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Sudden blindness in rats

21 17:27:34

Question
Hi there. A few weeks ago I took my rat, Vernie to the vet for a minor tooth surgery. She split her bottom teeth (on a seed, the vet guessed) and one was jutting up into her gums, causing immediate swelling. The vet clipped her bottom teeth and realigned the bad tooth on the bottom. She prescribed an antibiotic and sent me home.

A few days ago, I noticed Vernie was stumbling a bit in her cage, even falling from her ramp at one point. She is still eating and drinking fine but no longer comes to my hand when I put it in her cage to take her out. She sways her head back and forth when I speak to her, and seems to not be able to see anything. When I hold her into the light, the irises of her eyes now have a blue tint. I called the vet but she is out of town and I do not know what to do. As I said, Vernie is still eating and drinking and even running on her wheel at times, but I want to know what is going on- is she blind? If so what caused this? Thank you for any help you can give.

Answer
http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/myratswaysherhead.htm


Please check out my website about head swaying, check the video too and let me know if this is what she is doing.  Head swaying is normal as you will see once you read what it means.


http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/myratswaysherhead.htm



I doubt she is really blind, and in fact, it sounds like the start of possibly an inner ear infection.  Alot of times loss of balance and even a tilt to the head is from inner ear infection. The pressure builds and causes their balance to be off due to inflammation on the vestibular cochlear nerve (which controls equilibrium) and steroids and antibiotics are needed to help cure this and get things back on track. Keep an eye on her to make sure she doesnt start to walk in circles, walk backwards. tilt her head or fall over like she is a bit clumsy.

The blue tint to her eyes around the iris is normal. If she were blind you would not see her pupils respond to light.  She would still not bump into things etc...because their keen sense of smell and hearing help locate objects as well as their whiskers, which pick up vibration from an object and warn the rat. This is why they don really bump into things unless you move the cage around and give her new unfamiliar stuff in her cage.


Please let me know after you check out my website and the videos of the rats swaying their heads. Let me know if your rat is doing this!