Injured Eye?

JessLough

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#1
So it seems that Rascal injured his eye. Don't know how, or when, but I'm pretty sure it was sometime today or last night. My sister was talking to him and mentioned that his eye looked funny... so I took him out and, of course, his eye is injured.

He is squinting it, I tried and he won't open it all the way. I scruffed him and he closed it - and held it shut tight, so obviously it's not very comfortable for him to open it all the way. Also, when I scruffed him, it looked like it *could* be a little swollen, but I'm not positive.

Any ideas on what I can do? I don't even want to let him out, as he may hurt himself more if he can't see fully. He is fine in every other aspect.. so it's definitely not something serious like a stroke or anything...

Also, I fully plan on bringing him to the vet tomorrow (or whenever they can fit me in) if he is still squinting his eye, and watching him tonight to see if he scratches at it or anything. I don't feel as though it's something that constitutes an emergency, so I will obviously not bring him to an emerg vet, he can wait until the normal vet is open. Of course, this happens at a bad time financially for me, isn't that always how it works? :lol-sign:

Heck, I don't even know what to look for to see if it's something not serious (poked in eye or something in eye) vs. something bacterial (infection). Any tips would be appreciated!
 
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#2
Well, with humans... the most common eye injury is corneal abrasion or foreign body in the cornea. Depending on what it was that scratched them, sometimes if people blow it off and wait a while to come in, then they end up having an infected eye. If it happened today and he's not digging at his eye or anything, and mostly keeping it shut, then he should be ok until tomorrow... unless it's a foreign body, which should be removed soon so it doesn't cause further damage. Regardless, it probably hurts, so if you have anything to give him for that, he would prolly appreciate it.

Anyone who comes in to the ER with a corneal abrasion gets antibiotic eye drops and a follow up with an eye doctor to make sure everything is healing ok. A more serious eye injury would be one that actually pierces the eye, making it leak eye liquid (vitreous humor or aqueous humor.) The lining to the eye is pretty strong actually so it takes quite a poke to cause that. But if that's what happened, it's more of an emergency. I don't know how to tell on a dog if that's what's going on without fluorescein dye and a Wood's lamp.... but I guess if he seems to be getting worse he should be checked sooner?

I guess if it was my dog, I would just watch closely. If you see any pus drainage, then take him in sooner. If you could get a better look with a flashlight to see if you can see a foreign object (splinter, etc.), even better. Maybe if you have 3 people - one person to hold him, another to hold his eye open, and one to look at it with a flash light?
 

JessLough

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#3
Rascal's actually my ferret, but I know what you mean.

I just asked my dad, he said it was fine last night. So that means it definitely did happen today, or early morning. Honestly, I think it is bugging me more than it is bugging him, he even just let me poke around it (with it closed) to see if I could feel anything that could be physically in it, and I couldn't feel anything.

I did check to see if there was any drainage coming from it, and there doesn't seem to be any, he's just... not opening it fully.

I think I'm going to try and find a small light and check it later today though, thanks for the suggestion :) oh, if it seems to get worse, he will def go in asap, it's just that we don't have a car so it would be sort of hard trying to find a way to get there :(
 

PoodleMommy

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#4
I would not poke around his eye because if there is something in there you could make it worse.

Is it possible to hold his eye open and have someone else flush it with water? This is what i have done when the dogs have gotten something in their eye... it usually comes out that way. (I know Rascal is a ferret, but thats kind of the same as a dog right? LOL)
 

JessLough

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#6
well not poke... just kinda felt, rubbing away from the eye lol
Hmm I will try flushing it out as well, thanks! yah seriously, I would just treat it as somebody would a dog :p although I may have to get somebody else to open his eye and I splash water in,, he may be less bitey that way
 

PoodleMommy

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Hmm I will try flushing it out as well, thanks! yah seriously, I would just treat it as somebody would a dog :p although I may have to get somebody else to open his eye and I splash water in,, he may be less bitey that way
that was the only thing I was thinking about, I dont know how ferrets are with water... my dogs are fine being splashed but I probably wouldnt recommend the same thing with a cat. :rofl1:
 

JessLough

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#8
that was the only thing I was thinking about, I dont know how ferrets are with water... my dogs are fine being splashed but I probably wouldnt recommend the same thing with a cat. :rofl1:
:rofl1: he likes water... just not sure how much he will like water in the eye lol
 

JessLough

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#9
Uhm so he *may* have been faking LOL
He is fine when he is running around it seems... then I pick him up and he squints his eye :rofl1: I just don't know any more
 
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Brattina88

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#10
maybe he is winking at you ;) lol!
I'd just keep an eye on him. He probably got some dust or dirt particles in his eye or something, exploring the nooks and crannies. I have pet eye wash from the vet, all it is is simple saline (sp?) solution for the eyes because of Maddie's eye injury.
 

JessLough

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#11
Yah Brattina I would see that happening, except he hadn't been out of his cage yet when his eye was noticed.

Either way, I just checked, his eye is all better!
 

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