Guinea Pig's Eye Problem. (Please Help me!)

[Zane18]

So my guinea pig, Lily, was good this morning, and when I got home, I noticed that her eye looked weird. I got a closer look and it's only one eye. It seemed to have happened while i was out at school. I'm not sure what's wrong, and i cant make it to the vet. I am posting a picture below. If anyone can help me please do! Thank you

 

[Zane18]

Her eye is starting to crust some and its not better still... Please somebody help me!

 

[BeckieL]

someone with more experience will hopefully chime in, but I read that their eyes do that when they get a hay poke in the eye. there are several other threads right now about eye issues you can read for more guidance, but the answer seems to be: take them to the vet.

 

[bpatters]

Eye trauma is very painful. I'd get to a vet.

 

[Zane18]

Ok I will try, but my parents work a lot, and by the time they're home, the vet is closed

 

[chirres]

The same thing is actually happening to my baby Dandelion (pictures attached for comparison).

I noticed this yesterday afternoon at about 6:30pm (it's 4:30 now), but we couldn't go to a vet since they close at 7:00. She is going today hopefully, but we've been researching this and I just want to share possibilities before we visit the vet (I'll make sure to update with a diagnosis). Dandelion COULD have an allergy, or she could have poked herself in the eye. She was a lot crustier around the eye yesterday, but it cleaned off. Possible allergies include wood, or timothy hay. I personally use oat hay, though. Sometimes, hay can get stuck in the eye a little too, but your images don't show that. Nevertheless, monitor whether or not she's eating and drinking, and if she's acting lethargic. If she is not eating, take her to a vet ASAP. But, the important message here is don't worry because she won't die overnight. I completely understand the worry here, as I too am concerned for my pig, but it'll all feel a lot better once it's known why her eye's all funky.

 

[Zane18]

Ok thank you it does look the same and thank you for posting the results from the vet when you get them

 

[chirres]

We couldn't go to the vet today since they are closed Thursdays, but I do have some useful info for you, and I will update tomorrow whether she's better after what we've done, or what happens if her eye is still bad and we visit the vet.

I don't have pictures as this only happened a few hours ago and she's been hiding with her friends. What we did is we took a bottle of sailene solution, the stuff that contact lenses sit in, which is like $4 for a bottle in America, and we squirted it in her eye, wiping it away with a cotton ball gently. We did this three to four times and then set her back away. Because they're very nervous souls, especially Dandelion, I suggest having two people as well as a bottle of the solution that will squirt instead of something like a bottle. You want one person to hold the pig against his or her chest and hold the eye open with the other hand. Then, the other person squirts directly into the pig's eye.

This doesn't hurt them, but they may freak out because you're basically squirting a very uncomfortable feeling liquid into the eye. Then, gently wipe it away and do it again (when I finished with Dandie, one of her friends actually went over and began to groom her. It's okay if they lick the solution though since it won't hurt them).

Doing this essentially removes gunk from the eye or can even help with different infections. It may clear up her eye completely, or it may only help it feel better or clear up the drainage. Regardless, it's worth a try!

 

[Zane18]

Ok, we don't have any right now, but i will ask if we can run to the store early in the morning for some saline solution, Thanks for the idea, I hope it helps

 

[Zane18]

Also, I'm not sure if this is a good picture, but this is her eye today after i gently wiped it yesterday night with a wet, warm rag. (Which was advised by Guinea Pig Care Online on Facebook)

 

[chirres]

Yeah, saline solution is just a sterile mixture of water and salt, and it's just being used in this case to help mainly with discomfort and cleansing the eye as it essentially moisturizes and cleanses. If it's an allergy, it'll just help her eye feel less awful, but if there is something in there then it could possibly wash it out unless it's stuck. You really need to make sure you don't see any foreign objects stuck up in there. Just move her lids around and see if you can find anything (if you do then look up videos where people are showing how to remove something before attempting it yourself). But I don't think there's anything stuck there as far as I can see.

With the rag you mentioned, I just personally wouldn't do that because it's advised you use a cotton ball or gauze as those are much softer and likely less uncomfortable than a towel or a rag. The goal is to make sure the process of cleaning her eye is as comfortable as possible (and probably try giving her a treat after to reward her!) and to see if it helps out. For me, it did help clear her eye a little, but it is a waiting thing, but I'm really hopeful she'll be alright when I check her eye again tomorrow.

And I wanna reiterate that the most important thing right now is to make sure she's active, eating, and drinking well!!!

 

[Zane18]

Ok I will make sure to use a cotton ball, because i have to clean her eye a bit again tonight, and yesterday we did move her eye lids around and we got a small hair out of her eye, but as far as we could see, nothing is up in there. And good idea, yesterday i cleaned her eye and sent her to bed for the night with normal food, but i will give her some carrots and apples or something before bed to make her feel better , and also she has been eating very well, just like normal and drinking lots, and when she is locked up for a minute, she has been chewing on the cage and she comes right out to run around like normal so that should be good

And i hope you get good news on your piggy, Dandelion, from the vet ;D

 

[chirres]

I just wanted to let you know the saline solution worked surprisingly well for me, as her eye is beginning to look much better. She did wind up with more gunk that I had to wipe from her eye, but that's natural as her eye attempts to go back to normal, as with most other eyes. I also want to suggest you wear sleeves and/or some sort of soft hand protection as Dandelion has bitten my dad three times in the past 2 days during eye examination and treatments. She has no bite history but it's a reaction from fear. I'll update again if there's more improvement tomorrow, or if she goes to the vet.

 

[Zane18]

Ok thank you, and yes it does look like the saline helped a lot so i will make sure we get some in a bit when we go to the store, and also thanks for the warning of biting I'm not sure if Lily will, she has never bitten before but she did look like she tried once or twice, but we didn't let her bite us lol

 

[grace&piggies]

The biting may also be due to the pain and discomfort. The inflammation would be painful as would the saline.
Other than the swelling you can see, the underlying cause may be an infection, dental issue or ear infection.
As soon as you can, please consider getting a vet to have look.

 

[Zane18]

Wait, Lily's eye pain could be caused from something dental?!

 

[bpatters]

Yes. If she has an abscessed tooth or elongated tooth roots, it could. This pig needs to see a vet so she can be properly diagnosed and treated.

 

[Zane18]

Ok well i have a big branch that i switch out a lot for my piggies to chew on for their teeth, so i dont think her eye problem is caused by teeth. And i do really want to see a vet but my parents said we cant. They said that we can only go see a vet in it is a very important issue because the vet is expensive, and because her eye does seem to be doing a lot better than the first day, i cant see a vet

 

[bpatters]

Chewing branches does not keep a guinea pig's teeth ground down. It's the grinding action of the molars on hay that keeps both the molars and the incisors at the right length.

Can you earn your own money for a vet visit? It's not fair to an animal to have it and not provide medical care when it's sick. Good medical care is just as much a part of responsible pet ownership as food, water, and bedding. Your pig is a tiny animal that's totally dependent on you for everything she needs. She suffers, in pain, when you can't have her treated. How would you like to be treated that way?

 

[Zane18]

Ok well her teeth should still be okay because i make sure she constantly has hay to munch on and i know its not right that she cant go, but its not my choice, and i dont really have any way to make money, i cant get a job , and i dont really have other options
But her eye doesnt look pained at all anymore, its just poked in a little more than the other eye, and i have rubbed it with a warm cotton ball and used saline solution to clean it so i think she will be okay