Rocky - eye is cloudy white

[Mel1959]

If you have a vet could you take him in for an evaluation? Poor guy. It must be very confusing for him.

[4Puddles]

This picture is much better and definitely does not look like a simple eye scratch. This looks to me like a severe cataract or lens luxation. You say it came on very quickly?Does the other eye still look normal? If you look at him straight on, does the “blind” eye appear to bulge or stick out a bit more than the other?
I agree with Mel, it might be a good time to try and get a vet to take a look. They can get a good look into his eyes (if possible through that clouding) and they can check his eye pressure and make sure he isn’t developing glaucoma. Your poor little guy!

[LR]

You need to make a concerted effort to keep him out of situations where he could fall at this point. Adjust his caging if necessary and pad the bottom of it.

[justAddNuts]

Thanks to everyone for all the input. I've been reading up online and after looking at pictures it does appear he has a cataract. If that is the case what can be done about it? If it is a cataract after all it is not going away. It will just get worse and eventually blind that eye. He may develop one in the other eye too. Is there anything that a vet can do about a cataract? is there a such thing as cataract surgery for a squirrel?

[justAddNuts]

You need to make a concerted effort to keep him out of situations where he could fall at this point. Adjust his caging if necessary and pad the bottom of it.

Done. Thanks for the head-up

[4Puddles]

Yes, there is such a thing as cataract surgery and it can be very successful...it is also VERY expensive. My concern is that he might be showing signs of glaucoma which can be excruciatingly painful. Often glaucoma and cataracts occur together. In that last picture you posted, I can’t help but feel like his actual eye ball is bigger (more swollen) than it should be...maybe it is just an illusion.

[justAddNuts]

I will stop pretending I have any clue how to diagnose this. It looks more like glaucoma according to the pic you posted but I know nothing about any of this. If this is glaucoma I need to get him some drops from a vet that can relieve some of the pain. He doesn't act like he's 100% but he doesn't act like he's in serious pain either. Not yet. I can't see his left eye is any bigger than the other one but it's hard to tell.

Thanks for the info. I feel terrible for him right now. I'm exploring vet options.

[cava]

Poor guy. You may want to start a new thread asking for squirrel friendly vet near you. Or ask if there are any rehabbers who may have someone they trust.

Eyes are so tricky and you're right, guessing won't get you anywhere. He may need to have the pressure checked (IOP) and meds for that. Hopefully that eye can be saved and the sight improved or returned.

[Nancy in New York]

I will stop pretending I have any clue how to diagnose this. It looks more like glaucoma according to the pic you posted but I know nothing about any of this. If this is glaucoma I need to get him some drops from a vet that can relieve some of the pain. He doesn't act like he's 100% but he doesn't act like he's in serious pain either. Not yet. I can't see his left eye is any bigger than the other one but it's hard to tell.

Thanks for the info. I feel terrible for him right now. I'm exploring vet options.

Can you tell us what city you live in?

[justAddNuts]

Can you tell us what city you live in?

Alexandria VA - a few miles away from the Pentagon so we call it "ground zero."

[justAddNuts]

Update - i've discussed this with TSB members and here's what we agreed on: it is highly unlikely Rocky has an infection in his eye. It is either glaucoma or a cataract.

He is not showing any signs of being in pain. His left eye is not noticeably larger that the right eye - there is no indication his left eye is swollen. He is eating and drinking normally. He plays with me. He is quite active. He acts quite happy when I get him out of the cage. he runs and jumps and plays. He is not protective of his left eye. Meaning - it does not seem like he has glaucoma. If it is glaucoma then he should start showing signs of being in pain rather soon. I'm watching for any sign that he's in pain.

If it is a cataract the vet will be unable to do anything short of cataract surgery - which is an option I will consider down the road if his vision deteriorates enough.

Since Rocky is functioning normally and acting playful and showing no signs of pain i'll let him be Rocky and watch him closely for signs of pain or swelling in the left eye.

