Fungus or Eye Infection?

[Raevin]

Hi there, this is my first time posting. I am posting regarding my female pink white chinchilla. She is 5 months old. I am wanting to know if this looks more like fungus around her eye or an eye infection. I will be calling the vet tomorrow either way but if it is fungus, I'd like to pick up some stuff for her and start her treatment tonight if possible. I just noticed this on her eye a couple days ago. These pictures were taken right then, her eye looks a little better now but it's small as if it's swollen shut some. I can get more pictures if needed. There is nothing else wrong with her at all, just around her right eye, nowhere else. She is eating, drinking and pooing just fine. She isn't scratching at her eye at all and it doesn't really seem to be bothering her at all.

 

[tunes]

The pictures are kind of blurry so it's hard to say, but that first picture looks really red, more red than I've ever seen fungus. That could just be the picture though, as the second one isn't as bad. Is it flakey looking - like dry skin? Are there any other spots on her body? Around her genitalia? On her tail?

It's very possible that it's fungus, but your vet can confirm it with a special light and a scraping. I wouldn't do anything to treat it until tomorrow because most topicals are going to cause it to discolor and it will be harder for him to diagnose exactly what it is, plus, it can make the scraping inaccurate.

 

[alli713]

I agree that it's hard to see what's going on in the pics. Is the area around the eye moist? As in, is her eye all weepy?
And I also agree with Peggy, I wouldn't put anything on it tonight or else it could discolor the area making it hard for the vet to see what's going on.

 

[Raevin]

I'm heading out to do a few errands will quick, when I get home I'll try and take better pictures of her and look at it closer. It didn't really look like it was too wet or dry and scaley but I'll look at it closer and see. It is just around the one eye, nowhere else on her body, but will also check that again too to make sure. I checked my other two chinchillas yesterday for any signs of the same thing but they have nothing.

 

[Sasha]

Loki had fungus and an eye infection that looked very similar. They eye was infected, proven by dye in the eye and a prominant ulcer, and the fur was gone from him scratching at it- either because of the fungus or the eye irritation. They will scratch at the eye if it's bothering them.
I would get the vet to check the eye for scratches and ulcers and a scraping to check for fungus.

 

[Raevin]

More pics

Okay here are some pics I took tonight, hopefully they aren't as blurry. While giving her a good look over, the only other thing I see is there is a little spot on her nose on the same side that appears to be missing a bit of fur. I watched her almost all day long yesterday and did not see her scratch at her eye once. Her tail and the rest of her body is just fine other than around her right eye is still missing fur and that little spot next to her nose. The eye and area around it aren't scaly/flaky or wet. She didn't seem to mind me touching either. (yes I washed my hand thoroughly). It isn't really red but it is pink as it's the skin and no fur really around her eye. I looked at her eye up close and didn't see anything wrong with it, she's still blinking and everything just fine, still eating, drinking peeing and pooping just fine as well. Nothing wrong with either of the other chinchillas either. I feel so bad for this poor girl, I just got her in May, last month she had a urinary infection of some sort, Baytril cleared it right up and now she has something else wrong with her. My first chinchilla that I got 2 years ago never gave me any problems at all (Brown Velvet Female) and the little Ebony Male that I got at the same time as the PW hasn't had any problems either. Hopefully after this, the poor girl won't have any more problems and neither will the other two. I sure hope not anyhow, it really is heartbreaking.

 

[Laurie]

Definitely agree with vet visit for scraping. I do remember when this happened to Sasha's Loki and it looks similiar.

 

[saphire]

I agree with Laurie for a vet check for fungus, Until then I would put her in a different room and wait for the results, do a search for a post on fungus . I beleive that will help you.

 

[Spoof]

Looks like fungus to me. You can use Tinactin in the dust or sulfur works too.

You can also take her to the vet and get the scrape done.

 

[tunes]

Yep - looks like fungus. I would try and treat it with Tinactin and Blu-Kote. Use a Q-tip and have someone help you apply the Blu-Kote around the eye so it doesn't get in the eye. It won't hurt her, but it will sting. Usually as soon as you come at them, they shut their eye right down and you can daub it all around the eye.

