Cataracts in my baby...

[puzzle29]

my poor baby Scribble has cataracts in both his eyes. will he be totally blind, or just see things like mist? is there someway I can stop them getting worse? I don't think surgery like that is possible in degus...please help me I just want to do all I can for my baby

[puzzle29]

will it affect his health at all? he's eating and drinking fine, so i presume it's not diabetes.

[malteser60]

When I got my Nutmeg she had cataracts in both eyes and was practically blind. I'm guessing she could still see a bit, but she would do things like miss the shelf if she was jumping up to it, or run into things - lots of things.

So, first question is, did Scribble always have cataracts or have they just come on?

If they were always there then there's not much you can do as they're there due to genetics. If that's the case there are a few things you can do like not change the cage items round too much. In all honesty though the goos cope quite well with cataracts and it won't impact their life too much.

Now, if they've suddenly come on then it's most likely to be diabetes. Now, my Nutmeg's cataracts cleared up after I started looking after her. I bought the dip sticks and can confirm she has diabetes, although since I've had her her cataracts are almost gone and her sugar levels are back to normal. So, if Scribble has diabetes don't panic too much. Buy some urine sticks off the internet (or from a pharmacy) and test his pee. Best way to do this is pop him into a clean, plastic container. First thing he'll do is mark the container with pee.

Next thing to do is to be really really strict with his diet. No sugary treats at all, so no occasional raisens, or nuts, etc. I'm not saying you are giving him a bad diet, far from it. Degu's have a predisposition to diabetes. However I know most degu owners give the occasional raisen or piece of fruit as a treat, which is ok for degus without diabetes.

With my goos their treats are more of a diet enrichment, so things like flowers, oats, leaves, etc.

Hope this helps.

[puzzle29]

oh thanks, I'm putting him on a strict diet of hay and pellets, no treats apart from dandelion leaves. good to hear that nutmegs diabetes cleared up by the way x

[smux]

Just for the record, her diabetes didn't clear up...it is just being managed so that it doesn't affect her a great deal. Diabetes is a permanent illness, but it's just as much a sign that we're feeding them the wrong food than an actual illness, and won't greatly reduce their lifespan if you do as malteser suggested and cut the diet down as much as possible.

Also, hay DOES have sugar in it, almost everything has some level of sugar, so be sure to get the right hay. There are also tons of treats you can give to a diabetic degu, like oats, puffed rice/wheat, shredded wheat, oatcakes...always check the nutritional information on the packs and you'll be fine...look for "carbohydrates" and underneath you should find something like "of which, sugars:". If you're lucky there'll be a column for "per 100g" and if so the number listed is the percentage of sugar that is in the item. For instance, I have sainsbury sunflower seeds in front of me and the sugar content per 100g is 1.6g so it's 1.6% sugar. It is also 47.5% fat so not a treat to give to plump degus unless they're pregnant (they need the extra fat, I always gave Theresa extra helpings so her babies inside got a share of it :-))

[puzzle29]

is timothy hay okay? i want to do anything i can to stop it getting worse. thanks for the info anyway

[puzzle29]

btw how do I know when the cataracts are fully developed? i think they are now, because they take up almost all of his eye, and he can't seem to see much. He seems fine though, jumping around as usual.

[smux]

All hays are good, just be aware that they all have some level of sugar in and don't give tons of timothy hay. Their normal bedding hay is not as tasty but in the absence of timothy hay they'll eat it. Also bear in mind that the levels of sugar are below the "danger" limit so they would only be a problem in conjunction with other sources of sugar...on their own even a diabetic degu could handle the levels.

There are two types of cataract with degus, congenital (given from birth by the mother, usually due to inbreeding) and normal (diabetes). I have had no experience of the latter, but congenital I have experience of as both Damien and Theresa have them. Luckily for me, Damien has his in his right eye and Theresa has hers in her left so it makes it easy to tell them apart if I give them some time together (and yes I do even though Theresa's a female...she's his sister, so they do more than just mate, and obviously I don't actually let them mate). Anyway, in the case of Damien and Theresa, there is a strong white dot in the middle of the eye that is maybe 1mm wide maximum and a little cloudiness around this dot. From what I understand of normal cataracts, they start as just cloudiness then turn into this dot as the cataract progresses, and I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong there :-)

If he is blind or getting blind, let him know you are there with noise/voice and touch his paw or body before picking him up so he is ready for it to happen as he knows you're around him.

[puzzle29]

thanks, and just so i know, is there any chance of the cataracts getting better, so he can see a bit? because Malteser said that her degus cataracts cleared up a bit after she started looking after her. sorry guys, I keep asking loads of questions, but I just want to do anything I can to help my baby.

[malteser60]

If the cataracts are diabetes related I can't see why they won't clear with a good diet. Do give plenty hay as the benefits are huge, I give mine timothy hay. And as smux said give non sugar treats. I give mine oats, dandelion flowers and roots, other flowers, puffed rice, etc. And get her pee checked out so that you can determine if it is diabetes.

[smux]

If the cataracts are congenital, there's nothing that can be done (short of laser surgery...I assume that's a possibility in theory at least) to get rid of them. I have no experience of diabetes-related cataracts so couldn't say for sure, but Malteser has :-)

Bear in mind though, Malteser's result may not be your result, it could be hers was caught early enough that regeneration was possible in the eye and your little guy might be further advanced...However, assume it is reversible and assume it IS diabetes-related and treat your little guy as if it is just on the offchance that it is diabetes

[puzzle29]

Thankyou so much for the help! Scribble is adjusting fine to his cataracts and I haven't had him tested for diabetes yet, but I'm still keeping him on the healthy diet.

[puzzle29]

btw lately he didn't drink for like, 2 weeks, and now hes drinking loads, but eating normally. is that a diabetes sign?? he seems fine though, running around just like normal. :S

[smux]

He must have drunk something over the two weeks, or he would have died by now possibly. Drinking a lot is a sign of diabetes or of liver trouble, but it's not a definite sign

[tzr]

Just noticed one of my boys has a cataract starting in one eye. Not sure why 'cos they don't have a lot of treats. 3 halves of peanut since I had them 3 months now, oats and they were getting about 4-6 sunflower seeds each a day but I've run out now.
I'll have to try and get some urine sticks to check

[deguconvert]

Cataracts can grow as a result of diabetes, but they are also a genetic issue that degus are predisposed to, so they can show up at any age without diabetes being present. It won't hurt for you to check them out and have the urine sticks on hand, but you can breathe a little easy, cataracts are not a sure indicator of diabetes.