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Babies with eye infections, 5 days old :(

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CiaraPatricia

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Hi guys

My two baby pigs both have eye infections. I've never had this before with pigs, but it seems just the same as when kittens have them with cat flu.

One of them just has one slightly runny/gooey eye, the other one has two gooey eyes, one was sealed up this morning and is cloudy :( And the eyelid is slightly swollen

I've bathed them with cooled-boiled water and sea salt.

Does anyone know can you use the same kind of antibiotic cream you use on kittens' eyes? I have some of that around, but it's been there since the summer so may be out of date?

Or would they need something more, like other antibiotics? I'm going to the vets tomorrow so can get stuff, just people on here will know better than the vet I'd say about baby pigs. I'm worried about the cloudy eye. Though if the pig goes blind in that eye, I will keep the baby and it'll be fine, but would prefer it to get better. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance :) I'll definitely get the cream stuff for the eyes tomorrow as long as nobody says it's not suitable for them. I guess using the tube I already have can't really do any harm can it?

PS, also could this be caused by being in a dirty environment? Their cage is pretty clean, but if it'll help I'll keep it spotless and clean it everyday!

Oh also, my other pigs seem fine.
 
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It's quite normal, especially if mum is long haired or Rex, when the babies suckle their eyes get irritated by her hair. Bathe gently with cotoonnbud and warm water, but I wouldn't put any ointment in as it's rather strong for newborns.

Lots if mine have had it and they get better in a few days or a week. If your worried or it looks infected rather than just gummed up, go to vet. I remember being devastated when my first babies had it, I thought they'd be blind! But they were fine

Sophie
 
Thanks so much! :)

Mum is short haired, but there's a chance they were trying to suckle from the Aby girls too! :))

Do you think it could get irritated by hay aswell? I always stuff their houses full of fresh hay every night. It's good quality, non dusty hay though.

The cloudy eye does look kinda bad though. I know with kittens that it can get cloudy but get better again, that they don't go blind. Except for one kitten I found where it was so bad it ulcerated and he's now blind in one eye.

But still a bit worried about the cloudy eye :red
 
As you are going to the vet just bathing in salt water as you are doing is fine for now. Some newborns can have eyelashes that irritate the surface of the eye and this causes inflamation. I have had fucithalmic ointment prescibed for this previously and it helped a lot, as the babies grow the problem usually resolves itself. The vet should be able to see if this is the cause.

One concern I do have is that they appear from your pictures to be bedded on straw - this can be a problem as it is so stalky that eye pokes can be a danger.

HTH

Suzy x
 
Yeah I was just going to say that I should change them from straw. I changed to straw for the winter for my pigs because I thought it'd be the warmest.

I'll clean out to cage later and change to just hay for now. I don't have any woodshavings or anything so that'll have to do for now I guess. Also woodshavings might be a little dusty and irritate them anyway.

I'm going to be at the vet for work experience anyway tomorrow. I won't bring the babies in, but I'll ask her, and she was going to drop by my house afterwards anyway to give my new kitten a second ivermectin injection (he had ear mites when we got him) so she can see them then and I'll see what she says to give them.
 
Out of interest, the ointment I have (for my kittens that had cat flu/eye infections when I got them) is Aureomycin, opthalmic ointment, Chlortetracycline Hydrochloride 1%.

I'm going to ask the vet if she thinks that'll be ok for newborn guinea pigs, used in tiny amounts. It's ok for tiny kittens . . . but I'll see what she thinks about it.

I'll let ye know tomorrow evening :)
 
Echo what Sophie has already said - any baby piggies here with sticky, cloudy eyes just get bathed with cooled boiled water and always heal up fine.

When this first happened I rushed straight to my vet who has given me various eye ointments over the years but most have actually made things much worse and are very strong for tiny baby piggies and often cause the eyeball to become ulcerated. I'd steer clear of puting anything in them unless absolutely necessary......................

(They look really cute ....................x))

Teresa xx
 
Ok maybe I'll just bathe them then :)

My friend who's had loads of baby pigs said that they always clear up by two weeks old, so hopefully it'll be fine.

Thanks guys, that's a load off my mind :)

(BTW, the mummy pig's bald patch on her back, that she had after giving birth, has healed up nicely!)
 
Good news, the salt water is working! Lou's eyes are fine now but still bathing them. Nico's eye is less swollen and less cloudy. I actually picked her up and looked at it and thought it must have been Lou for a second, it was so much better :)
 
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