Mouse has a closed eye and slips?

Serena56 · 11-03-2015, 11:06 PM

I'm worried about my white mouse named Mizu. She's going to be around a year and a half years old in a month or two and I've noticed that her right eye appears closed. She's had a smaller looking eye before around 3 months ago but it returned to normal after 3 days and it wasn't looking completely shut like it is now. Her eye appeared normal only 4 days ago but as time went on it got worse. She also walks a lot slower than the other mouse that she shares the cage with (approximately the same age) and she occasionally falls on her side when climbing down from toys and has to roll over to get back up. She's still eating and doesn't isolate herself but she doesn't have coordination to run on her wheel or really run anywhere at all. She's had this issue for only less than a week but I noticed her coordination problems when her eye was still normal so I don't think the issue is her sight. Please help!

racinghamster · 11-04-2015, 01:25 AM

Hi Serena. She could have balancing issues but does she walk and sit upright okay? Here eye may have infection or a small injury so you need to use a magnifying glass to get a close up look at what her eye looks like. Is it her eyeball/eyelid or both? Is the eye watery/weeping or dry?

Is the eyeball a normal size or bulging? Ask yourself all of these questions and then determine which is which. If it`s obviously not the same as the other eye then something isn`t right. She may have got something in her eye although I can`t imagine what that would be if your mice have a safe substrate like paper based stuff, what do you use?

A vet would look at her for you and give an opinion or perhaps ophthalmic drops if required, but you first need to determine if her eye is wounded or infected. Sometimes gently wiping the eye from front to back using a wetted cotton pad can help clean the area, but won`t do much for any infection or causative problem. Boil any water first and allow it to cool to tepid.

Update later on with more information. x

Serena56 · 11-04-2015, 01:40 PM

When she walks shes leans onto one side of her body which causes her to fall. She's kind of wobbly when she walks as well. I don't know whether or not I have a magnifying glass and I tried to call my mother to find out but she's not answering. If I don't have a magnifying glass I will definitely get one today or tomorrow.

From just glancing at her eye, I think the problem may be that her eyelid is slightly swollen. Yesterday her eye was completely shut but now it's slightly open although still smaller than her other eye. I use paper shavings for my mice.

Do you know what the eye problem might be and if her lack of balance means she has a health problem? I don't think we have any vets in my area that specialize in rodents.

Serena56 · 11-04-2015, 10:28 PM

Her eye has reached pretty much normal size but I noticed that it's runny. Her eye looked like it was watering over and I'm more concerned about her lack of balance and leaning now.

racinghamster · 11-05-2015, 04:45 AM

You could try gently bathing here eye as suggested earlier to get a better look at it. I`m not sure about her leaning over. This could be a few things. Internal ear infection (head tilt) or something else. Is she leaning her head only to one side or is she upright and then just loses her balance? Is she managing to get a drink okay without falling over? Make sure her water source is low down as you don`t want her not being able to easily drink without reaching up. Is she eating fine or off her food? x

Serena56 · 11-05-2015, 09:11 PM

Her eye is visibly back to normal size now. She leans her whole body to the side when she walks and isn't upright while doing so. She's only upright when she decides to stay still. There is definitely head tilting though. She isn't reaching the water bottle properly so last night I picked up the water bottle and held it beside her so she could drink out of it and she ended up letting out really loud coughs once she finished. She eats a perfectly normal amount still.

racinghamster · 11-06-2015, 03:57 AM

If she has a definite prominent tilt she may need a strong course of Baytril for a while to see if it will help. She needs to be kept hydrated so lower the bottle down for her or place a shallow ceramic dish like a ramekin pot in the cage with some water in it but where she can reach it. Change it daily or more than once a day if any bedding gets into it. Head tilts can still continue even on/after antibiotic treatment, but if she falls over a lot, I would say see a vet as it could affect her ability to manage. x

Serena56 · 11-06-2015, 09:16 PM

Thank you so much for helping me I appreciate it a lot.

racinghamster · 11-07-2015, 01:49 AM

No problem Serena. You just need to make sure she`s not unable to eat or drink and if her balance is becoming such that she`s falling over a lot, I would get her onto Baytril twice a day. Orally in a small amount of food that tastes nice like peanut butter but only a very small amount enough for her to lick off the spoon with the Baytril added/mixed in. Or a softened tiny piece of tea biscuit. x