URI/Upper Respiratory Infection Possible URI?? Hair loss under eye, runny nose etc.

[Gabriella_wiese]

Hi! I’m a newbie at guinea pig forums, as I just made an account.

One of my guinea pigs, Oakley, has had crusty eyes for the past couple months, but it was never that bad (just some around her eyes), and the vet didn’t think it was a big deal (she had ongoing mites and ringworm for a few months at the end of last year). She also started losing some hair underneath her eyes, especially her left eye. It didn’t progress until last week, when I noticed that the hair loss under her left eye seemed a little bit worse than it had been for the past couple months. Her eyes (again, mostly her left eye) also seems a little watery, but nothing super serious... I did research, and it seems to me that she might be starting to develop a URI? Does anyone have any insight for me please? I’ve been checking her nose to see if it was runny at all, and it wasn’t until this morning when I fed her. It’s very subtle, but I’m pretty sure her nose has some clear snot in it/ coming out. Also, I could hear her breathing this morning, and it sounded like she was a little congested. I should also add that lately her eyes have NOT been very crusty at all, probably because I’ve been applying a wet warm cloth to her eyes every day.

I’ve been keeping close watch at her to make sure nothing suddenly progresses, though I am very nervous about this, considering how much money we’ve already spent on her previous medical issues, and how serious URIs can be. Does this sound like a URI??

Of course, I’ll do anything I need to to make sure she’ll be okay, it’s just not ideal to have to go to the vet now.

 

[bpatters]

Hair loss around the eye is usually fungal, and unfortunately it requires a vet trip because OTC fungal ointments that are safe in the eye are pretty non-existent.

Hair loss around the eye is not a symptom of a URI.