There are many reasons why a chinchilla may squint or develop a crust on its eyelid.  You may place a drop of saline (such as used by people who wear contact lenses) on the eye to try and loosen the crust.  Let this sit for a few minutes and then gently wipe the eyelid with a warm wet washcloth. If this does not help, it is important to have a veterinarian check your chinchilla's eye as soon as possible.  In the meantime, do not give your chinchilla a dust bath until its eye problem is healed.

Dust in the eye is one of the most common causes of eye problems in chinchillas.  The tiny little grains of dust can be quite irritating and may injure the surface of the eye resulting in a painful corneal ulcer.  Antibiotics and other medications are needed to help this heal.

The green arrow points to a white corneal ulcer.  The green staining on the fur is fluoroscein, a dye used to better assess the extent of the ulcer.

Infections with certain germs, such as chlamydophila, may cause conjunctivitis where the tissues around the eye become red and swollen.  Growths in or beneath the eyelid may cause problems too.

Finally, the eye may be affected due to some other medical problem.  Infected or overgrown tooth roots can cause the eye to bulge, block the tear ducts so the eye is weepy or crusty, or make the eye discolored.  Glaucoma can cause a sudden change in the color of the eye or size of the eye.  There are many other possible causes for a chinchilla's eye problem so it is important to pursue labwork and other diagnostic tests suggested by your veterinarian.

Copyright 2010
Kevin Wright DVM
Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital, LLC
744 N Center Street
Mesa, AZ 85203
info@azeah.com