New owner question-swollen eyes?

[a_tom_in_kyoto]

My girlf & I just got a chippie a few weeks ago from the pet store she was working at. Shop owner said he was half blind and in need of a good home so...

Thing is, apparently he's being really lethargic and sleepy-my gf, who has him right now so I can't say personally, says he only wakes when she wakes him, eats, then goes back to sleep, and that his eyes are swollen shut.

She'd learned about the importance of keeping him from hibernating from some Japanese chipmunk-owner boards-is that what's happening?

Here's the little guy in happier times:

[4skwerlz]

How old is your chippie? Was his behavior normal when you first got him? Any details will help. And :Welcome to the Squirrel Board!

[TexanSquirrel]

:Welcome
I hope someone can help you soon!

[a_tom_in_kyoto]

Cheers-well as a complete novice at this, I'm not sure what is normal, but yeah, if you mean running around from morning to night then sleeping, he was normal. The area around his right eye was always a little bigger than his left one, and that seemed to be increasing over the past week or so. We thought it was because, since he's a bit blind like I said, he would run into walls whenever we let him out.

Need anything else?

[4skwerlz]

What is his diet now? Do you know what his diet was in the pet shop? How old is he?

[a_tom_in_kyoto]

5 months old, used to eat sunflower seeds and cabbage. Now he's eating a store-bought mix of seeds and stuff, plus, at least when he was with me, bits of carrots, lettuce and yogurt. A few ants I think too.

The first pic is of him now, the second is before. Also he appears to have some film over his left eye, though the right appears to be getting better:

[a_tom_in_kyoto]

Girlfriend just called and said he's barely breathing or responsive. What the hell????

[squirrelfriend]

I don't have chippies but have eastern grey squirrels. I assume their diet is close to the same. try giving him some leafy greens. Not regular lettuce. It has no nutrients in it. try dandilion greens, kale, broccoli. Give him some nuts too. No peanuts. Try almonds, peacans, walnuts and filberts.

Does his eye look like it has any scratches around or on the eye itself? Look at the "Mr. Tilty" thread under the grey squirrel forum. My Mr. Tilty had a bad eye infection. He had mange when I got him and had apparently scratched his eye ball when scratching the itch. He ended up with a big cyst in the eye.

Do you have vets there in Kyoto where you can get some ointment for his eye? I used some on Tilty's to help keep the eye wet. The eye drying out can make it more uncomfrortable. It will help prevent further damage to the eye.

by the way. I have been to Kyoto. Very beautiful. I loved it and all its temples.

[squirrelfriend]

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3913&page=2

Here is the page on Tilty's thread that shows pictures of how his eye was. Doe your little guys eye look like this?

[squirrelfriend]

also for his eye, can you perhaps wet his eye with some drops of water and try to gently lift the eye lids one at a time and look under them to see if there is any dirt, wood shavings or what ever stuck under them? this could be a source of irritation. I don't know if you sel it there in Japan but Polysporin can also be used to lubricate the eye and also works to fight the infection a little.

how is he now?

[squirrelfriend]

It's ok Gamma, it was early when you posted it. perhaps you didn't have you morning coffee yet?:D

[Buddy'sMom]

Girlfriend just called and said he's barely breathing or responsive. What the hell????

???? Is chippie OK?? :thinking Were you able to find a vet for him? Your last post indicated something much more urgent than just an eye problem.

Let us know what's going on with him -- we have rehabbers who might be able to give you some suggestions of what to do. They will have lots of questions -- about diet, bedding, anything he might have been exposed to, etc., so anything you can tell us would be a help.

:grouphug :grouphug

[squirrelfriend]

can this thread be move to the life threatening forum? It sounds pretty urgent. perhaps he is lethargic if infection has set in?

[squirrelfriend]

Here is an idea, I see in the bad eye pic that he is sittingon your tatami mat. Has he been chewing on these? Are there chemical additives to tatami mats? Could he have also have gotten a sliver from them in his eye?

