Asleep with Eyes Open?

[Advocate]

This morning when I got up, Chico was sitting on the second floor of his cage when I went out to say Good Morning to him.  His back was to me, he was facing toward the kitchen, eyes open.  I spoke to him several times and he didn't move, and his breathing rate didn't change.  So I reached in and touched his back, and he still didn't move.  I petted his head and his ears lowered a bit, and I stroked his back a number of times but he still didn't move.  But then, all of a sudden, he seemed to "wake up" and whisked up to the third floor of his cage as if very startled. 

Was he asleep with his eyes wide open?  I am kind of wondering if he might have epilepsy and was having a petit mal seizure.  Can chins have epilepsy?  Usually when he's asleep during the day in his hut, when I check on him his eyes are shut or mostly shut. 

[eddiing]

one of my chinchilla seems to zone out from time to time, she just tilts her head looking at one spot and not do anything at all.. i figured that just how she was because after my other chin bumps into her, she just gets right back up and tilts her head again and sits there. I don't think its anything serious that you have to worry about, but maybe someone else here might have a better answer because i really didn't answer your question  . Just from what i've noticed from time to time.