Crusty Eyes: Eye infection! help!

[Pollyerrington]

We got 2 more guinea pigs 2 weeks ago (so now we have 2 x 5 month old girls and 2 x 10 week old girls)

The 2 newbies Dolly and Snow started off fine. First week, no problem.
They are in quarantine right next to the other girls.

On Friday Dolly had crust around her eye and it was half closed.
I took her to the vet and he gave me some antibiotic drops to put in her eye.
He said she had a small abrasion, and the infection shouldn't spead to Snow.

Snow now has both eyes infected and are half closed and crusty. Poor babies.

This morning Dolly had one eye completely shut and crusty, and the other looks all swollen and the brown inside bit of the eye is really big and swollen too.

The vet said we could use the same drops on both of the girls.
I've changed their bedding to help deter the infection, and I'll change it again tonight.

I'm taking them back to the vets tonight, but I'm worried that it's something serious.

What does is sounds like to you? The eyes haven't changed colour, and the girls are munching away on lettuce just fine...

Thank god they are still in quarantine and the infection hasn't spread to my other girls!

Also, do you think I should separate them from each other? I could partition the cage...

HELP!

[Peggysu]

Originally Posted by Pollyerrington

The 2 newbies Dolly and Snow started off fine. First week, no problem.
They are in quarantine right next to the other girls.

This is not a quarantine. Quarantine should be done in a different room.

Is your vet cavy savy? Hopefully your other two pigs do not get the same infection in their eyes.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

It sounds like it could be URI too http://www.guinealynx.info/uri.html

Please read this for info on proper quarantine http://www.guinealynx.info/quarantine.html

Many illnesses are airborne. The newcomers should be in an entirely different room before closed doors. In the cage next door is NOT quarantine.

Did you get them from a pet shop?

[pigsmakemesmile]

I just went through a URI with my babe Pigster. It sounds as though it's a URI or some form of a bacterial infection.

I used over the counter sterile opthalmic solution you can get at the grocery store or pharmacy, check the iles where they sell cleansing solutions for contacts. I found it important and effective to rinse the eyes gently to remove the debree. I did this just prior to instilling the eye drops. Visit Guinea Lynx and view topic on URI under the medical care guide and also review the topics: safe medications and dangerous medications.

Your pigs must be quarantined in separate rooms.
Wash your hands thoroughly before contact with each pig to reduce the risk of cross contamination.

Monitor their water bottles to ensure they're drinking sufficiently. It's easy to overlook the fact that eye discharge is a body fluid and when they're secreting it, they're loosing fluids. Also monitor for onset of rhythmic-like breathing where they seem to labor to breathe. Also listen for any onset of wheezing. Any of these symptoms or anything unusual you notice, warrants a vet visit.

If your pig is already on an oral antibiotic, it'll need a probiotic or the pig may end up with intestinal upset and diarrhea or constipation.