Cataract?

Nickelrat · Oct 6, 2007

A few days ago I noticed something strange on Wendy's eye and it looks like a cataract. She's almost 19 months old and it seems strange she would develop one at this young age. Or is this normal? :think: I've been giving her a combo of Baytril and Zithro for 3 weeks now because she's got super loud nasal sounds. But she's very active and eats very well. So I know it's not bacterial because she's on two antibiotics already.

Here's the eye:

Here's Wendy:

Even with her eye cloudy, this does not stop her at all. She is super hyper, like her sister Holly. They're both so very playful and full of life.

Wendy's sister, Holly...just showing Holly off. :heythere:

papercrow · Oct 6, 2007

She certainly does look happy even with that nasty looking eye. It looks like a cateract but I really have no idea. In the top down picture it also looks like the cateract eye is bulging more than the other. Is that the case?

mamarat2 · Oct 6, 2007

It looks, to me, like a luxation of the lens in the eye. Luke has this in both eyes and is blind. One of my other boys Ghost had one in one of his eyes, did fine with it. I beleive the lens is literally detached inside. Sounds and looks unpleasant but from what I have seen it is not a painful thing.

jorats · Oct 6, 2007

Could that make it bulge?

If I remember correctly though... I think Wendy always had a bulging eye, one bigger than the other.

mamarat2 · Oct 6, 2007

No I don't think it would make it bulge. Lukes' eyes are not bulging. Ghost that had one eye like that, had a bulging eye (that same one with the lens issue) but he always had one eye bigger than the other.

Nickelrat · Oct 6, 2007

Thanks everyone.I think her cloudy eye is a tad bigger than the other eye. But I seem to recall she always had an eye bigger than the other. I'll need to go check my old photos of Wendy to see.
:thanks:

Moon · Oct 6, 2007

It looks like more than a cataract to me. But I've never dealt with any eye issues in my rats so I really don't know :?

At least she's happy and spunky.

wonderrodent · Oct 9, 2007

Could this be a glaucoma? Chailyn has cataract in one eye but her white spot looks more like behind the eye. Glaucoma is caused by too much pressure or the eye (enlarged eye) and can cause a bulged eye. However, Chailyn has an enlarged eye too (long before she got the cataract) but it's not glaucoma.
Does your rat blink a lot? Any other symptoms like watery eye?
Is the eye bright red because of she has ruby eyes or is it red because of blood inside the eye? It could also have been an injury to the eye. Do you now if she has high blood pressure?

Sorraia · Oct 10, 2007

From what I can see in the picture, it looks like the eye may have received some kind of injury, or another disorder (I see glaucoma was suggested). It doesn't really look too much like a cataract, which as already mentioned looks more like it is behind the eye than on top. I had a rat once with cataracts in both eyes (only obvious on one eye). It looked like a "shadow" behind his eye. If you are familiar with eye structure, it looked as if you could see through is eyes (he was a Siamese, so had pink unpigmented eyes) and the "shadow" was on the retina.

Nickelrat · Oct 10, 2007

Hmmm...never thought of glaucoma. I never see Wendy blink and her eye is not watery. It's really hard to tell if it is blood or just her ruby colour around the eye. She doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all. I'm starting to wonder now maybe she got injured. There's been a bit of fighting in my cage lately. My neutered boys all want to be Alpha.:boxing: Maybe Wendy got in the middle at one time? But I'll still keep a close watch on her. Thanks for your suggestions, Wonderrodent and Sorraia.

wonderrodent · Oct 10, 2007

I agree with Sorraia. It doesn't look like cataract. I can only see my girl's cataract when the light hits it just right. If it was cataract there is nothing you can do about it. I don't think that you can do much about a glaucoma in rats either. However, if it's an injury the vet could probably help her. I would have her checked out by a vet

lilspaz68 · Oct 10, 2007

Cataracts always look like silver discs in the eyes, that does look like more than cataracts. I wonder if she had a pre-existing eye defect and its just showing up now? I thought her eye was bulging as well in that pic. Let us know when you see the younger Wendy pics if she was always like that?

For anyone curious, these are small developing cataracts on my old girl Lucky.

Nickelrat · Oct 10, 2007

Here's a pic of Wendy a few months ago:

jorats · Oct 10, 2007

In the pic, it doesn't look like it's bulging, maybe a bit bigger than the other but not like in the first pic, although the angle is not the same either.

Nic, take a pic of Wendy when you have a chance, not so close up. Your camera pics up way too much detail.
When I look at my Vincent, he's got cataracts in both eyes, it looks like Wendy's in real life, not like in the pic.

Our vet is out of town till the end of October. Anyone got info on glaucoma in rats?

lilspaz68 · Oct 10, 2007

All I have is ratguide

http://ratguide.com/health/eyes/glaucoma.php

Nickelrat · Oct 13, 2007

Well, I took Wendy to the vet yesterday :ambulance: and it looks like it could be corneal injury, glaucoma or a mass. She's guessing more that it's an injury. Hopefully, with the cream, it will help heal Wendy's eye. Fingers crossed!! Now if only Wendy wouldn't wash off the cream as soon as I apply it to her eye. :wrong:

jorats · Oct 13, 2007

Wendy girl!! just can't stop her from moving and doing.

Sending her healing and calming vibes!!

mamarat · Oct 13, 2007

Wendy is such a sweetie, hope the drops heal her eye.

wonderrodent · Oct 13, 2007

Good luck with the drops!

Ratgirl@RatRitz · Oct 15, 2007

How's she doing?

Cataract?

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