Eye Goop

[Halo]

I noticed tonight that Wally may have pink eye or something similar. She had what looked like a white eye boogie (white like her dust) on the inside corner of one eye. Her fur isn't wet or crusty around her eye but it does look SLIGHTLY swollen just in the corner.

I doubt it was dust in her eye because it's been a few days since her last bath. She doesn't seem too bothered by it but is blinking that eye a little more.

It's the weekend and of course I probably won't get an appointment for her until Monday. Naturally as a first timer I'm a little worried. Is there anything I can do here at home in the meantime for her? I wiped out the little white boogie with little fuss from her and she's bouncing about totally normally.

I'm not going to use it on her but I DO have human pink eye drops (tobramycin and dexamethasone ophthalmic suspension) and thought for a moment "wouldn't it be great if..."

Thanks in advance. You guys are pretty wonderful.

 

[Laurie]

I don't think there is much more you can do for her other than wiping it out. She could have just gotten something in it to cause the irritation. I would wait and see if anyone else posts about the pink eye medicine as I don't know if chins get pink eye.

 

[ticklechin]

I self treat most things but eye infections I leave to a vet to diagnose, the chin needs to have a eye exam to determine if its a injury that lead to a infection or just a infection-the type of antibiotic used is different for each situation and the wrong one used can be detrimental. (Chins can get pink eye).

 

[Halo]

She has an appointment for today at 11:30. I'm a little nervous here. Thankfully our vet is sweet but this will be Wally's first time there. Rahh!

 

[Halo]

Wally is home and sleeping happily. It's just an eye infection and the doctor gave us some stuff to put in her eye. She was a little trooper and the doctor said she's the sweetest chinchilla EVER. He checked her all over and even pulled those nasty mats in her fur for me with zero protest from her.

Yay!

 

[ticklechin]

Good news!

 

[Halo]

Grr! It's been a couple days and her eye is looking worse to me. Is it typical to look yuckier before it gets better? It's now pinker and she dislikes opening it so will just sit there like popeye.

Her doctor prescribed Vetrapolycin and said to just put it on the ledge of her eye so she can blink it in. Are we doing this right? I'm concerned since it doesn't seem to be getting any better.

 

[Chinmama]

You may need to get drops for her eye. The ointment is hard to get into the eye and not all around the eye.

You may also want to have the vet do an eye stain to make sure she does not have a torn or ulcerated cornea. When your eye itches, you rub it...and she may have been scratching at it and nicked it with a nail.

 

[ticklechin]

Sometimes you need a oral antibiotic along with the drop or gel. Eye infections can be a bear to get rid of in some cases.