How do you know if a chinchilla s blind or has bad eye sight

[sarah2000]

One of my chinchilla suffered a very bad eye infection, he had it the same week i got him and he had antibiotics and anti inflammatory for it.

I was just wondering after watching him tonight.

He is much more cautious than my other chinchilla, and prefers to be in his cage running on his wheel or his saucer. When he does come out he never pelts about like my other one, he just hops about very cautiously, then usually ends up going back to his cage to run on his wheel. When he does come out he usually runs up and down on the sofa, but everything is done in slow motion in comparison to my other chin.

I started to wonder this tonight and decided to do some kind of test to see if he is blind and have noticed that he does not react to me being their until he can smell my hand, hear it or it actually touches him.


Is their a chance his sight is bad? or worse not their at all.

 

[Newt]

There is a possibility that his sight could have been permanently affected by the infections you mentioned, but the vet should have checked for this at the follow up visit after his treatment.

Did you go back to the vet after the meds were finished? The vet would be able to tell you if his sight is damaged or not.

I have heard of quite a few blind chins, and they seem to have quite normal lives despite their disability. Once they've got a "mental map" of their cage and playroom layout, they manage perfectly well.

 

[sarah2000]

They never asked me to come for a follow up, just said if it had not cleared to come back.

I think i will book one tho to find out. He seems fine, and he is happy enough, i just wonder because of how cautious he is. He is my favourite because he is quite cuddly and will sit on my lap, the other one wont sit still for 5 minutes.