rat eye infection?

Question

melly   QUESTION: hi sandra
I found that one of my female rats has a yellow discoloration on her eyeball. It looks like pus but its stuck on her eyeball. She had nothing at all last night. She's about a year old and basically blind. She has ruby eyes. she healthy in all other aspects. My vet doesn't work today and doesn't have an appointment open until wed. i am trying to find a backup vet from my local rescue to get her in sooner.
Is this an urgent issue. If i don't get her in right away will it get horribly worse? I have some meds at home for my other rat will any of that be useful to her if i can't get her in till wed?

i have:
Doxycylcline
clavamax
theophyline (i'm pretty sure one this won't help right?)
meloxicam


My boy before removing   ANSWER: The theo is to open her airway and the meloxicam is for pain and inflammation, much like advil/ibuprofen.

I hate to tell you to use anything else because messing around with this can result it the loss of her vision or even having her eye removed.  My boy had a nasty eye infection and despite prompt treatment the vet had to remove it anyhow, but he did great.

I would try to get her in sooner to be honest because as I said above, it can get much worse.

Go ahead and start her on the clavamox, it is better than the doxy.  You can also give her metacam (meloxicam)  Is she the same size as the other rat?

The vet may give her other meds and possibly eye drops too.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: She is a bit larger than my other rat. I am trying to find another reliable rat vet in the area to take her to today but i am awaiting a reply from others. i don't know how to get her in sooner?

ANSWER: Where are you located?  A good vet would realize the seriousness of this and accept her Monday, working her in for an appointment no matter how booked they are.  let me know your location and I will gladly give you names of good vets for exotics.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: One more thing about the eye. It looks like the yellow pus glob thing is on the outside of the eye. like its a blob stuck on the eye but protruding out, not like a milky haze over the eye. Is this make it a worse case/better case /same as case senerio? Could it be from a scratch a on the cornea that is now infected. just wondering how this might have happened in one night.  

Answer
I am sorry the  Vet I suggested isnt that great.  Its hard being in the US and giving names of vets in other countries since my access is limited.  I also hate money hungry vets! I know so many vets that have lower prices just so people do not stay away from them and will be able to afford medical treatment for their pets!

Also, there is a good chance there is a corneal abrasion that became infected, but its still just as serious due to the fact they could lose their vision so easy.   When my rat had an eye infection, it came out of the blue too,one day he was fine, the next, his eye was a bit cloudy and despite strong antibiotics, his eye turned like the photo I showed you.  He stayed at the vets for treatment and the vet emailed me that photo to show me how bad it got even though he was taking oral meds plus topical ointments and eye drops.  Thats when we took the eye.  He went blind anyhow and we feared he would get worse should the infection travel further into the brain, etc...