Cataract?

1893 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by LondonSquirrel, 7 d ago

Rattatouille

Discussion Starter · Mar 5, 2012

I'm no expert, but this is my 1 year and a half old PEW, I've looked after him the best I can, I've had him since 3weeks old and I fed him on kitten milk, he's the perfect weight and gets handled, Vitamin drops, treats, baths, groomed the lot.. He's never bitten and has always been cuddly.. but I think he's developing Cataract?! Middle last year he had nothing to worry about and just slumed everywhere, didn't care what he did. Now, he's more alert and he's even biting, not on perpous, just nipping because he's struggling to see now, and I wondered if there is anything I could do? This is happening in both eyes but the right eye you see in the picture is the worse. Advice would be appreciated, please and thankyou.

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lilspaz68

· #2 · Mar 6, 2012

Rattatouille said:
View attachment 4721 I'm no expert, but this is my 1 year and a half old PEW, I've looked after him the best I can, I've had him since 3weeks old and I fed him on kitten milk, he's the perfect weight and gets handled, Vitamin drops, treats, baths, groomed the lot.. He's never bitten and has always been cuddly.. but I think he's developing Cataract?! Middle last year he had nothing to worry about and just slumed everywhere, didn't care what he did. Now, he's more alert and he's even biting, not on perpous, just nipping because he's struggling to see now, and I wondered if there is anything I could do? This is happening in both eyes but the right eye you see in the picture is the worse. Advice would be appreciated, please and thankyou.

Rats adapt to vision loss because they have terrible vision to begin with. It looks like a cataract but it also could be glaucoma which can be painful. 18 months is terribly early to develop cataracts. Is he blinking painfully, is there excess porphryin, is he rubbing at it?

As for his care, he doesn't need baths (they groom constantly), or vitamins (as these should be supplied by his balanced diet alone) and if you are putting vitamins in his water, you are wasting your money as they become ineffective in light and in 24 hours, and the bottle needs to be changed and scrubbed every day so bacteria doesn't develop.

What else has changed? A sudden change in behaviour usually can mean pain or illness.

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Rattatouille

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 8, 2012

He doesn't seem to be able to see at all, he's not rubbing it and getting on as normal, the change in his behaviour I believe is because he can't see anymore and he's more alert. I only bathe them when they get alot of yellowy stuff on their fur from their urine/faeces. I also put Vitamin drops in their water which is changed everyday, have done since he was a baby.
Thankyou,