[Buddy'sMom]

I PMed a_tom yesterday and got this reply when I logged on this morning:


Thanks. Everything's okay now though as we took him to a vet, who diagnosed it as low blood sugar. I guess in our zeal to keep him from getting fat, we weren't feeding him enough!

I'll post that on the Emergency section as well so folks know not to worry.

Thanks again for your help.

So it sounds like the crisis is passed and chippie is ok. He said he will be back, so hopefully we will have more news and a new TSB member!

:Welcome a_tom, girlfriend and chippie!!

:grouphug

[a_tom_in_kyoto]

Hey guys,

Thanks heaps for all your support. My last notice turned out to be due to the fact that he had low blood sugar. Apparently in our zeal to keep him from getting fat we weren't feeding him enough! This has been taken care of and he's running around like before.

As for his eyes, he was half blind when we got him. He had a growth and bleeding on his right eye that had gotten really nasty this past week, so the gf & I took him to a local small animal doc she found. The vet diagnosed that he had glaucoma that he was scratching at, hence the bleeding. The vet cleaned and sutured his eye-we'll see if this fixes things as Tawa has been scratching at it still.

Anyway, when he's looking better I'll post some pics. Thanks again!:thankyou mjs

[Mars]

:grouphug

[a_tom_in_kyoto]

He's barely breathing again. I'm not there and the chippie's at the gf's apt. According to her, Tawa isn't responding to the medicine she was told to give him when this last occurred. The first vet gave us this and said his condition was due to low blood sugar.

She also says he's still bleeding from his eye, though we had that sutured yesterday.

Suggestions?

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

if you feel this is a low blood sugar problem again try Karo syrup dab some on your finger & rub in his mouth.
Can I ask what medication he was given to take?
If he has glacoma it is common to get absess on the eye, he will need a special eye cream to help disolve it.
They are very painful.
Can you get a bottle of Ensure (made for older people supplement to diet)
warm it slightly and see if he will drink any)
He probably has a lot of presure on his eye and dosent feel like eating, drinking may be an option.
Can you put him on a heating pad set on low with another blanket inbetween(without him chewing it)or a warm hot water bottle.

[a_tom_in_kyoto]

Well, he just died a few minutes ago. :shakehead :sad

Thanks for your ideas though.

[pamela lee]

I'm soooo sorry:sad for ya'lls loss. :grouphug Rest in Peace little Chippie :grouphug

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Oh I am so sorry, poor baby.:Love_Icon Tell you gf how sorry I am, he had a loving home in the end and he knew how much you cared. Bless your hearts for taking him in.:sad

[LynninIN]

I'm so sorry. :grouphug

[island rehabber]

I will respectfully move this thread to All Squirrels Go to Heaven.....RIP, little Tawa.

[Buddy'sMom]

Oh, no .... I'm so very sorry to read this today. Poor little Tawa. :Love_Icon

I know that you and GF are heartbroken -- these little guys snuggle right into your heart with lightening speed. I hope you can find comfort in knowing that you did all you could for him --- rescued him from the pet store and gave him a comfy and loving home for his too-short time with you, took him to the vet, found assistance here. :bowdown We share your grief that Tawa's medical issues were apparently too much for him to overcome, even with all your care and love. We are sorry we didn't have a chance to get to know him better ... all of us at TSB in addition to you and GF. :Love_Icon

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[jules]

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[a_tom_in_kyoto]

We buried him today. Both of us really appreciate all your kind words and support, and will certainly be back here when we've recovered from this loss and are ready for another go.

Thanks again.

[Buddy'sMom]

RIP, little Tawa. :Love_Icon

We'll be here when you are ready. Somewhere out there is a little chippie waiting for you to provide him/her with a loving home. :)

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[hansen3800]

I am so sorry that Tawa passed on. You did all you could to help him, and you made his last home a happy one and he was loved and at least you can have the comfort of knowing that Tawa knew he was loved. :grouphug