Hi, my guinea pig Lottie who is nearly 2 is now blind in her right eye. I found her on Thursday night at feeding time with her eye completely glazed over with white fluid. She was happy in herself and was sitting in the food bowl munching away like normal. I booked an appointment for the next day at the vets and the vets confirmed my worst fear something had entered her eye and basically has gone directly into her eyeball therefore rendering her blind and leaving her in pain. She was given painkillers, eye-drops etc at vets to make her comfortable. We now have an appointment for Monday to discuss the removal of her eye. I feel it should be removed as its causing her pain and she won't ever see again out of it so? However I am worried about the anesthetic . What do people think?
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TAN
Adult Guinea Pig
Hi
I am sorry about your piggies eye - I know someone who had the same thing with her piggy and he was nearly 6 - I spoke to my vet yesterday about the possibility of neutering a 5 year old boar and this is what she quoted "As long as Reg is healthy then age itself doesn't make a difference to the risk of anaesthesia and the surgery .The risks increase with age because they are more likely to have an underlying disease " - there is always a risk with anaesthetic - but I have had 5 operations on my piggies - the last a 1 hour op on Bumble who is 4 - and he came through with flying colours - so you would be very very unlucky indeed if Lottie didn't come through - good luck x
I am sorry about your piggies eye - I know someone who had the same thing with her piggy and he was nearly 6 - I spoke to my vet yesterday about the possibility of neutering a 5 year old boar and this is what she quoted "As long as Reg is healthy then age itself doesn't make a difference to the risk of anaesthesia and the surgery .The risks increase with age because they are more likely to have an underlying disease " - there is always a risk with anaesthetic - but I have had 5 operations on my piggies - the last a 1 hour op on Bumble who is 4 - and he came through with flying colours - so you would be very very unlucky indeed if Lottie didn't come through - good luck x
I think that you have to be guided by your vet on this one and think about the health and comfort your piggy will have with or without the surgery. So sorry that your fur baby has had this happen. Hay pokes (or similar) are so nasty.
I am very sorry that your girl has had such a bad injury. Poor girl and what a sad shock for you! 
At her relatively young age, eye removal is usually the safest long term option.
The good news is that guinea pigs with just one eye left can lead a perfectly happy and normal life once they have adjusted to the loss of eyesight on one side. What they usually do not like is being approached from their blind side. You'll have to remember that.
Several members on here have or have had guinea pigs who had an eye removed successfully.
@Claire W @furryfriends (TEAS)
At her relatively young age, eye removal is usually the safest long term option.
The good news is that guinea pigs with just one eye left can lead a perfectly happy and normal life once they have adjusted to the loss of eyesight on one side. What they usually do not like is being approached from their blind side. You'll have to remember that.
Several members on here have or have had guinea pigs who had an eye removed successfully.
@Claire W @furryfriends (TEAS)
Claire W
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I am very sorry to hear about your piggy.
My Eliza had to have her eye removed at the age of 6. She sailed through the surgery.
Without looking at her, you wouldn't have thought anything was wrong as she acted normally. We just made sure never to approach her from her blind side and we kept all furniture in their home.
Eliza lived happily for the next few months until she sadly died from old age.
We had no choice but to have her eye removed due to the pain she was in but I am so glad we decided to go through with the op.
My Eliza had to have her eye removed at the age of 6. She sailed through the surgery.
Without looking at her, you wouldn't have thought anything was wrong as she acted normally. We just made sure never to approach her from her blind side and we kept all furniture in their home.
Eliza lived happily for the next few months until she sadly died from old age.
We had no choice but to have her eye removed due to the pain she was in but I am so glad we decided to go through with the op.
Thank you and I will do whatever the vet thinks is right as I trust my vets completely as the managed to save my other pig after he was severely neglected by his previous owner. They are nasty we are not sure it was hay though as the vet thinks it was too big to be hay,so not to sure whats gone in her eye to be honest!
Thank you, she's already adjusting as she's learnt a way to find the side of the ramp as its on her blind spot (we will put a barrier up though!) It was a very sad shock, I still go out there and see her eye(which is completely neon green at the moment due to eye drops!) and have a bit of a oh my god moment! This year has not been good in terms of piggies and very unkind to my bank account! Thank you for the links! I will take a look.I am very sorry that your girl has had such a bad injury. Poor girl and what a sad shock for you!
At her relatively young age, eye removal is usually the safest long term option.
The good news is that guinea pigs with just one eye left can lead a perfectly happy and normal life once they have adjusted to the loss of eyesight on one side. What they usually do not like is being approached from their blind side. You'll have to remember that.
Several members on here have or have had guinea pigs who had an eye removed successfully.
@Claire W @furryfriends (TEAS)
Thank you, its nice to know that your piggie lived a normal life and I hope that it won't affect my little Lottie monster to much! Don't worry if you don't want to answer but you could you give me a rough idea of cost of the op as money wise right now I'm really struggling. I will find the money some how but as I'm 15 its hard sometimes with vet bills(they are my responsibility to pay for) and this year alone its nearly cost me over £400 in vet bills!
Claire W
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Thank you, its nice to know that your piggie lived a normal life and I hope that it won't affect my little Lottie monster to much! Don't worry if you don't want to answer but you could you give me a rough idea of cost of the op as money wise right now I'm really struggling. I will find the money some how but as I'm 15 its hard sometimes with vet bills(they are my responsibility to pay for) and this year alone its nearly cost me over £400 in vet bills!
No problem. I can't remember the exact amount but Eliza's surgery cost around £100 but that included meds and all her aftercare. The price may differ though from vet to vet.
You sound like a very responsible pet owner.
It's good to have a rough idea! Thank you
Abi_nurse
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If your piggie is otherwise well please do not panic overly about the anaesthetic. I can understand very much from the point of view of a piggie owner myself. But risks of aneasthesia in piggies are much more reduced these days with experienced vets and if your piggie is well already. Of course there is alway a small risk, but that goes with any species, piggies have a bad reputation as often they are very sick when it comes to giving them an anaesthetic and also vets used to know less about them.
A penetrating eye injury is very painful and personally if it were my piggie I would be heading straight for removal ASAP. They do well with one eye.
Hope all goes ok at your appointment.
x
A penetrating eye injury is very painful and personally if it were my piggie I would be heading straight for removal ASAP. They do well with one eye.
Hope all goes ok at your appointment.
x
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