Blind rat?

[Melissa's ZOO]

So I am almost positive that Lilly is going blind. I can see what looks to be a catarc developing in her left eye and possibly one in her right. She is 19 months old give or take a month.

She is sleeping a lot more and when she is out for free range she just goes to her favorite shoe box to groom and sleep. This is depressing to write. :cry:

I was going to rearrange their cage but I guess I better not do that since she knows where ever thing is now?

Oh and poor Clover has tumor so she will be going in very soon for surgery. Just when I think they are tumor free and doing well another one rears its ugly head. Clover is about 18 months give or take. :evil:

 

[Godmother]

I don't think that blindness alone would cause her to become less active. Rats have bad eyesight to start with and can manage well if they go blind, from what i have been told.

So I guess your little Lilly needs a trip to the vet, too. Is she eating OK? Maybe watch to see if she can eat solid food OK and whether she can hold things in her front paws.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

She still eats and can hold things with her paws. She is congested and sneezy right now so she is on Baytril and Benadryl when I can actually get her to take it. No porphrin.

Why is it when they aren't sick they will kill for the medicine laced peanut butter, but when they are sick and the ones that need to eat it they refuse. Lilly is driving me nuts I have to practically force her to take her meds by being patient and sitting with her for 20 minutes till she decides to eat it or shoving in her mouth with a syringe, which I hate doing.

I am taking Clover in to see about getting her tumor removed so Lilly will be going with her to get her eyes looked at and see if there is anything else I need to be doing for her stuffiness.

 

[jorats]

My mom had a rat that was born with no eyes and he could get around better than the others. lol So no worries about changing the cage, she'll adapt.

 

[mamarat2]

Luke is blind and he went from living in a martins cage by himself to living in a 695 with 4 other rats. The old cage he lived in didn't have as many levels but he has learned the cage and navigates it well.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Good, because I really wanted to change things around for them so it would be new and exciting. Plus the FN needs to be hauled outside for a good hose down.

Lilly seems to be adjusting just fine. I see her sniffing everything and being more cautious when she is moving about the cage and during her out time. It's me I am really worried about :wink: It is really cute the way she looks around for me when I call her name, she will perk her head up look around for a minute and then come walking over to me like "oh there you are" I love her she was my first rat and the reason I got the blue Lilly tattoo, she is my blue hooded Lilly.

Thanks for the upbeat thoughts.

 

[Godmother]

Virtual kisses and banana mash for Lilly and for Clover, too.

 

[user 78]

My Penn has always had bad vision, lots of swaying when she was a baby. She's managed great all this time [coming up on 2yrs], no matter how much I changed. I even decided [briefly] to hang their food up to make them work for it. She was the first one to figure it out.

I notice she moves a bit more slowly when I first change things, and she'll walk a circuit through the cage a few dozen times before she feels comfy with where everything is. She does great, though.

 

[mamarat]

I did notice with Boo, he would walk a certain distance, trace back then walk a little further until he got to his destination. He was one of my most adventurous rats.

 

[LA]

Ruby isn't blind but she's PEW and she is more daring then them all (well except for Olivia who is spider rat).