crumbilina
Well-Known Member
I recently went to the vet with one of my ratties. She ended up having a URI and she was put on antibiotics. At that time I expressed concern about her eye. It seemed to have quite a bit of porphyrin discharge, and she seemed to be squinting quite a bit. The vet said that the ab would take care of any infection.
She has been on ab now since Monday. Right now, her eye looks a bit swollen/puffy (not the eye itself but the surrounding lids), she is squinting and there is more porphyrin discharge. In the mornings it seems to be fine, no redness, puffiness or porphyrin and she doesn't squint. In the evenings it is the opposite. (To clarify, the eye does not protrude, it is the lids that are puffy)
When I spoke with the vet about this, he said that it is unlikely that an agent would be causing this and we both came to the conclusion that there might just be something irritating the eye. Problem is, I don't know what. She has not had a bedding change in a number of months, she is on fleece (that is cleaned every other day) and all her hammocks are fleece. I have used no cleaning products on her cage in quite some time now and have always used the same clothes washing detergent (she is almost 2 years old and has never reacted to it). There are no perfumes in my room (where they live) because I can't have them either without reacting, and they have a HEPA filter right beside their cages which is on the majority of the time.
I'm not sure what could be irritating the eye or how I can help her. I want to eliminate the irritant, but I cant unless I find it so I am hoping to get some advice from people who may have had rats with eye irritants. Also if there is an eye drop or something that I can put on the eye when it is irritated to prevent her rubbing it too much.
I wanted to post some pictures, but you try keeping her still! Haha it was next to impossible. I will try again in the morning when she is settling down to sleep.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
She has been on ab now since Monday. Right now, her eye looks a bit swollen/puffy (not the eye itself but the surrounding lids), she is squinting and there is more porphyrin discharge. In the mornings it seems to be fine, no redness, puffiness or porphyrin and she doesn't squint. In the evenings it is the opposite. (To clarify, the eye does not protrude, it is the lids that are puffy)
When I spoke with the vet about this, he said that it is unlikely that an agent would be causing this and we both came to the conclusion that there might just be something irritating the eye. Problem is, I don't know what. She has not had a bedding change in a number of months, she is on fleece (that is cleaned every other day) and all her hammocks are fleece. I have used no cleaning products on her cage in quite some time now and have always used the same clothes washing detergent (she is almost 2 years old and has never reacted to it). There are no perfumes in my room (where they live) because I can't have them either without reacting, and they have a HEPA filter right beside their cages which is on the majority of the time.
I'm not sure what could be irritating the eye or how I can help her. I want to eliminate the irritant, but I cant unless I find it so I am hoping to get some advice from people who may have had rats with eye irritants. Also if there is an eye drop or something that I can put on the eye when it is irritated to prevent her rubbing it too much.
I wanted to post some pictures, but you try keeping her still! Haha it was next to impossible. I will try again in the morning when she is settling down to sleep.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
