Blind Juvie?

[skunkangel]

I have one female grey squirrel with some bizarre behavior that I'm looking for feedback on. She's approximately 150 grams, fully furred 'teenager' at this point. Her eyes do not open all the way though. They're always kind of squinted. At the corners of the eye BOTH corners, she has more 'whites' than we would normally see on a grey squirrel. She gets around okay in the cage, finds food, but doesn't act 'normal'. She's very scared all of the time, and she isn't gaining weight as quickly as her litter mates. I believe that she is blind. She doesn't respond visually the way that she should, but I can't decide if she's mentally not there or if it just her eyes. Everything about her is just off. She's 'slow' about everything she does, except that when she wants to hide from us she knows how to be quick and doesn't want to be handled. This is a baby that should be VERY used to handling by now. Her litter mates are super-friendly. She loves formula, and eats well, but doesn't seem to eat nuts and veg well. Is it because she has trouble finding nuts with no vision, or is she just brain damaged in some way? I don't know. Here are photos of her eyes. I'm open to ideas.

(One photo taken with flash is a bad photo, but shows her eyes better IMO)

[cam]

When i first found my girl she was about 4 months old and completely blind, but it was easy for me to tell for a start as both eyes were a bluey white colour and she didn't respond to movement at all, i would sit with her for a little while not talking but moving and she would almost be relaxed, and if i spoke she would jump as if she didn't know i was there

i wouldn't worry too much about her finding the food, they have good enough noses and should be ok, but saying that my girl will walk past a nut and not notice it is there until she actually kicks it or comes nose to nut

The most obvious way i can think of to test if your girl is actually blind is to put her on the floor and see is she walks around things or into them, i'd have thought that even if she was slow she wouldn't go bumping into things whereas if she is blind she will, it took my girl several weeks before she knew the layout of our front room and didnt bump into things quite so much!

[patjones]

If you search the forums there is some information on blind squirrels I have read several threads where they do well and it is I guess more common than we think. If you need some answers make a post in the non life threatening forum that is where the pro's will find you.
Good luck with him I know they can adjust and be good pets

[Kelly Brady]

Hi Skunkangel,

I usually test my incoming babies vision after they are familiar with the nipple and used to taking FV formula. I bring the nipple up from the side of the head. They see that thing lickity split if vision is not a problem I am not much help in the area of blindness.

I did have a squirrel that just seemed off in many ways as far as mentally. I truly beleive she was slow and had some type of developmental delay. She would "jump to nowhere" I called it and everything she did took longer than most babies. I kept her for a lot longer than others and my husband and I worked with her to practice jumping and accuracy etc. Eventually she caught up with her age and was released. She has been outdoors now for close to two years. She has her own thread here on successful stories. Her name is Paco. She is very special to me and still hangs around post release.
Wish I had some facts on the blindness for you, but as Pat Jones said this is the place to read up and get info.
Good luck:wave123