Sudden cataracts, maybe diabetes?

[nugget]

One of my degus, Inky, seems to have suddenly developed cataracts and I'm not sure what's caused it? It might be genetics but I'm worried it could be diabetes.


I haven't noticed any change in eating or drinking habits. His behaviour seems normal other than he seems a bit more cautious moving around and has missed the shelf a couple of times when trying to jump up but that's probably because he's not able to see very well. Inky has always been on the bigger side but doesn't eat any more than his siblings, I think he's just less active. His aunt was the same, always bigger than her sister (Inky's mum) but didn't eat any more, and she developed mild cataracts at a slightly younger age for unknown reasons which didn't get any worse after I noticed it. But Inky's eyes do look to be a lot worse than his aunt's was which is worrying me.


Inky is a 3-year-old male, currently weighs 310g which is a normal winter weight for him (in summer he usually weighs 280g-290g). I know he is big but I don't think it's to do with diet because I've always been very strict with that, and like I said he doesn't eat more than his siblings who are smaller. I feed my degus Science Selective degu nuggets approximately 10g each (in seperate bowls) twice a day, hay is always available in the cage, and as a treat I give a sunflower seed maybe once a month or less.


Not sure if this is helpful but Inky's mum and aunt were from a pet shop so maybe there were some bad breeding practices and the genetics have passed down? One of Inky's sisters recently developed dental problems (like their mum) and the other sister very suddenly passed away at 1.5 years old for unknown reasons (same as their aunt except she was 3). I do have other degus from a rescue centre who are 4 years old and they haven't had any health problems so far.


I'm going to try to book a vets appointment but if the cataracts is caused by diabetes is there anything I can do to help manage Inky's sugar levels so his health doesn't deteriorate?

[teemu]

Cataracts are unfortunately quite common in degus. It is often linked to diabetes, but cataracts by themselves aren't a sure sign of it, it's just that it's by far the most common reason.

I checked the food you mentioned, and there are some ingredients in it that are questionable for degus. Namely, I'm seeing wheat and barley on the list. I don't know how much of those are in the food, but degus are poorly suited to handling cereals, so I would recommend trying to look for a food that does not have those at all, if possible. The flaked peas that are included are also not optimal in a regular feed, from my understanding.

You mention that the cataracts appeared suddenly. How sudden are we talking about? Cataracts are usually a slow process, so you'd first notice some clouding in the eye, and the obstruction would get worse over time. If it has appeared really quickly and is very easy to see, it could be something else. There are other reasons why an eye might go milky, like an infection or an injury. So you should definitely have a vet take a look at Inky to see if it's actually cataracts.

Other than the food you mentioned having some questionable ingredients, your feeding practices themselves sound like they should not expose the degus to the common diabetes risks. So if you swap to a better food, I'd say you would be doing just about everything possible. It would not even be wrong to give the degus seeds a bit more often, since these do not really have a diabetes risk or anything like that (or you could try offering different safe seeds every now and then for variety and different vitamins).

[nugget]

Jan 19, 2023 23:17:15 GMT teemu said:

You mention that the cataracts appeared suddenly. How sudden are we talking about?

I only just noticed the milky colour in his eyes at the start of the week and I think it's gotten worse since then. I have been doing a lot of prepping for exams this past month so maybe I haven't be as observant of my degus as I should have been...  I do know that only in the last couple of days Inky has been missing the shelf when trying to jump on it so it's only been very recently that his eyesight has noticeably affected him.

[nugget]

Here's a picture I got of one of Inky's eyes today.

[savvy]

Cataracts can be genetic, they are not always caused by diabetes, but they are a good indicator. You can test for diabetes yourself with a diastix, just dip the end in his urine and take a reading from the colour chart.

His diet doesn't sound ideal, Science Selective pellets and hay are ok as a basic, but more variety is needed. Try adding a degu safe forage blend and seeds to encourage him to eat less pellets. There are plenty of inexpensive options from places like Bunny Bistro (avoid their degu mix as it has lots of veg in it) that are suitable and go down really well, and he can have more than one sunflower seed a month.

[nugget]

Jan 20, 2023 2:38:11 GMT savvy said:

Try adding a degu safe forage blend and seeds to encourage him to eat less pellets. There are plenty of inexpensive options from places like Bunny Bistro (avoid their degu mix as it has lots of veg in it) that are suitable and go down really well,

Is there a specific pellet to forage ratio you'd recommend? Like, for example, if I drop it down to 5g of pellets twice a day how much forage feed would I need to make up for the reduced pellets?

[savvy]

The general rule is as much forage as they'll eat, but usually start off with a good handful and replenish as needed.

[nugget]

Jan 20, 2023 8:35:56 GMT savvy said:

The general rule is as much forage as they'll eat, but usually start off with a good handful and replenish as needed.

So should I reduce the amount of pellets I feed them if I'm giving them the forage?

[savvy]

Not at first, but you may find they eat less pellets as they get used to the forage.

[nugget]

Jan 20, 2023 12:20:16 GMT savvy said:

Not at first, but you may find they eat less pellets as they get used to the forage.

Ok I'll start adding the forage to their diet, thank you!

[teemu]

As Savvy says, it's good to start with a smaller amount like a handful to see how they react to it and so that their bellies will adjust. So the handful is a good starting amount, and if it looks like they can handle that well, then after some time you can increase it.

[moletteuk]

The most common type of cataracts in degus are osmotic cataracts, which can occur with only slight elevation in blood glucose, they are very common. It can also be genetic predisposition or a combination. It must feel strange for you and Inky, but it's also common for them to come on very quickly, we don't really know why or how this happens. It's always beneficial to add forage to the diet, this may or may not help the cataracts, but it's the best form of nutrition and also serves to even out blood glucose. It is worth considering checking his pee with glucose dipsticks for diabetes, either buying your own or via a vet, you would need to do a few dipsticks at different times of day. Also worth keeping things the same in the cage while he adapts and, contradicting that slightly, reduce any jumps or things that may cause injury or difficulty if he misjudges with his reduced vision.