Need advice on cut eye

[Pepper_rat]

We recently adopted two new girls a new are slowly working on integrating them into our old group. It’s been going well and they seemed to be making progress when there was a fight today. It wasn’t bad and I ended it quickly but Blossom got a scratch on her lower eyelid. I’ll attach pictures but it’s pretty much a tear in the bottom of her eyelid. I flushed it gently but haven’t done anything else as im afraid to put anything in her eye. Is there anything I can do to make sure it doesn’t get infected? We lost her sister a year ago to an advanced infection that started from a scratch in the eye so this makes me nervous. Im going to schedule a vet appointment tomorrow but I don’t know when they’ll have time (most vets in my area are booking out two weeks). Ive changed out the hammocks for clean ones and changed the liter to hopefully decrease the chance of infection but I don’t know how else to help. Any advice on how I can help to avoid infection and keep her comfortable as it heals? Thank you!

 

[lilspaz68]

That's superficial so should heal ok. Her eyelids may heal a bit funny but this should heal fast

 

[lilspaz68]

This was Lottie's eyelid day of her injury

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rn6n6aclkc7by65/lottieeye2apr27.jpg?dl=0
And a day later
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jadgkcm7x13usig/lottieeye2nddayapr28.jpg?dl=0

 

[lilspaz68]

I used eye drops on the first day and just flushed over the eye and then left it

 

[Pepper_rat]

Today she is keeping her eye closed and it looks a little swollen but she’s eating and seems ok.

 

[Pepper_rat]

Here’s what she looks like this morning

 

[Pepper_rat]

She loved some treats and she let me dab her eye gently with a wet paper towel. It doesn’t seem to be painful but she’s keeping it closed

 

[lilspaz68]

Ok so is it possible that she got a scratch over the cornea as well? If so it may or may not be a puncture where the fluid will drain from the eyeball and it will shrink up.
You could give her Metacam or infant liquid ibuprofen for pain/swelling right now.

 

[Pepper_rat]

it’s definitely swollen. Ok what’s the dosage? She weighs around 370 grams

 

[Pepper_rat]

Side question: do you think this was caused by teeth or claws? The offending rat does have very long claws but if she’s biting then trimming them won’t help to avoid injury in the future.

 

[Pepper_rat]

I’m going out now to get some infant ibuprophen. I tried to get an appointment for the vets but the one I usually go to is booked. I’m going to try a couple more as I’m super worried about infection. I just put a warm wet compress on her eye for a couple of minutes while she ate and she didn’t seem to mind. She does seem to be uncomfortable though

 

[Pepper_rat]

It’s still swollen but she is eating and running around the cage so doesn’t seem too effected. She keeps grooming and sometimes shakes her head so I think it’s uncomfortable. I put some vetericyn on it which is a mild anti microbial which said it was ok to be used in the eye. She seems to be opening it a little more now but still squinty.

 

[lilspaz68]

I'm sorry I'm out of town so didn't get your questions.
At 370 g she would get 0.19 ml of INFANT/PEDIATRIC ibuprofen. If it's Children's you double the dose to 0.38 ml every 4-6 hours.

 

[Pepper_rat]

She is looking so much better! The swelling looks like it went down and she’s starting to open it. I have been giving her children’s ibuprophen and she loves the berry flavor (which I hated as a child). I’m so relieved that she’s doing better. Thank as always, lilspaz. I’ll be scheduling a vet appointment for this week just to make sure she’s ok and the eye isn’t damaged.

 

[Pepper_rat]

She is looking so much better! The swelling looks like it went down and she’s starting to open it. I have been giving her children’s ibuprophen and she loves the berry flavor (which I hated as a child). I’m so relieved that she’s doing better. Thank as always, lilspaz. I’ll be scheduling a vet appointment for this week just to make sure she’s ok and the eye isn’t damaged.

 

[lilspaz68]

Once the swelling is down, stop giving the ibuprofen and give her time to heal.

 

[Pepper_rat]

Thank you! She’s doing much better! The swelling is down and her face looks normal except for the cut. She’s tired in this picture that’s why her eye is still mostly closed but she’s coming out for free roam and has her eyes fully open. There doesn’t seem to be any damage to the eye (thankfully)