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Author Topic: Eyes, whiskers and ears.  (Read 1900 times)

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Beardysteve1

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Eyes, whiskers and ears.
« on: August 30, 2014, 12:24:07 PM »
Hi guys,

Yet another health related question. I believe I may become a hypochondriac for my chin. My chinchilla had a sore eye on one side and we went to vets and got eye drops for her. Since then the eye has cleared up but anytime she has a bath now she gets sand caked over her eye. It seems to be weeping. We've stopped giving her baths altogether for the past week but the eye still appears weepy. On top of that, on the same side of her head her ear has remained permanently down and her whiskers don't seem to move on that side only.

Is this something serious? We've been having the worst luck recently.
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GrayRodent

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Re: Eyes, whiskers and ears.
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2014, 12:56:22 PM »
I really feel sorry for you. The whisker thing is pretty odd. Perhaps irritation is causing your pet to behave strangely. Will she twitch or move that side of her face if you touch it? If not you could be looking at something more exotic.

I recommend a vet visit and I recommend having a bacterial culture done on the eye. I don't want to be alarmist but there is a possibility it could be something serious if not treated. If it is an infection that she has is having a hard time fighting off it could spread into the sinuses and lungs. But it might be nothing too, perhaps just a traumatic injury healing with swelling blocking the tear duct, which is not unheard of. I recommend at the least discussing it with your vet because the normal pattern for a simple eye infection is three days or less.
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Beardysteve1

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Re: Eyes, whiskers and ears.
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2014, 01:01:48 PM »
Yeah her whiskers on that side don't seem to move, she is always grabbing them with her front paws though, as if she is grooming them but when her right whiskers are fluttering about as normal the ones on her left side are all bunched together and still.

She does twitch when I touch her whiskers on the bad side, it seems to tickle her as normal.
« Last Edit: August 30, 2014, 01:05:57 PM by Beardysteve1 »
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GrayRodent

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Re: Eyes, whiskers and ears.
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2014, 02:42:54 PM »
Can the eye on that side blink? This is starting to look like a neurological problem.
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Beardysteve1

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Re: Eyes, whiskers and ears.
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2014, 03:20:31 PM »
She has been blinking and closes it fully when she sleeps, is drowsy etc
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GrayRodent

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Re: Eyes, whiskers and ears.
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2014, 03:35:59 PM »
That's good. Please talk tp your vet. It is still a very odd symptom.
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Beardysteve1

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Re: Eyes, whiskers and ears.
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2014, 02:48:17 PM »
Going to take her to vet again tomorrow. We decided to give her a small bath an same thing happened eye got covered in sand. Think you might be right about it being a brain issue. She doesn't seem to be able to close her eye right and I've now noticed she only seems to be breathing out of one nostril too (everything on her left side of her head seems weak or limp).

Can chinchillas have strokes?
« Last Edit: August 31, 2014, 03:00:47 PM by Beardysteve1 »
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GrayRodent

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Re: Eyes, whiskers and ears.
« Reply #7 on: August 31, 2014, 05:17:06 PM »
Unfortunately there are several possible serious causes including stroke. I think you are better off discussing them with your veterinarian and discussing the prognosis for the most likely causes. Consider the expense of the tests carefully. I doubt much can be done for that within reason even if a diagnosis is made. What should be assessed is quality of life issues and how to manage them especially if you determine it is progressing.
I'm sorry to hear this after everything you've already done.
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Beardysteve1

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Re: Eyes, whiskers and ears.
« Reply #8 on: August 31, 2014, 05:25:57 PM »
It all sounds very serious but she seems very active and happy (when we aren't trying to catch or burrito her to give her medicine / clean her eye etc) so I'm not too sure what the outcome will be. I am now thinking it might be a synus infection as I've seen a few posts on this site that had similar symptoms and that's what it turns out was wrong. Could explain the effect on the ear eye and nose? The lameness is restricted to her head only, her body and legs on both sides seem to be fine.

We'll let you know how it goes.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2014, 05:28:00 PM by Beardysteve1 »
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GrayRodent

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Re: Eyes, whiskers and ears.
« Reply #9 on: August 31, 2014, 08:51:16 PM »
The ear, eye, and other muscles of the face are connected to the brain through bundles of nerves that run through the skull. The sinuses and tissues in the skull could conceivably become inflamed to the point of putting pressure on the nerve which could cause spasm and paralysis of the corresponding muscle groups.

The worst immediate problem you are faced with is an eye that may not be able to blink or drain properly. This can result in complications that can become quite foul to deal with and may require special care. Your vet may be able to help you assess how serious it is and provide further instructions. The second thing you may want to account for is the function of the muscles required for chewing on that side.

If it's a sinus infection that should show up on a CBC or a nasal culture. You'll probably be given antibiotics again as a prophylactic measure and NSAIDs. A culture can be useful to make sure you using the correct meds and if it comes back negative you may be able to stop the meds.

One last thing to consider is possible nerve damage/ inflammation from being handled and syringe fed. I'm not sure how likely that would be since I don't know where exactly the nerves are routed. If anyone can recommend a rodent anatomical atlas that includes details of the cranial foramina and nerve connections that would be great.

I'm certainly no vet and I hope you'll get some solid answers soon.
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