Remember, it's called BLU-Kote for a reason. She will have a lovely purple eye. You also don't want to get it on your floors, your clothes, your furniture, etc. It does stain and it is a BEAR to get out, if you even can. It does a great job at treating fungus though. It's also not a one time thing, you have to apply it every day for 5 days for it to be fully effective.

Fungus is contagious to you and your other pets as well. It's ringworm. Wash your hands after handling and if you touch her to your clothes, change them. You'll need to boil and bake, or boil and set out in the sun, any wood products in her cage. The sun is the best thing to kill the fungus. You also need to wash all of the hammocks and bedding in hot water.

 

[hkkjstwcl]

My heart with her. Please get well.

:cry3PPPPPOOOORRR thing... I hope that she feels better very soon...

 

[hkkjstwcl]

How can I prevent my chins to get virus? Any MUST-DO to prevent?

 

[Raevin]

So it was fungus, I got the Blu Kote and some foot fungal powder (didn't find Tinactin powder at the store I went to but they had another brand with the same exact ingredient in it Tinactin uses). Gave her the dust bath and put Blu Kote on her. After putting her back in her cage she started wiping at her face now I'm paranoid she got some in her eye. I don't think she did but as much as she was wiping at her face, she could have. Is there any way I would know for sure if she did or not? She seemed to have her eyes closed when she was wiping her face so I'm sure she had it closed nice and tight but I just don't know and I'm freaking out. She seems to be able to see out of it and it's open. She only wiped for a few seconds then went about jumping around and then came back down to get her rose hips (figured she deserved a treat after everything). Of course I also wiped down her entire cage with Clorox and let it sit in the sun for a few hours, I also boiled all her wooden things and water bottle and food bowl, I sat all of the wooden stuff outside with the cage to get some UV rays to kill all that nasty fungus. Everything seems fine now except the side of her face is purple (lol) and I'm just worried it got in her eye Anyone know of a way I can be sure if she did or not and what I should do?

 

[tunes]

It may have gotten a little in her eye, but if it did, most likely it's just an irritating feeling. She should be fine. Just make sure that when you apply it you don't have it dripping on the Q-tip or whatever you use, so you can be careful where you direct it.

Pretty blue color, isn't it?

 

[Raevin]

Oh ya she's a real lovely purpley color now, reminds me of the colored easter bunnies you see on TV commercials at easter time lol looks a little funny too, almost as if it would be more humane to just put it all over her to make her coat a real nice shade of purple instead of just the one side of her face lol (of course I'd never do that). Ya her eye seems fine, I just can't quite tell, since she is a PW her eyes are pink but the one doesn't look as pink as it should so I'm freaking out. I didn't have the Q tip soaking wet, but wet enough to get it on her (a couple times the Qtip was too dry and didn't get onto her at all lol) So hopefully she is fine...hmmm since it stains everything, if it did touch her eye, would her eye be permanently stained purple? that could be interesting...poor girl lol

 

[Stackie]

Just don't get any on your white/beige floor. I did that once...it wasn't pretty.

Hope she recovers soon without incident. Fungus can be a nasty thing to deal with. Thankfully none of my chins have ever gotten it..*knocks on lots of wood*

 

[alli713]

Glad you got it under control! Because she's a light color, she'll be purple for quite some time! MuShu (a mosaic) was purple from when I got her from Peggy and she stayed that way for months after I got her.

And for in the future, blu-kote is great to have on hand anyways in case your chin gets any minor cuts or scrapes.

 

[arf2184]

The eye itself won't be stained, just irritated for a while. The fur and skin will be stained until the fur naturally sheds out. Einstein (one of my whites) had fungus on his tail over a year ago...his tail is still BRIGHT purple to this day. Fortunately, it won't last that long on the face as facial fur naturally sheds out faster than the fur on the tail.

 

[Raevin]

Oh wow, poor guy with a purple tail! Ah well, she's pretty, even with half her face purple haha thanks guys for all the help, much appreciated made me feel quite welcome *hugs*

 

[Laurie]

Just note purple is the color of royalty! She'll be lording it over you!! Glad she's doing okay!