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I don?t know what this is

Guinea_pig_x

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Hi, just wondering if you can help. I have a guineapig with runny, crusty eyes and something on her back end. If you have any suggestions about what it is or how I can help it then please leave at comments. I have some eye gel for the eyes but it doesn?t seem to be working!
 
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Guinea_pig_x

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It won’t let me send the picture
 

LittleSqueakers

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Have you taken your pig to a vet experienced in treating guinea pigs? The symptoms you described could be anything. Is he/she eating and drinking? Maintaining weight?
 

Guinea_pig_x

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Yes she?s still eating.
 

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Guinea_pig_x

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This is her eye. She is maintaining weight. I haven’t taken her to the vet yet iam doing to this next week but I just wanted to know if some one knew what it is and what to do about it to save money.
 

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LittleSqueakers

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That area on her butt is her grease gland. It's kinda like a scent gland or similar to the preen gland that a bird has at the base of its tail. Some guinea pigs have one that produces excess grease and it needs to be cleaned regularly or it can get filthy and matted and even irritate the skin or block the gland. I always used Dawn original scent dish soap to clean my pigs' GGs. Other people use different stuff.

Could you take a picture of the crusty, runny eyes? Is she sneezing or coughing?
 

Guinea_pig_x

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She sneezes and coughs but not regularly, maybe once a day if that. She is still active and eating well she has a 10 hour run in the garden every day so she doesn?t look ill it?s just her eyes an back end. Should just wash it with some pet soap? Will it get rid of it? I give her a bath like once a month because she doesn?t like it. Maybe I should start doing it more often?? What do you think?
 

bpatters

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I can't tell from the picture of the grease gland whether there's a spot of brown hair around it, or if the hair is missing, or if that's gunk that's accumulated on the gland. You can wash it with a bit of Dawn dish soap, but be sure to rinse thoroughly.

For the eye, wipe it gently with a clean damp cloth, then massage very very VERY gently in the corner of the eye, pushing down toward the nose. She may just have a blocked tear duct, and doing that a couple of times a day for a couple of days may clear it up.

I hope she's in a covered run in the garden and that someone is out with her to protect her from snakes and stinging/biting critters.
 

Guinea_pig_x

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Yes she has a two tier cage and it has a waterproof insulation cover on it. I don’t really worrie much about things like snakes biting her because I live in England I know there is snakes but not many m. She has lits if different sprays and creams to stop lice, fleas, mites, flystrike etc. The hair is yellow matted hair all stuck together no bald spot that I can see. What is Dawn dish soap is it washing up liquid? Will washing it get ride if it or will I have to you medication like cream or something. I am out there with her for lots most of the day but I make sure there are lots of hiding places such as tunnels. She is in a large run so no cat, foxes etc can get her and she is friends with my two cats that protect her from other cat that come in the garden but they would be able to get her anyway. She had food, water, veg and hay out with her all day as well. She is very protected, I made sure I got a cage that was off the ground with a bottom so she wouldn’t get cold or foxes could dig under there.
 

bpatters

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You can't get rid of the grease gland. All guinea pigs have them. You just have to de-gunk it occasionally.

The best thing to do would be to rub a bit of coconut oil into it and let the gunk soften, and then wash it out with dish washing liquid.
 

Guinea_pig_x

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Ok so it?s not hurting her.
 

bpatters

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It's a normal part of guinea pig anatomy. It doesn't hurt any more than your finger or knee does. It only hurts if it gets infected, so just keep an eye on it after you clean it up and see what it does. Don't pick at it in any way -- just oil it and wash it.
 

Guinea_pig_x

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Ok thank you very much!
 
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