Funky eye UPDATE

[Melissa's ZOO]

For the past few days now Ivy has had a gunky eye. When she wakes up it is sealed shut with goo, so I usually take a warm wash cloth and open it for her. I assume it itches because she will scratch at it and make it bleed. She has an appointment to see the vet but not until Wednesday. What can I do in the meantime. Do rats get conjunctivitis?

This is her other eye which is usually a little larger than the other but it looks kind of swollen to.

 

[Melissa]

It could be an eye infectoin. They will give you something to flush the eye out with.

 

[user 78]

Rats can get conjunctivitis. Here is the link to Ratguide with some information on it.

Hopefully your vet can say whether or not it is. Usually rats have excessive porphyrin when ill, but I would think that's entirely too much for just a common URI flareup. Have you made any changes lately? New detergent, new litter, new foods?

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Thanks Java. After reading that I am pretty sure that is what it is. I will keep putting the cool water on it and take this with me to the vet. Other than that I don't feel comfortable irrigating the eye myself so the vet will have to do it and show me how to do it.

 

[jorats]

He'll probably give you a good eye ointment. My sister's Indie has the same thing going on.

I keep on hand polysporin eye/ear drops. It works great to clear up minor eye issues. My vet recommended it when my hairless was having all kinds of eye trouble.

 

[user 78]

You're very welcome, Melissa!

The irrigating is honestly just like putting in drops. It's just enough to run off, instead of just enough to cover. That make sense? You may need someone to help you hold her still, since you'll have to keep her eye open to put any medicated drops/ointment the vet may give you.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

So just some reqular saline to flush it. And Polysporin ointment to treat it?

 

[lilspaz68]

Definitely use the polysporin, see if it helps, if it doesn't I would get her to a vet.

Has she ever had issues like this before? I had a girl who always had a funky eye that would be mucky for weeks and then clear up for a month...I never figured it out

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I did have a candle warmer in there until Lilly started sneezing so I took it out and now that I think about it her eye started after I put it in there. Boy, am I a bad mommy. :cry:

I will do this until Wednesday and if it is not a little better by then she will get to see the vet. I jsut want to do more than just cleaning it for her with a wet rage. I know it has to be uncomfortable.

No eye problems other than her good eye is a little large than the funky one. But it always like that and it is the eye on the side that her head tilts. She had permanet head tilt when I got her.

 

[user 78]

Unless she actually got into the candle, I don't think that would cause her eye to get like that. Sneezing, sure. If it was an allergic reaction of some sort, she would be having the issue on both sides, I would think.

Even if it does start to get better, letting the vet have a look see might be an idea. They may also have a medicated ointment or drop they can give you, something to help the inflammation and itch.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

The candle was on the opposite side of the room, so no way she could get in it.

I will definitely take her on Wednesday. For now I just want to make her more comfortable. What about Benadryl for the itching?

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I got some drops from the vet and WOW overnight her eye looks normal again. I Will continue to put two drops a day for one week to make sure it does not come back.

 

[user 78]

Great news! I'm glad it's looking better already, and I'm sure she's feeling alot better, too.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Great news! I'm glad it's looking better already, and I'm sure she's feeling alot better, too.

Yes, she looks so much happier and she has stopped scratching at it. I believe that is why it looked so bad she kept irritating it and making the skin around her eye bleed.

 

[lilspaz68]

poor wee one, i bet that was just porphryin...it can actually "burn" off the hair around the eye...

Glad she is doing much better :thumbup:

 

[Melissa]

Yay, glad she is doing better!

 

[mamarat]

Fantastic, so glad she's doing better.

 

[Fidget]

That's fantastic! What a blessing to have such a worry clear up immediately. Did the vet say what she thought caused it?

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I did not take her to the vet he just let me pick up the ointment. I think she scratched it. The morning I discovered the injury is the morning after I heard a scuffle in the cage. Ivy and Sunflower have been scrapping a lot lately.