mouses eye

Question
Please help!
Today when checking on my mouse I saw that his left eye had swelled up and turned bright red!!! There is no pus or crust and at the moment he doesn't seem in pain.
What does this mean? My mouse is elderly so is he just getting blind or...?
I hope you can help my mouse.

Answer
Hi Lizi,

Do you mean that the skin around it has swollen, or the eye itself is bulging?

If the eyelids are swollen and irritated he may have scratched it, or gotten something irritating in it.  You can dip a cotton ball in warm water with a little salt in it and gently dab the eye once or twice a day to moisten it, which should help it heal up on its own.  It's also important to check the cage for anything that might have caused the problem - is there anything sharp, dusty, or irritating in the cage that could be removed to prevent further problems?  Swelling of the skin around the eye isn't threatening, but isn't normal either.  Gentle saltwater moistening and a fresh cage cleaning and examination should resolve the problem within a few days.  If you are still concerned or the problem becomes worse, you may also want to bring him by your local vet that works with pocket pets to see if a different kind of eyedrop or medication can be offered.

If the eyeball itself is bulging it is important to get your mouse to the vet immediately, or he may very well lose the eye.  Sometimes infections or growths can occur behind the eye that can put dangerous pressure on it, or something could be very wrong with the eye itself.  If the eyeball itself is what is swelling, there is nothing that you can do at home except to get him to a professional as soon as you can.

Best of luck, and I hope his eye starts looking better soon!  It really has nothing to do with age, but if it's just the eyelids, it can just happen from any small accident and will hopefully heal just fine.  :)

-Tam