Cloudy eyes and apparent blindness

[parsonagec03]

I found a white chinchilla in the wild about a week ago and have been keeping it for a bit, while trying to found an owner for it. Yesterday i let him out his cage to have a run about my flat but he kept bumping into walls and objects and that's when i noticed that his eyes are partly cloudy. I have been searching the Internet trying to found out information about the cloudy eyes but to no avail. I was hoping if someone could explain the cloudy eyes and apparent blindness to me, and if he is partially blind, is there anything i can do to fix this or something?

[ntg]

Generally cloudy eyes is a sign of cataracts. I don't know much about chins but I don't think there's anything you can do to treat them but he should start to learn his way around as long as objects aren't moved around too much.

[parsonagec03]

thanks

[animalmadchloe]

Poor chin

[dusty]

It sounds like cataracts, I think they are prone to that kind of thing. My question is - where on earth do you live to be finding Chins running wild??!

[ntg]

Apparenty some research says you can get them removed surgically but it's a very expensive operation.

[parsonagec03]

i live in a park and the chinchilla was running about it. no idea how it got there

[moletteuk]

Oh dear As in somebody just released him when they didn't want him any more?

People usually deal with blindness in small animals by having a simple cage layout that they keep the same and then the little fella gets used to it and and just remembers where everything is and they tend to cope quite well. New situations like this are really going to highlight the problem, can you place food and water in the same place every day and maybe enclose off a smaller area for him to have a run with fewer obstacles so he can learn the layout of the run more easily, and you can gradually expand the run.

[parsonagec03]

i think someone just decided to abandon him. i have tried putting the food in the same place but he just keeps knocking it over and sending the food to the floor. He also has the big cut on his back which i discovered yesterday. i think something like a dog bit him. Normally to get him to eat i have to hold the food in front of him otherwise he just cant find it. Also i don't think he is drinking his water which is a worry.

[moletteuk]

I wonder if you mixed a little fruit juice in with the water, he would be able to smell it then? I guess some baby food with extra water mixed in would get some water into him too.

[parsonagec03]

ill try that out straight away. i hope it works thanks moletteuk