Twitching eyes

[squirrelfriend]

I am taking care of Chippy for a friend of mine because he is having wobbly issues. I have noticed that his eyes twich constantly upwards. He has had a head injury before he was captured. His top two teeth are broken. I think the teeth will grow back. My question is to what causes the eye to rapidly twitch upwards? I had an ear infection once that caused my eyes to twitch to one side. The doctor said the twitching will always be in the direction of the infection. For example my right ear was infected and wy eyes twitched to the right. I checked this guys eats with a qtip. No goo. Just the normal amount of dirt.

Could his eyes twitch because of a concussion?

If so what could I do to help him?

I don't have a vet to take him to.

He is very well loved by his owners and has a sweet dispossition. All advice is welcome. Here is the link to his other thread.

http://www.thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34877

[pappy1264]

I have a NR grey who had a head injury. she has been left with neuro issues from it, one of which is rapid eye twitching. It is worse when she is stressed, and when it happens she falls over more. In the initial hours, thre are meds you can try, but after a window is closed, there is not a lot that can be done, but supportive care. Make sure Chippy cannot hurt himself in his cage (so no high things to climb and I also suggest putting fleece hammocks in to break a fall if he climbs the side of the cage. What are you feeding him? A good diet is always important, but I think even more so in a challenged animal.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:goodpost
I have a NR grey who had a head injury. she has been left with neuro issues from it, one of which is rapid eye twitching. It is worse when she is stressed, and when it happens she falls over more. In the initial hours, thre are meds you can try, but after a window is closed, there is not a lot that can be done, but supportive care. Make sure Chippy cannot hurt himself in his cage (so no high things to climb and I also suggest putting fleece hammocks in to break a fall if he climbs the side of the cage. What are you feeding him? A good diet is always important, but I think even more so in a challenged animal.

[squirrelgirl6]

Wonder if the light he's under could be causing the twitching.
I went to the Petsmart to get the full spectrum light bulb, and the
man, who was helping me out said that the spiral bulb is not good for animal's
eyes,-it will cause the rapid twitching; he recommended to buy the long 18'
tube instead, which is a bit more expensive and requires specific light fixture to put it in. This man has certain experience, as he used to raise rats commercially.
Please call me.
Maria

[pappy1264]

Are you using the light for vit. D? You would do better (if possible) to give him natural sunlight for a while each day. those lights can be very irritating, and also can overheat and cause dehydration if not careful.

[squirrelfriend]

I have seen this in neuro cases before. My Grumbles has had this problem since I got him too. I have always used these lights and have never had it cause the eye twitching or any eye problems. In this case I noticed it before I even got him home. I wasn't certain until I looked at his eyes with a flashlight. I did however notice that it does get worse when he is stressed. While I was holding him I gradually let him lay in my lap on his own with no restraint and alot of petting. This seemed to calm the eyes a bit. I am certain that this is what is causing his wobbliness. It's hard to keep your balance when your eyes are twitching back and forth. I've been through it. I know.

Does anybody know if concussions can cause this?

Someone asked earlier about his diet. He is getting a good diet with a wide variety of fruits and veggies and a few nuts. His front top teeth are broken so I have kept it as soft as possible. I think those are going to grow back.

[squirrelfriend]

He is in an airconditioned room so he won't overheat. Taking outside is difficult due to nosey neighbors and paranoid inlaws(that I live with).

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

ANY Brain Trauma can cause all kinds of things to twitch , most likely a side effect.
Is it a resent development or has he always done this??
How long have you had him??
He may be stressed which can increase an infliction. as Pappy said.
do you have other critters in your room they may be upsetting him??
well padded smallish cage so he can't hurt himself a definite must.

[squirrelfriend]

I returned him to his owners since they had raised him from a baby. I figured he would be more relaxed with them. He was terrified of me. I don't know when the twitching started. He had been wobbly for quite a while before I got him though.

[island rehabber]

SF, I believe what you're seeing is nystagmus:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nystagmus

I have seen several neuro squirrels with it, and one of my rescue cats has it because she was born with severe FHV (feline herpes virus) in her eyes, and has limited vision as well. Not much can be done for this, unfortunately. :(

[squirrelfriend]

Yes, IR that is exactly what I am seeing. Grumbles's twitching goes side to side while chippy's goes up and down. Thanks for that info. Now I have a name to that condition.