Eye injury i think

Jonocarroll · Jun 6, 2021

Hi all I'm fairly new to owning rats this one of my rats called dumbo this morning I noticed his eye was different just wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what it could be he seems fine in himself and I have him in at the vets tomorrow any help would be appreciated thanks

lilspaz68 · Jun 7, 2021

That definitely is an eye injury. The vet should determine if it's just a corneal scratch or if the eyeball was punctured, there's an abscess or tumour behind the eye. Hopefully they give you pain relief as well as drops.

Jonocarroll · Jun 7, 2021

This is his eye now at the vets in an hour now hopefully its antibiotics and drops

lilspaz68 · Jun 7, 2021

that looks like a puncture as it seems to have changed shape/deflated?

Two options now, antibiotics and drops and metacam to keep swelling/discomfort down, or an enucleation (surgical removal of eye) which IMO is only necessary when the eye is an infected mess or is bulging out of the head causing a lot of pain and the rat is unable to close its eye fully

Jonocarroll · Jun 7, 2021

lilspaz68 said:
that looks like a puncture as it seems to have changed shape/deflated?

Two options now, antibiotics and drops and metacam to keep swelling/discomfort down, or an enucleation (surgical removal of eye) which IMO is only necessary when the eye is an infected mess or is bulging out of the head causing a lot of pain and the rat is unable to close its eye fully

We have been to the vets and his eye is completely dead they think there may have been a glycoma that has burst and caused it so the eye is being removed in the morning

lilspaz68 · Jun 8, 2021

Smart. Rats do very well after an eye is removed. Just go slow initially and make sure they know you are on their blind side with vibration on the floor or a gentle touch if they aren't jumpy.