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[pink]

Hi, i haven't been on this site in a while, but I'm hoping you all might have some idea on what this might be. I have a homo beige little boy. he'll be 2 soon. he has red eyes with a ring of blue in them but on right eye, theres a pretty big dark dot on his eye. i'm really not sure what it is but it freaked me out when i saw it. has anyone ever seen this? is it something i should worry about? any hints at all would be great, i'm worried maybe something is wrong with his eyesight. =(

-stephanie

[Jo Ann]

   Oooo I would love to see your homo beige with a blue ring around the eye!   I've only seen a few white mosaic males with that so far.  (Must be a male thing.    )

Where is the black spot?  In the center or in the outer area of the eye?

Has it been there from birth?  Or did it just appear lately?

How big is it? 

How much of the eye does it cover?

Is it circular or irregular shaped?

Does he live alone, or does he have a mate or cagemate?

Could you get a good picture of it to post?

IF it affects his vision in that eye,  keep in mind , that chinchillas tend to adapt to any physical problem rather quickly. 

But, I would, for safety's sake, take him to see a vet to have it checked out.

   Jo Ann

[pink]

Hi! I'll try to get some pictures, but it's unlikely. I dont have a camera at all. The black spot is on the outer area of the eye. I just saw it last night before i posted, so definitely hasnt been there since birth. I love his eyes, I look at them every time I hold him. It's a little less then 1/4 the size of his whole eye, and last night it looked circular, but tonight its more like a thick straight line that goes from the outer of the eye into the center. He lives alone, I have another chinchilla but for the two years i've had them both, they still dont get along lol. and they havent been out at the same time because of that in a while. a few weeks at least so i dont think its anything my other baby could have done. My husband says it might be like a blood vessel that busted or something like that. Does that happen to chins? It doesnt seen to bother him at all, he wouldnt let me touch directly around the eye like he sometime does but he doesnt always let me pet him there anyway. although sometimes he does like  a good scratch all around his face =P lol 

[Jo Ann]

   The most probable cause would be an injury, but I would get him checked out by your vet.  a.s.a.p.

I'm not crazy about the changing shapes ... but ... a blood vessle injury could do that as it tries to disapate, or it could be spreading.  If it spreads to the iris, there is a more likely chance he will loose the vision in that eye.

Being in the outer part of the eye would not affect the vision as much.  Even if he lost the sight in that eye, he has the other one he can use, and they do tend to learn to compesate quickly.  I have only had three that lost their vision in one eye, one from an injury caused in an accident, one from a fight and the other from a cateract.  All are still with me and they have little trouble in their normal, everyday life because of it. But, I would get it checked.

I have a bit of an advantage when it comes to eyes and partial loss of vision.  I had cancer in my right eye and lost vision in the lower right quarter of the right eye.  At first it bugged me, but now, I rarely even think about it and it has become second nature to just ignore that section of my vision in that eye.  Chinnies do, too.   

Please keep us posted!

  Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Now that's a new one.
I would think if it's blood it wouldn't take long for it be absorbed. You should see changes with in days. If it is getting larger/changing I would as Jo Ann has said, let a vet have a look.
Better be safe than sorry.
Do keep us posted, I am very curious now myself.   

I have a bit of an advantage when it comes to eyes and partial loss of vision.  I had cancer in my right eye and lost vision in the lower right quarter of the right eye.  At first it bugged me, but now, I rarely even think about it and it has become second nature to just ignore that section of my vision in that eye.  Chinnies do, too.

Good grief, like you haven't had enough already

[pink]

Well, outside of the change in the shape the day after i saw it, there hasn't been any. It might look a tiny bit smaller, but I can't really tell. If it is smaller the difference is very slight. Unfortunately, I don't have money to take him to a vet with. I know that's not good, and when I bought him I had some saved in case anything ever happened but, life didn't exactly let me keep that laying around. If I can find a way to take him to a vet, will there be anything they can really do to change it, or are they just going to be able to tell me exactly what happened, i.e. cateract or injury ect? If he had lost vision in that eye, he would be a little more clumsy and such right? if i hold my finger in front of him he still follows it with his head until he realizes that theres no treat in my hand lol. Would he have adapted so quickly if it were interfering with his sight? My husband thinks I'm crazy for worrying so much, but how can you not? =)

[Jo Ann]

Quote: Jo Ann
I have a bit of an advantage when it comes to eyes and partial loss of vision.  I had cancer in my right eye and lost vision in the lower right quarter of the right eye.  At first it bugged me, but now, I rarely even think about it and it has become second nature to just ignore that section of my vision in that eye.  Chinnies do, too.

Quote: Debbie:  Good grief, like you haven't had enough already  
 

  That was 7 years ago this month, that we found it ... Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, PA ... have some wonderful doctors there ... I had 3 laser treatments to kill the cancer cells and still have to get it checked yearly, but I don't even notice it now.   

Well, outside of the change in the shape the day after i saw it, there hasn't been any. It might look a tiny bit smaller, but I can't really tell. If it is smaller the difference is very slight. Unfortunately, I don't have money to take him to a vet with. I know that's not good, and when I bought him I had some saved in case anything ever happened but, life didn't exactly let me keep that laying around. If I can find a way to take him to a vet, will there be anything they can really do to change it, or are they just going to be able to tell me exactly what happened, i.e. cateract or injury ect? If he had lost vision in that eye, he would be a little more clumsy and such right? if i hold my finger in front of him he still follows it with his head until he realizes that theres no treat in my hand lol. Would he have adapted so quickly if it were interfering with his sight? My husband thinks I'm crazy for worrying so much, but how can you not? =)

Times are hard right now and the economy is bad ... lots of us are in the same boat.

Once a vet saw him, you would know what it is and what the options would be. 
1) IF it should/would clear on it's own, you would be told so by the vet, and given any meds that would help it heal faster than just leaving it to mother nature, if that is possible. 
2) IF the vet could not help him, he would say so and probably be able to tell you what to expect. 
3) IF it requires surgery, it will be VERY expensive, more than likely.

Chinchillas seem to adjust more quickly than humans, so, it may not be noticeable by his actions, unless you have your hand on the same side as the injured eye and move it ... if he does not respond to the movement, he would probably be blind in that eye.  OR, he could be only partially blind, only a vet could tell for sure.

I know this is leaving as many, if not more questions in your mind, but, I just wanted to try to help you to know what you might expect.

   Jo Ann