click to expand...

Honestly if I were you I would take her to an emergency vet ASAP, I can't emphasize that enough. Those pictures may be "bad" but her eye looks worse. Poor girl.
 
I'm a little late coming in on this topic, but I was trying to catch up with my reading this morning and ran across it. Not a lot of people on this forum know this, but I am a renowned animal communicator and people who I have helped will vouch for me (many on this board as well). I am on a hiatus right now to take care of some health issues but I read your post and immediately connected with Emily. I felt an obligation to let you know what I received from her.

My right eye started hurting like crazy. It was almost unbearable. There is a darkness through her whole body which feels very wrong, as if the sickness is spreading all over.

Emily is in a lot of pain but told me that it wouldn't do any good if you knew so she was trying to be stoic. Poor little girl! She seems very forlorn and alone. She's resolved to her fate. I told her if she belonged to me I'd take her in and release her from her pain. She told me that she would greatly appreciate that. I told her I will send her healing to comfort her and ease her transition and that we all love her and hope her suffering ends soon. She sent me a wave of emotion in the form of appreciation for those words. After this, her energy faded and the connection was broken.

Situations like this are very difficult for all of us. Everyone does denial at one time or another. None of us want to face the reality of how sick our little ones really are and that we are going to lose them soon regardless. We want to hope that it will all go away and see what we want to, not necessarily what is there even though it is staring us right in the face. No one can fault you for that. Now is not the time for denial. Now is the time to face the sad truth that Emily is in pain and is dying. It's time for action. If you love her, and I am sure you do, you have a responsibility to alleviate her suffering. My thoughts are with you and Emily in this difficult time!
 
All I have to say is wow...... I cried.

I would love sometime for you to connect with my girls (not pushing, when things are sorted out for you).
 
Please take her in to the vet immediately!!!!!

She either needs to be humanely pts by a vet who knows how to do it properly - nonpainful, nonirritating sediative with small gage needle, gas mask until unconscious then injection into lower right abdomen (being careful not to get it into any organs) with a small gauge needle. You can be with her, holding her the entire time.

Or else she needs to be immediately treated by a vet for pain and given antibiotics. Don't know if this would help ...

The vet would know what is the best, most humane option for Emily.

Please, please get her to a vet (that hopefully knows something about rats) right now!!! Rats are very good at hiding their suffering ... and she is suffering a great deal.

Let us know what happens,
Holly
 
Arlene said:
.......but told me that it wouldn't do any good if you knew......I told her if she belonged to me I'd take her in ........and see what we want to, not necessarily what is there even though it is staring us right in the face. .
Click to expand...

I brought this terrible and heart breaking situation to the forum for advice, help and support which I received from trusted and well respected rat owners and forum administrators.

I am seeking veterinary attention for Emily and by no means intentionally intend to prolong Emily's suffering :x

In the future, I would expect you to keep your unsolicited "readings" to yourself rather than posting them publicly for all to be affected.
 
No one said you were letting her suffer. It was only suggested that you should seek vet attention now instead of Monday. That's all that was said.
 
Has she been to a vet yet?? What did the vet say?
If not, is a vet going to see her today?

Your original post was yesterday ... surely there must be an emergency vet or perhaps your regular vet would come in for an emergency.
 
Notamuised said:
Arlene said:
.......but told me that it wouldn't do any good if you knew......I told her if she belonged to me I'd take her in ........and see what we want to, not necessarily what is there even though it is staring us right in the face. .
Click to expand...

I brought this terrible and heart breaking situation to the forum for advice, help and support which I received from trusted and well respected rat owners and forum administrators.

I am seeking veterinary attention for Emily and by no means intentionally intend to prolong Emily's suffering :x

In the future, I would expect you to keep your unsolicited "readings" to yourself rather than posting them publicly for all to be affected.
Click to expand...

From the way I read it, it was that Emily didn't 'feel' there was anything to be done about it period. Arlene was not suggesting that you were somehow not doing something, merely stated that Emily wants to go, and go now. Which would be the same advice that everyone thus far has given you. That eye will not be cured, she has *got* to be in pain as it looks like a chunk of her eye is somehow missing not to mention swollen to atleast twice it's size, and is having neurological problems now.

If you don't like what Arlene said, that's your opinion. There's no reason to get mean or nasty about it. I know Arlene personally, and she's helped with many of my rats. She didn't post any of that as an attack against your care of rats, but to let you know that Emily is ready to go and *is* in pain despite your claims that she's acting happy and healthy otherwise.
 
Wow, I would think you'd appreciate knowing what the rat is feeling, instead of getting so defensive. If your eye was looking that bad, don't you think it would be incredibly painful? It appears to be ruptured and infected. I'm really sorry for a dose of reality, but the well being of your rat needs to come before being upset about finding out the truth. There's not an emergency vet that could help you out yesterday or today?
 
Wow...Just Wow is all I can say. I know you came here looking for advice and I can appreciate that but Arlene is the most compasionate, caring, and loving animal people I know and you should feel honored that she was able to communicate with Emily and find out exactly how Emily is feeling. I know how Emily is feeling right now sounds very sad but at least you can let her go fulling knowing that she wants to be helped to the bridge. Attacking Arlene like that was totally uncalled for and it isn't going to make people want to help you in the future for fear of being attacked if you don't like the advice they give you.

I hope that you at least give that rat some metcam for pain management if you are going to make her suffer until Monday.

Staci
 

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