Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[QTPie61282]

So my little chin Shorty (bred here) who will be a year old on Dec 24th.  Just started showing some weird signs.
Ill break it down for you as far as what Ive noticed.
Thursday night I noticed his right ear was down, and right eye was squinty.  I thought stroke since that usually will paralyze one side of the face.
But he was acting normal otherwise, not neurologic or anything, eating ok and swallowing ok.
Friday night, same thing.
This morning however, I noticed that the lower lid of the right eye was drooped a little but and the mucosa on the inside of the lid was swollen and red.  His right ear is still down and he is now shaking his head and rubbing that eye.

Still eating ok and drinking ok.  I gave him a little bit of Metacam for the pain and inflammation.
I called my vet today and they were booked so I have an apt for Tuesday since Monday we have labor day, no one is in the office.
But they said I could warm compress it.

What would you guys do?  Have you ever seen this before?

Ive had chin eye infections but just with discharge, not swollen conjunctiva.  And the terramycin usually took care of the others.  I'm scared to put anything in his eye before the exam.
I just dont want to wait til tuesday.  I dont want him to be in any discomfort.

I could use any suggestions you may have....Thanks everyone!

I took some pics of the eye and ear








In this one from a birds eye view you can see his ear is down


This one is the best to see all the problems.  The right ear is down, right eye is squinted and red, and there is also a sign of dried yellow discharge that came from his right nostral.

What do I do??

[Jo Ann]

   There are so many things this could be caused from, it's hard to say for sure.  The vet would have to run some tests after the exam.  Definately looks and sounds like an infection that is being spred from the eye to ear to nose ... sinus cavity, maybe. 
     
If you can not get your vet to see him until Tuesday ... if it were me, I would get some saline to flush the eye ... gently ... and flush the ear (gently tilt your chin's head towards the floor and use one of those nasal things you use on babies.  Fill it with warm saline and squirt it gently into the ear and allow it to drain into a towel as you do it) ... would not try the nose ... to dangerous.  I'm not a vet ... just a long time breeder, but that is what I would do.  Ointment on the nose to keep drainage from drying and pulling fur and skin with it.  I'm a firm believer in the solution to polution (infection) is dilution (saline/stirle water).

You may, if you are not squemish, might want to check out the articles in the Chinchilla Club On-Line Magazine under eye infection (by Amanda of Fuzzy Chins) and one I have on Infection of a nursing mom.  Just key in Jo Ann Luv 'N Chins under "serch".  Note: I would NOT suggest an iodine solution (that is discussed in my article) for your chin's eyes or ear.

Keep us posted!

   Jo Ann

[BrightEyed]

Since today is Tuesday- did you take you chin to see the vet? If so, what did they say?

[QTPie61282]

Hi, thanks for the suggestions Jo Ann.
I did take him to the vet yesterday.  Let me fill you in from the weekend first.
I had been warm compressing it, mainly to get the gunk off his fur because he would wake up with his eye crusted shut.  Then I put in some antibiotic drops that I have on hand, Gentocin Opthamlic.  I have been dosing him with some oral metacam once a day for the pain and inflammation.
I ran into work to grab some Sulfatrim oral Antibiotics on Monday so I could start that incase the infection was more than just in his eye.
It started to look better yesterday when I took him in.
The doctor said that it most likely is an infection.  She said his ear looked fine, and the nose just had a large plug in it from all the drainage.  There was a slight possibility of some facial nerve damage because he wouldnt show a response when she moved her finger near his eye, he didnt blink, but the other side he did.
But doesnt know what would have caused it.  He is too young for a tumor or anything like that.  So we are hoping its just a side effect from the infection.  She did stain the eye, and saw no ulcers or anything.

She agreed with what I was already doing and wants me to do the drops 3x a day, sulfatrim 2x a day and metacam 1x a day.  She also added Artificial tears 3-4x a day to prevent the eye from drying out bc of the antibiotics.

But so far so good.  He loves his oral meds!!!  Chews the syringe off when I give it to him.
Very good about the eye drops and everything too.  Its really looking better and there is no more drainage out of the nose.

Im hoping there is no long term nerve damage from anything though.  I have never seen this in a chin before.  Not the bloodiness anyway.
Ill keep you all posted.  Thanks for your help!

[Jo Ann]

   Remember ... an antibiotic is used to kill bacteria ... it does just that ... it kills all bacteria ... the good and the bad.   The good bacteria I am referring to is the one that is referred to as 'flora' (all good things have to have a nice name ... but it is still bacteria), the 'flora' keeps the digestive tract going.  You will need to give your chin some good bacteria, asodopolus, or live culture yogurt half way in-between the doses of the antibiotic.  It has to be at least 3 hours apart so that each can do it's job properly and not cancle each other out.   

   Jo Ann

[QTPie61282]

Oh I know, but thanks for the refresher ! :-)
I have been letting him have some of my yogurt.  And I have acidophilis in the fridge for him :-)
Im so lucky that he likes everything.  He just eats the meds right out of the syringe with no problems.

So far so good.  It looks better.  Speaking of which, I have to go put some more drops in.....

[Jo Ann]

   I thought you might already know, but I always like to mention things like that when covering a similar subject ... you never know who might need the same information, but be to shy to ask.   

Ane ... not everyone reads every post, but the person that does not know, may read this post and it could save their  chin's life.     We never know how or who we may reach with each post we make. 

   Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Sounds like you have good control of it.
Poor baby, I hope that will be the end of it.