Meanwhile- he can definitely see but his vision is poor - at least in his left eye. He can definitely see out of it. If he goes blind in that left eye i'll get him the cataract removal surgery. If he starts showing signs of pain i'll get him to a vet. I have a vet that will see him.

Thanks to everyone at TSB for caring and sharing and for being there for him.

[Chickenlegs]

Thank YOU dad!

[justAddNuts]

Not knowing is harder than I expected. Just the thought that he might be in pain and cannot tell me is killing me.

I've talked with vets and doctors about glaucoma and apparently it is possible to save his eyesight if we act early enough. I'm reaching out now to find the best vet option for him. If anyone knows a squirrel-friendly vet in the washington DC metro area please PM me.

I have a vet that is about a 2-hr drive away that i've been told will treat him. Closer would obviously be better but I can and will take him there if nothing closer materializes.

[Mel1959]

You could reach out via pm to SophieSquirrel. He seems to know a lot of vets throughout the country. I hope there is some improvement in Rocky’s eye and you get some questions answered.

[SophieSquirrel]

You could reach out via pm to SophieSquirrel. He seems to know a lot of vets throughout the country. I hope there is some improvement in Rocky’s eye and you get some questions answered.

Thanks Mel - I reached out to the Chin PPL and received a referral in Alexandria which I PM'ed to justAddNuts. If I don't know of a vet I reach out to contacts in (non-squirrel) exotic enthusiasts Chins/Degus Etc I have networked with throughout the years. They have lots of great vet referrals for exotics but squirrels are not always so easy due to draconian wildlife laws in some states. Prior to the Internet and TSB we all literally had "little black books" with referrals and differing animal enthusiasts worked together for the common good. Years ago the Animal Medical Center (NYC) staff vets were the "go to" for exotic vet referrals across the country.

I also PM'ed 4Puddles since she may be nearby and has vet association.

[justAddNuts]

Thanks for all the info!

Meanwhile Rocky is still being Rocky. I cannot tell any difference in his actions. I looked back over my iPhone pictures of him and I can see some cloudiness in his left eye in early December 2017. His left eye was solid black in January 2017. Whatever this is it has progressed without me noticing it. Symptoms of poor eyesight have been there all his life.

Still want to get him checked.

[Fiddlinliz]

Just curious how did rocky turn out? Terramycin work? My TJ is having the same problems. Im tying to fiqure out what to do

[Mel1959]

This is an old thread. If you have a concern you should start a new thread stating your concern, that way more eyes can see it.

You mentioned cloudiness to the eye. Is this a wild, a released or a pet squirrel? Sometimes cloudiness can be attributed to diet, injury or age. We’d need more specifics to be able to help you.

Start a new thread in the non emergency section, unless it’s an emergency, then post it in the emergency section.

[justAddNuts]

Rocky is better.

We started feeding him blueberries. We also feel (long story) that a major contributor to his condition was palm oil in the almond butter we would give him from time to time by dipping carrots into it just enough to entice him to eat the whole carrot piece.

His eyes were so cloudy he could barely move. He was falling and barely moving. Over the few months after my last post his eyes slowly got better. His right eye almost completely cleared up. His left eye still has a white dot in the middle but it is far smaller than it was. He runs from time to time and no longer falls off of the things he climbs up. Some of that could be adaptation but I do feel confident he improved.

I wish I could give you more. I saw no evidence he was in the kind of pain one would expect if his condition was caused by glaucoma but I never was able to get him checked by a vet.

You are in the tight place though. The people on this board will steer you right.

I really hope your squirrel can get thru this and get better.

[Fiddlinliz]

This is an old thread. If you have a concern you should start a new thread stating your concern, that way more eyes can see it.

You mentioned cloudiness to the eye. Is this a wild, a released or a pet squirrel? Sometimes cloudiness can be attributed to diet, injury or age. We’d need more specifics to be able to help you.

Start a new thread in the non emergency section, unless it’s an emergency, then post it in the emergency section.

I have and didnt get much help. Thats when I saw this which is the exact same thing. I wanted to see how it turned out.