Chinchilla Eye Infection

Does your chinchilla have red or swollen eyes? Is there an unusual discharge around his eye area? If so, he might have an infection. For a proper diagnosis, take your pet to a veterinarian. He can find the cause of the infection and determine the best treatment.

To treat your chinchilla's infection, the veterinarian must know what caused it. Certain illnesses, such as pneumonia and the herpes virus, could be the source. For pneumonia, the veterinarian likely will prescribe antibiotics. You'll also need to keep your pet in a clean, warm and dry environment. There's no single treatment for the herpes virus in chinchillas. According to PetMD, the symptoms themselves can be treated but there is no cure.

Dust baths and certain types of bedding, such as wood shavings, can irritate a chinchilla's eyes, leading to infection. If this is the case, a veterinarian likely will prescribe antibiotic eye drops. Remove the dust bath and replace the wood shavings with long strips of newspaper or other nonirritating materials.