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Skin Problems Sebastion/Chopper health smalleye & dry skin

SharkStars

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I added my fourth and for the moment final piggy(skinny pig) to the family last week. His name was previously Sebastian but might be changed to chopper I'm undecided
He's in quarantine on the other end of the house and now that he's starting to warm up to me and not hide all the time I've noticed one eye get's a build up of what appears to be grooming fluid.
I can see when looking at him from above that the wet eye appears to be slightly smaller then the other. His teeth look good and I haven't noticed any digestive issues but I have read that small eye can be a result of lethal breedings? He was claimed by his previous owner to be six months.

He also appears to have dry skin around the face and on a patch on his rear.

He will be going to the vet in the next week or so but I figured it can't hurt to see if anyone has experienced either problem here or have advice?
The vet we're going to is an exotics vet but I dont yet know how cavy savvy she is
unfortunately when I went to take a picture of his eye (his right) he most have rubbed it out recently

IMG_1149.jpgdry skinIMG_1151.jpg
the smaller eyeIMG_1143.jpg
 

bpatters

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With the eye, it's possible that the tear duct is blocked. You can wipe his eye with a warm clean cloth, and then very very VERY gently massage under his eye, very close to his nose. Do this a couple of times a day for a couple of days, and see if that helps things.

I'd try some cold pressed virgin coconut oil on the patch on his rear. It might be fungal, but it might not. The coconut oil won't hurt it, and may help. If it doesn't help, or if it gets worse, you can treat with something else. I'd also use the coconut oil on the dry skin on his face. Skinnies are prone to dry skin, and the oil should help it.
 

SharkStars

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Thanks! I didn't think of the tear duct. will try rubbing it and oiling his patchy spots.
 

bpatters

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Just be gentle.
 

jaycriae

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By the way, lethal guinea pigs are always all white, and I've never seen a lethal skinny pig (I'm not sure whether it's even possible). Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

SharkStars

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coconut oil was very helpful for the skin & I think it's definitely a blocked tear duct. It was doing better with the suggested massage but suddenly got worse yesterday very full of gunk and swollen.
He has a perexisting vet appointment but isn't until the 28th so I'm seeing if they can squeeze him in anytime sooner ( the exotics vet is only there 2 times a week so her schedule fills quickly)

I flushed it was some tear replacer eye drops and while gently clearing what washed out a blockage must have come loose because his eye just flooded with creamy colored fluid. It was quite startling but once I cleared it out he was clearly more comfortable and the swelling started going down while he sat in my lap having his brave boy veggies.
I'm keeping a close watch on it but I hope the vet can see him sooner :c!
Any idea what kind of treatment to expect? I imagine if the blockage caused any infection they might give him an antibiotic? Or just more eyedrops?
 

miniver

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SharkStars

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He deserved them,it's so funny how he goes from a crying and me thinking i must be traumatizing him to to instantly happy once there's food to be had.

He did have a little gunk in his eye this morning but it wiped away easily and the swelling is pretty much gone.
He sneezed a little bit of eyedrop out his nose so I'm taking this as a good sign that there's at least some movement in the tear duct.
There is still a little whitish bit line the size of a pin head near the corner of his eye that won't flush out not sure is it's a blockage or what :c
 

bpatters

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That's not normal gunk, and I'd get him to a vet much sooner than the 28th.

The one thing that small animal vets can usually successfully treat in guinea pigs is eyes. They're much the same across species, and as long as the vet doesn't try to give some dangerous antibiotic, it can work well. Is there another vet you can see? What you've described is an infection in the eye, and that can result in loss of the eyeball, or it can even penetrate to the brain.
 

SharkStars

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The vets office got back to me today and they squeezed him in tomorrow at 5! Then I'll probably keep his 28th check up with the other boys to follow up with whatever they do for him
 

SharkStars

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Since he is under a year old I should avoid baytril is that correct? Anything else I should be on the look out for. This is my first time at this vet and my first Guinea visit. The visit for the 28th was originally going to be just a wellness check for all the pigs and my bird so we could check out the vet
 

bpatters

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No, the Baytril limit isn't absolute. You'd want to avoid it if at all possible for a two-month old, but not be worried for a 10 month old. The nearer he is to adult size, the less it is likely to affect him.

And if it's a serious infection that requires Baytril, you give it to him anyway, no matter how young. Better a small live pig than a dead one.
 

SharkStars

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I see! Thank you. I'll update after his visit tomorrow.
 

SharkStars

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Sebastian was not very brave at the vet and cried a little when he got an injection but I think they visit went well.
Because I just got him recently I don't know the conditions he was kept in previously/what kind of food he ate she gave him a vitamin C injection. I don't know if it was necessary but didn't think it could do any harm?
She said his eye didn't look to bad it's basically cleared up since the puss drained out when I was cleaning it, just a little goopy at the corner today.
She gave me a medicated eyedrop to give him twice a day for 7-10 days to hopefully clear it up and we'll investigate further if it doesn't seem to help.
I still have the regular checkup appointment for the whole herd on the 28th so as long as it doesn't get worse then she'll take a follow up look at him then.
 

lisa325

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:) Glad you were able to get him to the vet. Wishing him a speedy recovery <3
 

SharkStars

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Just a quick update that the antibiotic eye drops cleared up his eye in a just a few days and his "small eye" looks just about the same size as the other one now so there much have been deep swelling even before it starting getting icky.
he's going for a follow up visit with all his brothers on monday (4 pigs and 1 bird wish me luck with the wrangling!) So here's hoping he gets the all clear.
 
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