Sign of Malo?

[Chubi32]

Alright so this all started in March when Claudia was diagnosed with an eye infection and gave birth to her adorable baby girl Rascal. The eye infection did not clear up with 2 different medications. While trying to use the 3rd method my husband and I took the chins to Ohio for a visit to the family and I unknowingly closed the lid on Claudias poor little paw After this I stopped giving Claudia her eye medicine because I was terrified I would hurt her more. Immediately upon returning to New Jersey we took Claudia to the vet where she was given a pain killer and an antibiotic for a month. The foot has healed completely but we still have this eye infection so when I went back to the vet for a check on the foot I told her about it and she said that if it were an infection it should have cleared up while on the antibiotic, since it hasn't she thought it was a too small tear duct and the tear duct kept getting re-infected because it couldn't get enough water out or something like that? I guess it's a fairly common problem in rabbits. So she said to give her an eye drop every night to flush it out, so every night I gave her an eye drop until she ran out a day or two ago. Now this morning though I wake up and she has an infection in both eyes.. I have no idea what to do. It is white goop in the corner of both eyes, could this be a sign of malo? She has been losing a little bit of weight but I think that's because Rascal has become territorial of the food dish. I happened to be watching them last night after I fed them and saw Rascal squeal at Claudia 2 or 3 times while she was trying to eat out of the food dish so I put a second one in there.

Sorry for such a long post but does anyone have any idea of what I should do? I'm at a total loss and all these medicines don't seem to be helping, thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[ticklechin]

Have the vet take a series of head x-rays, you need to rule out the tear ducts are blocked with tooth roots. If that is the case, you treat the infection as needed and watch for quality of life. Elongation of the tooth roots has no cure, you just do supportive care. Also, has the vet RXed a oral antibiotic? If not, get one such as tri-meth-sulfa, and use in conjuction with the eye drops for at least 14 days.

 

[Stackie]

Has she been pawing at the mouth, drooling, acting like it's painful to eat?

Sometimes one medication is not enough to clear up an eye infection and something else must be used. I had an eye infection that did not clear up with 2 medications, then finally did with the third. Some may also require an oral antibiotic in conjunction with the eye medicine. The medication that finally worked for us was terramycin gel.

 

[Chubi32]

The third medicine that I stopped early was an oral antibiotic, with all 3 types of medicines the infection would stop but then come back after I stopped the medicine. She has not been pawing, drooling, or acting like it is painful to eat. She eats her nightly cheerio happily and was excited to eat last night when I fed them. Should I tell the vet that I want Xrays for sure or should I try more medication first?

 

[ticklechin]

The last chin I dealt with a nasty eye infection he was on TMS oral and neo-poly-dex occular for 20 days before it went entirely away. You may have stopped the oral too soon.

 

[Chubi32]

Okay.. so should I just get more medication first or push for the Xrays?

 

[ticklechin]

A x-ray will for sure tell you what you are dealing with, I would do the occular and oral antibiotics for at least 14 days also. Vets seem to have issues with doing x-rays so don't be suprised if they resist.

 

[alli713]

If it were me personally, I'd have x-rays done just to be safe. I had a girl with malo, and I'm glad I insisted upon getting x-rays as the original vet wasn't going to do them. She said that she had some upset stomach issue which was why she was drooling :banghead:

So anyways, I insisted upon x-rays with a different vet and then saw the malo.

Of course yours is different, with the eye infection, but I would do x-rays just to be safe. If nothing else, ask if you can have a copy or take a picture of the x-ray while at the vets and re-post it here for experienced members to take a look at and see if they see anything.

 

[Sandi]

I agree with Allison. It took me a few visits plus 3 different vets, at the same clinic, to finally get xrays on my boy. The first 2 vets insisted that it wasn't necessary and after he still wasn't getting any better, I finally got the xrays done and am now working with the senior vet at the clinic. My boy does have malo and I'm not saying yours does, I would just insist on the xrays to rule anything other than just the constant eye infection.

 

[mishellyshel]

When I watched her I gave her the trimeth for her foot for the entire 10 days. She eats just fine. Maybe another round of antibiotics in conjunction with the eye drops wuld help.
I am not sure Dr goode does xrays on sat but she is tbere all day today. They do digital xrays & u will c
U will see the results right away.

Would an xray show a blocked tear duct? Or only if it was blocked by root overgrowth?k

 

[Chubi32]

We just got home from the vet- Claudia was prescribed another round of antibiotics and if that does not work she agrees that we should take Xrays. I don't have the prescription yet but I will let you guys know what it is when we get it (she has to call it in) it's some kind of drop though. But yeah I would like to know if an Xray would show a blocked tear duct as well if anyone knows anything about that?

 

[ticklechin]

When chinchilla teeth elongate, the root can block the drain to the tear duct, this does not allow the tears to drain and can be a constant source of infection, the only treatment it supportive care-long term use of antibiotics as needed and a evaluation of quality of life as the chin ages. There is no cure or good long term outcome, this is why its good to know early so heroic measures won't be perfomed to prolong life.


More than likely its not this but it will be good for you to know.

 

[Olallie]

My boy has exactly the same thing as your girl, some white goopy stuff in the corners of his eyes that make his fur all wet. Please let me know if your eye drops work.

I think he has some root elongation, and im not sure what to do about it. But i'd like his eyes to stop tearing up.

you can see his x-rays in my thread titled "this is upsetting... teeth issues??"

 

[Chubi32]

Olallie I will let you know if the eye drops work when I get them, I'm sorry your boy is going through that too. I read your thread and looked at your Xrays, thanks for showing me! Hopefully it's just a nasty eye infection though