Chinchilla eye infection

[ohui2001]

We believe Maki is having an eye infection. We'll stop her from having dust bath and keep her separated from Moka. What treatment/eye drops we can use to help her ? Thanks!

 

[Stackie]

You will need to take her to a vet so that they can check for corneal scratches. Eye medications with steroids can not be used on eyes that are scratched. Once the vet determines if it is a scratch or just an infection, they can prescribe an appropriate eye drop/gel.

 

[Zoaea]

Ya you can't get OTC eye antibiotics and human medicated drops aren't safe. If they get a piece of sawdust in their eye you can take it out and wash with pure normal saline (no mixed ingredients with it!). But any discharge or signs of swelling/irritation and the vet will be needed. Think about this a simple vet check up will be like $40, which is cheap. If you let the infection fester they might loose the eye or get a full body infection (septicemia) which could cost a ton more if its not fatal.

 

[Basket_of_Chinchillas]

To the vet! In the mean time you can also flush the eye ~4 times a day with saline.

 

[Sue]

There is an alternative, but I don't know if it's available in your area. We have Vetericyn opthalmic gel here in our pet stores. It's great for minor eye injuries. I've had kits with both eyes swollen shut from siblings scrapping, and it's healed them in two days. It's a gel, put it on q-tips, gently apply it to the eye area. In less than a day they'll be better, and it works for deep cuts too. There's also a spray for other type wounds as well, really good for bites, etc.

 

[ticklechin]

I personally don't mess with eye infections, I make the effort to get the chin to the vet even though I can self vet it, I want to know if it is a infection or a injury since the solution used is different, and if it is neither or if the condtion does not go away with appropriate treatment then I need to have the chin looked at for teeth. The Vetericyn according to the website "the easy-to-apply gel has no steroids, antibiotics" so I would not use it if it was beyond a irritation.

 

[Stackie]

I have self vetted a few eye infections with terramycin and always had them come back within a few weeks. If there is a scratch on the cornea, then they need to be treated with meds you can not get OTC. Like Dawn said, it is better just to take them to the vet. Treating with OTC antibiotics over and over without knowing what you're actually dealing with can lead to antibiotic resistance and create even bigger problems.

 

[ohui2001]

Thanks for all the great advise. I guess Maki did not have an infection, her eye look normal the next day after my post. It was the front corner of her eye that was a little red but there was no discharge and her eye was clear to me. The redness at the corner of her eye is now gone. I guess she may have scratched herself when in the dust bath together with Moka couple days ago. Many thanks!