Guinea pig eye - is this an emergency???

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

One of the babies had a sore eye - some discharge about an hour ago and he has pulled his eye in. Over the last hour the discharge has increased a lot so that the entire rim of his eye has white stuff on it.

DH noticed that his eye was sore last night but only mentioned it to me today.

Do I need to take the GP to the vet tonight or can it wait til first thing in the morning (about 12 hours time)?

Put a tiny pinch of salt in some boiled, cooled water and bathe baby pigs eye with non-fluffy gauze or soft cloth (like a muslin cloth)

(I found a 1cm piece of hay in my GP2 eye- his eye wasn't discharging white but it was half closed)

Can you phone your vet for advice?

Vet is P@H which I realised from this site, may not the best option!

I will bathe his eye and see how it goes. He is a VERY strong and uppity little thing and fought when we tried to do it with just a wet piece of gauze earlier. I will try again after DH has eaten - and finished watching football!

apologies: Thanks, 70isaLimit!

There's an eye page on guinea-lynx.

Some milky coloured discharge is normal secretion, but it sounds like his eye is 'sunken'?

Is he well hydrated.
Is he snuffly or sneezing?
Eye problems can be the result of tooth problems.

Keep it clean in the meantime. Have you seperated him from the other pigs, just in case it's something contagious.

Yes, you have referred me to that page before! I will have a look again. His eye is sunken (apparently they have a small muscle behind their eye that they can retract their eye with) and it does not look right. Def not normal discharge.

He appears well in all other respects - eating and drinking and he is only about 2 months old so I cannot think that it would be teeth problems? I think there is hay in his eye and because he is so feisty, DH and I had trouble trying to clean it. Will try again in a mo.

I have not separated the two because I really do think it is a trauma rather than an infection.

Is this the same baby pig that had a crusty eye earlier this month? The same eye or different?

If it's the same problem, do you feel confidence in the P@H vet (in which case take him tomorrow) or would you be looking for another vet.

The dilemma is, if you go elsewhere, you might have to wait, and with a pigs eye you don't want to wait too long.
If you can, see the same vet you saw when you took him in the second time.
In theory they should be experienced with small animals because that's what people are bringing in (rather than them working with equine or farm animals IYSWIM) so that should be their area of expertise.

Hope piggy improves with cleaning the eye.

And don't rule out tooth problems with a 2 month old.
Sadly some piglets have mal-occlusion as a birth defect due to inbreeding ( no way of knowing exactly who the parents are and if there was inbreeding).

Ask them to check the back teeth- not easy with a skitty, narrow jawed baby GP but they can use a retractor.

Thanks so much for all you advice, 70. No, it is not the same pig, and yes, having met the vet at P@H I am very happy with her seeing this one, too.

His eye is slightly better today but I am still taking him in.

Vet says that both guinea pigs have eye infections so are being kept in for 5 days for treatment. We are cleaning out the cage and disinfecting for their return.

because DH and Ds say they do not miss the GPs and DH is complaining how much work they are. I reckon if I said get rid, they would not put up a fight. But DS has to learn that he cannot change his mind on a whim and DH can pull finger and do some of the work, too! I must admit that the Dh is the one to cuddle and pet them the most, while I do a bit of the slog stuff!

I'm sorry you pigs are poorly :(
At least they are in the best place now for proper treatment.

How old is your ds?
How long have you had your piggies?

Maybe a rota would be helpful, spread the work a little?

We have had the babies only for 4 weeks so they are still little and not 100% settled esp considering the recurring eye infections.

I think a rota is a great idea! DS is 7 and already seems to be throwing teenage strops!

Hi Alliwant - I presume they'll be intensively treating your pigs with eye-drops/cream and maybe antibiotics as well as check for trauma, foreign bodies in eyes and check their teeth.

Good idea to clean/disinfect their cage. I use a steam cleaner on the pighouse- doesn't leave any residue.

It's typical of children unfortunately to lose interest in animal husbandary. They are hard work and it's got to be done, even if you are busy or ill.

Did you buy the pigs for your DS or were they a family pet.
My DH doesn't do any cleaning as a rule (he did when DD and I were away in Feb). DD helps 100%, but I have to force DS to help with his GP. Even when he cuddles GO he's usually in a basket while DS X-Boxes. GP2 is more my GP than his

What are you using as bedding for your pigs?

Is loose hay a problem? They do have to have hay but it gets everywhere.Have you tried the hay cookies (flat dense disc of hay) I buy these when pigs are indoors sometimes as a back-up if I use paper shreddings (I try all manner of bedding)
I bought the Excell cubes too, but they didn't pass the guinea taste test.

Meant to add -

for guineas to be away from home especially if they are not well but at least they are together.

The pigs were bought for DS but probably also family pets, if that makes sense!

We use loose hay and have them inside! (I want to get an outside hutch to stop the mess in my house and because I childmind). I will look at getting the hay cookies instead.

We also use wood shavings from P@H for bedding, but once this lot is finished we are considering getting fleece bedding or similar.
I don't like the pigs being away, either, but I am glad that they are getting good treatment.

Can you not put the hay in hay racks?
Even a cardboard box with a hole cut out will do.
Hay is essential for their teeth and well being. Hay cookies are good for a treat but not really a replacement. Same goes for the excel complete cubes (eventhough they are marketed as complete food). Most piggy people agree that they are not a hay/nuggets replacement. Plus they are really expensive for what they are!

Fleece with hay in racks or boxes would considerably help the mess.

Mine are indoor and have fleece and hay tents on the floor in their playpens for the daytime ,and newspaper and hay for the cage. Enough for them to snuggle in but not too much it gets thrown out. Plus 'posh hay' (timothy/favoured) in a hayrack too munch .
I have a quick sweep everyday and its fine.

I think 7 is a good age to start learning about responsibility and care of things, but no way old enough to take full responsibility.
Its good that they are a family pet, but they should be a joy not a chore.

Does your ds play with them much? Any grooming? Cuddles?

My pigs are mine . My piggy children as Dh says.
Ds isn't that interested. Neither is dh.
I like it this way. Means I can fuss over them, move things, buy things and no one cares nor notices

Hi, again

Seems the boys are all sorted and their eyes are much better. They stayed at P@H for 6 days and were treated quite intensively from what I understand. We have changed the bedding from wood shavings to some other greyish, soft stuff (Cannot remember the name!!) and it seems lots better!