Eye Mysteries, Please Help!

[Brandon]

Binx's eye has started acting up again.

Ever since Binx's second surgery his eye started acting up. It was watery and he would bother at it. We started up on Fucithalmic eye drops but nothing progressed. We took him back to the vet and the vet found a scratch and did a twice a day Fucithalmic ointment. Things got better and we got the clear.

Well, it's been bugging him again. Occasionally white goo would form and run out of his eye and the fur around the eye looks wet and he has been bugging at it. We took him to the vet and did another eye stain. Same exact lesions in same exact places on both eyes. The vet is baffled. We waited a couple of minutes and did the light thing again to see if the fluid in his eyes were draining out of his nostrils. Nothing.

The vet believes his tear duct is possibly blocked but he's not sure which way chinchillas drain excess fluid from their eyes. He said if it is a blocked tear duct he's not keen on doing anything about it and to let him be because he's in good spirits. He told me to do saline after each dust bath and only come back if syptoms worsten. He said if symptoms do worsten, he has another eye drop with steroids in it for more aggressive treatment.

I'm not convinced I should follow his advice.
Is it possible for a chin to have a blocked tear duct?
How is it unblocked?
What should I do!?!

Please help, very frustrated with my veternarian right now. :hair:

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

I'm not too sure about the blocked eye ducts, but I know they can have issues with it.


As far as using saline after dust baths, it may help. I have to do that with Sambuca after every bath or he looks horrible and gets gunk and watery eyes.


Hopefully someone with more eye experiences than me can help more...


Good luck hun!

 

[Raela]

I'm not convinced I should follow his advice.
Is it possible for a chin to have a blocked tear duct?
How is it unblocked?
What should I do!?!

Please help, very frustrated with my veternarian right now. :hair:

I've seen a cat with a blocked tear duct, but I am sure that any animal with a tear duct could possibly get blocked. For the cat, the vet took a vein catheter (25 gauge I believe) found the duct opening and threaded it in, then flushed it with saline. The saline then drained out from the duct through the nose clearing the blockage. It did not look like a comfortable procedure and I would think that a chin eye duct is a bit smaller than a cats.

 

[Brandon]

I've seen a cat with a blocked tear duct, but I am sure that any animal with a tear duct could possibly get blocked. For the cat, the vet took a vein catheter (25 gauge I believe) found the duct opening and threaded it in, then flushed it with saline. The saline then drained out from the duct through the nose clearing the blockage. It did not look like a comfortable procedure and I would think that a chin eye duct is a bit smaller than a cats.

It seems like that would be a tough procedure with a wiggly chinchilla. I really hope the saline clears it up.

 

[Claire D]

Yes tear ducts can be blocked - if you consider how fine the dust is then it's a distinct possibility.

Flushing chinchilla tear ducts is pretty difficult because they are so tiny. Not may vets will attempt it here.
Personally I would not have it done - I have not seen anyone report success with it (if it has been attempted at all, that is) and it is highly likely that the ducts will just get blocked again once the chin has a dustbath or two.

Has Binx been Xrayed to check for dental problems, Brandon?

 

[Brandon]

Yes tear ducts can be blocked - if you consider how fine the dust is then it's a distinct possibility.

Flushing chinchilla tear ducts is pretty difficult because they are so tiny. Not may vets will attempt it here.
Personally I would not have it done - I have not seen anyone report success with it (if it has been attempted at all, that is) and it is highly likely that the ducts will just get blocked again once the chin has a dustbath or two.

Has Binx been Xrayed to check for dental problems, Brandon?

I see, so if the saline does not clear up the watery eyes, let him be?
Yes, he has been x-rayed when this whole eye thing started and his teeth were healthy and normal.

 

[Brandon]

Binx's eye seems to be on the mend, looks better after saline.

 

[Raela]

It seems like that would be a tough procedure with a wiggly chinchilla. I really hope the saline clears it up.

The chin would have to be anesthetized, which comes with its own risks. I'm glad to hear he seems to be on the mend.

 

[Chinmama]

Brandon, I was told by my vet that corneal ulcerations can be chronic. I had ZZ on drops for 8 months before his healed completely and, knock on wood, it's been fine for the past couple of years with no flare-ups.

You may need to have Binx on a longer period of drops before it clears up completely. ZZ would have a month of drops, then a follow-up stain, then a month more of drops, etc. If you give Binx the drops for a shorter period, it may seem to have cleared up but it really hasn't. Then you stop and it gets worse again. The only way to get it healed completely is to keep him on the drops until it heals completely and the vet sees no more ulceration on the stain.