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[LollyDolly]

Hello,

So today when cleaning out my Chins I noticed that my pink white, Casper, had his eye slightly closed.
Basically his eye is semi-closed and weeping a little bit, do any of you have any idea what could be causing this?

He's a very nervous Chin and tends to shake when you have to pick him up so I'd like to avoid the vets unless completely neccessary as I'm really scared as to how he might react and handle the stress. I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place!
I have another Chin in a separate adjacent cage who is absolutely fine and bright eyed and bushy tailed.

So any advice or suggestions?





This is his other eye which looks absolutely fine!

[LYChinchillas]

Could be simply some irritant got in his eye, such as dust or some type of debris. Should clear itself up in a day or so. However, eye issues could be a symptom of infection, tear duct issues or tooth issues. I'd suggest just monitor for a day or two. If it improves, just monitor for a chronic problem and then visit the vet. If it doesn't, vet - even if your chin is skittish, you'd rather have him healthy than temporarily uncomfortable.
One of my girls has a chronic tear duct issue that causes weepiness and sometimes causes the eye to seal shut. I use lukewarm water to ease it open very slowly and the issue is solved for several months. It's chronic, so I'm used to keeping a close eye on her.

[LollyDolly]

Ah ok, thanks so much!

I'll keep an eye on it then and see what happens, if it's still the same on Monday then I'll get him to the vets.

Thanks again!

[GrayRodent]

I concur. If the eye doesn't improve my Monday see a vet. These kinds of issues are fairly common with chinchillas and they usually don't last more than 48 hours. I recommend withholding the dust bath for a few days as well. If it doesn't clear up by Monday you want to have an exam done to rule out problems that could be potentially life-threatening, mainly upper respiratory infection. I did this just a couple of months ago with mine and it turned out he didn't need treatment and it was nothing more than mechanical irritation. It was worth the peace of mind.
How is your pet doing otherwise, food intake, fecal output, and weight? Any signs of drooling, matted fur on the back or under the chin? Tooth problems are more likely to present with drooling and the animal being underweight. If you don't know if he's at a healthy weight your vet can tell you.

[Lori Ramsey Earle]

Sometimes it's just an irritation from dustbathing. Wrap your chin in a small towel, exposing his face and neck. Have a warm wet washcloth ready, and gently clean around the eye. I've used preservative free human artificial tears to help clean as well, especially if the dust has caked close to the eye. You mention that Caspar is nervous chin. I think wrapping him in the towel might help him feel more secure, and less anxious. I had an epileptic chin once who seemed to relax more when he was in a towel wrap, when I had to give him meds. Just a thought.
The irritation could also be conjunctivitis, or your chin could have a corneal scratch. This, along with the other possibilities mentioned by other members, means a visit to the vet pronto. And no dust baths, like GrayRodent said - that's very important. An eye problem can't resolve if it's being exposed to dust regularly.

[LollyDolly]

Hello,

He's not had a dustbath since I noticed his eye, it doesn't look much better today but I've bathed it (whilst he shook the whole time!!) and if it's the same tomorrow then I'm going to take him to the vets. Since the bathing it has opened slightly.

In himself he seems fine, he is his normal, overly-active self.

I will keep you all updated!

[GrayRodent]

You may want to take a cotton swab and put some warm (not hot) water on it and see if you can open the eye by very gently pushing on the corners of the eyelids. It's pretty serious when the eye cannot open and this greatly heightens the risk of complications from infection because the eye cannot properly drain. I strongly recommend that you make and keep your appointment. At the very least consult your vet on the phone for advice.

Usually a chinchilla that has a runny or snotty eye that lasts for a day or two then completely clear in 48 hours. I know of other cases where chinchillas sometimes gets something in its eye like a piece of hay or wood and it needs to be located and removed. Antibiotic eye drops are the recommended treatment for this over eye-salve which is sometimes prescribed. Sometimes an object is found and sometimes is not. The irritation can cause your pet to scratch at its eye and prolong the healing process. Oral NSAIDs are sometimes prescribed although I'd advise against using those unless there is no improvement over the next 48 hours once the drops are administered.

Your veterinarian will have the equipment and knowledge to diagnose and treat this. Be sure to locate a vet that sees rabbits and rodents, preferably one that has experience with chinchillas.

I'm sorry you're having trouble with your chinchilla. Usually eye infections respond quickly to treatment and heal completely. Sometimes there can be permanent damage to the tear duct that results in a chronic watery eye condition which can make your pet more susceptible to subsequent infections. This is another reason to seek prompt treatment.