Cataracts and glucose test

[lilicauk]

Hello everyone!
I'm new to this forum and degus, had mine for only about 8 months! They've just turned 1 year old and one of them has developed, VERY suddenly, as in a matter of hours, cloudiness in both eyes! I am aware in most case it'll be either diabetes or genetics, so I've nicked diatix strips for urine test from the OH and tested the degu's urine, the result was negative for glucose (0 Mmol to less than 5.5 Mmol). The problem now is that I don't know if that's within the normal range in degus, so the cataracts is indeed genetic and while it's a shame he'll eventually adapt! I do not feed them any sugary treats at all (I'm quite particular both with my own and my pets' food so I read all labels thoroughly), so I'm hoping and praying it's not diabetes.

I will take him to the vets very soon, but the degu specialist is quite a distance away; if it's diabetes I'll take him urgently to the usual vet which has not a lot of experience with degus but it's very good with small animals.

Any help or comments much appreciated! Thank you!

[lilicauk]

Thank you for the reply. On monday evening the cloudiness was extremely obvious all over the eye, yesterday and today it seems to have "cleared up" and it's only in the pupil, it's a pearly white which is not too easy to see in daylight, but under artificial lights it's very visible. If it was there before it must have been really mild as neither of us have noticed, and I spend a lot of time with them, he's the outgoing one so it's always the first to come and say hello! He has been tested for diabetes by a vet and it was negative but she said to repeat the test in a few days just to make sure, so for now the bets are on genetics, on her experience of other animals it can develop at any age but couldn't be more specific than that having almost no experience with degus' physiology. The specialist is on holidays until next week... but as the little one eating and playing around and acting 100% normal I will wait.
They are on Excel timothy hay with marigold and dandelion, Pets at Home own brand degu nuggets and a pinch of dried parsley or Woodland's floral feast (with the carrot bits removed as much as I can!) as treats. They get a tablespoon of fresh vegetables (NOT sugary ones such as corn, peas or carrots) once a week
Here's a photo from monday evening twitpic.com/4kcrrm
This one is from a few minutes ago twitpic.com/4kcwpl

[deguconvert]

Definitely looks like cataracts, which degus do have a genetic predisposition toward, aside from their diabetic tendencies. I suspect that you will continue to test negative for diabetes. Degus manage very well with cataracts, and are able to find their way around almost as well as with clear eyes. Some do so well, you wouldn't know they have cataracts. I think your little one will be absolutely fine. What you are feeding is really good quality, so that isn't an issue for your degus.

[lilicauk]

Thanks deguconvert, he's indeed so far behaving like nothing happened, so hopefully he'll adapt, like most blind people and animals!
smux, the first pic was taken at night, I used the camera flash inches away from him so it looks much brighter than it was; even when I turn the lights on is a very soft low wattage lightbulb behind a lampshade so probably his pupils were dilated anyway, but it was very scary! That's why I'm still a bit worried, a few hours before there was nothing, or at least nothing noticeable! If it was in just one eye I'd think he bashed it somewhere, but it was like that on both. The next morning it was and still is like the second photo, which was taken in natural light and no flash which is very close to how it looks in reality.
They have a handful of timothy hay once a day and there's always some left when I refill the rack the next day, and they scatter some about or use for bedding
I have a list of suitable for degus veggies and frequency/amount it should be given and that's what I follow, in the "red" list (to be given once a month or avoided for diabetic degus) are carrot, corn and peas!!! And tomato is on the "safe" list... I guess I need to do more research, but I'll try and give them more vegs; they're not too keen on anything except herbs and broccoli, but then again I haven't been too adventurous in what I give them (despite having all sorts available, being a vegetarian myself!)

[deguconvert]

Our boys seldom have fresh veg. They seem to feel it is suitable only for walking and weeing on. In summer they do get fresh grass, dandelions, raspberry leaves, rose petals, etc . . . but they seem to despise most, even all, of the fresh veg that we have on hand for us.

[lilicauk]

Hello again! Mine also love all sorts of herbs and leaves! They did seem to enjoy a bit of spring onion (which is more an herb than a veg really). I try to think what they'd come upon in their natural habitat and it's unlikely they'll find a whole array of fruit and veg anyway.
smux, I do agree it's not easy to estimate the amount of sugar in food and considering a lot of other elements in food would become sugar once metabolised doesn't help. From what I've tried, as in tiny pieces, they did eat broccoli, carrot and carrot tops, red pepper (not the spicy ones, the salad kind), cucumber, tomato, radish and leek, besides the herbs. They don't seem to like celery, green peppers, cabbage and sprouts; mostly they get broccoli, fresh and dried herbs and leaves, the odd pine nut and rolled oats and a monthly hazelnut treat. I've tried a waffer thin slice of apple once but it didn't get a second look. You're right about ginger, mine went nuts when I went to play with them after chopping some fresh ginger!
Yes the cataracts is on both eyes, according to the vet it's mostly caused by diabetes but it's POSSIBLE (albeit unlikely) to be congenital too, that's why she asked to try the diabetes test again, at home as he'll be calm and relaxed, just to make sure the results are the same. Glaucoma would mostly just affect one eye and it'd make it unresposive to light, which is not the case... I'm going do the diabetes test again this weekend and I'm monitoring the water intake very closely as unfotunatelly I'm not still 100% sure it's NOT diabetes I'm just praying it isn't