Vision Help! Is my Guinea Pig Sick??? Eyes won't open fully!

[Samcam20]

My sister and I recently bought our guinea pig a few days ago! We noticed the next day that her right eye was a bit closed then the other and had almost an eye booger looking thing in it. We took her to the persmart care center and she said it was just an allergy from her new environment.
The next day when we picked her up we noticed both eyes won't open completely. Other then that she seems perfectly fine! She's purring and squeaking. And loves to be held and cuddled. When she's playing around her eyes seem fine and opened fully but when she's relaxing in her cage or being cuddled or rubbed her eyes start to close. We got nervous from reading things online that it could be a cold and she could die.
When we hold her, her eyes close like she's relaxed and she doesn't seem in pain! But after reading online I got nervous and wanted to see if anyone knew? I'm think about takin her back to the care center at pets smart tomorrow!

 

[scoottie]

Any eye injury is serious and absolutely painful don't take the guinea pig to the Petsmart care center they don't know anything about animals take her to an exotic vet.

 

[bpatters]

Get your pig to a good exotic vet of your choosing and get her treated. You can argue with Petsmart about the cost later. Their vets are worse than useless, especially for exotic pets.

You've unfortunately learned the hard way that pet store pigs are often sick. They also often have parasites, are mis-sexed, and the baby sows are pregnant.

Here's some reading material for new pig owners:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/113176-Information-for-new-guinea-pig-owners
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/107827-What-NOT-to-do-for-your-guinea-pigs!

 

[Shieme]

Do not take her to Petsmart but your own vet. Then when she is diagnosed, you demand your money back on the cost! My grandmothers dog's tail was damaged at their groomers and they pretended nothing happened. They suck when it's their fault. "Allergy because of a. New home"? That's bull hockey! Never heard of that crap! If you got her back and the allergy didn't go away (both eyes seemed swollen) when she was returned, then it's not an allergy! That poor guinea pig. I hope you keep her and fight for her. Keep all your records! Make sure you get papers from that visit from Petsmart. But please go to another vet!

 

[Samcam20]

This is what her eye looks like but she will close it then open it, and she will continue to repeat that! I called petsmart and they said to change the bedding. But I don't have the kind of money to take her to the vet.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

When in doubt, see an exotic vet as soon as possible. She certainly looks miserable in this photo, and from some of your descriptions it sounds as though she may have the start of an upper respiratory infection. I highly doubt it's an allergy of any sort. If it is an upper respiratory infection, only prompt veterinary care will save her. DO NOT allow Petsmart to take her to their vet, as they are not exotic vets and know virtually nothing about guinea pigs. Get her treated yourself and worry about the costs with Petsmart later.

 

[Samcam20]

I just cleaned out her eye and now she's jumping around acting all happy and eating! So I have no idea what to do and I could just be worrying too much!

 

[Shieme]

Maybe the tear ducts are clogged. I know @bpatters knows how to clean them. Try her method. Something about rubbing gently with a warm, lightly moist cloth in a circle. I hoe she sees this post and corrects me because I'm not really 100% on this.

 

[bpatters]

Take a warm wash cloth and very very very gently massage the inside corner of the eye, just below the eyeball. If the problem is a clogged tear duct, that may open it up.

But gunk in both eyes is usually a sign of an infection rather than a blocked tear duct, which usually happens in only one eye.