• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Bulging Eye

Teddy-Boys

Teddy-Boys

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Oct 5, 2015
Messages
71
Reaction score
124
Points
250
Location
UK
My Guinea pig has a bulging eye he’s got an appointment at the vets tomorrow but I want to be well prepared as this is his 3rd visit there in just over a week & he gets very stressed going there.

Just over a week ago he had white discharge from the nostril on the same side as the now swollen eye (it was fine then) so he was prescribed baytril. The nasal discharge cleared up but then he stopped showing interest in his food, so he was prescribed Ranitidine. Then I noticed his eye is bulging and you can see the white part of the eyeball, whereas the other eye is smaller & you can only see the brown/Black part.

He’s eating again now but the eye is really worrying me. Will the vet need to take X-rays to work out what’s going on? Will he need a general anaesthetic for this? Really appreciate any help or advice xx

CCEA57EE-E69D-4F53-8FB7-7CD8C0F9D602.webp
 
Teddy-Boys said:
My Guinea pig has a bulging eye he’s got an appointment at the vets tomorrow but I want to be well prepared as this is his 3rd visit there in just over a week & he gets very stressed going there.

Just over a week ago he had white discharge from the nostril on the same side as the now swollen eye (it was fine then) so he was prescribed baytril. The nasal discharge cleared up but then he stopped showing interest in his food, so he was prescribed Ranitidine. Then I noticed his eye is bulging and you can see the white part of the eyeball, whereas the other eye is smaller & you can only see the brown/Black part.

He’s eating again now but the eye is really worrying me. Will the vet need to take X-rays to work out what’s going on? Will he need a general anaesthetic for this? Really appreciate any help or advice xx

View attachment 82128
Click to expand...

It sounds like a potential retrobulbar abscess (an abscess that has formed behind the eye). Any treatment depends on your vet's findings; there may be a need for a scan or x-ray if your vet thinks that there could be dental issues. Sedation is generally preferred for any scans as they need to be taken from two different positions, but many experienced vets will use as little gas as they can get away with.
Good that you have booked your boy in for tomorrow.

Please always start supporting a guinea pig off its food with syringe feeding fibre and water. Antibiotics not only work on the bad bacteria in the respiratory but also on the gut bacteria which are crucial for breaking down the fibre.
Not Eating And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding
First Aid Kit For Guinea Pigs

All the best! It is always an anxious time.
 
Thanks for your help & for the hand feeding guide. he was given critical care at the last appointment but had been struggling to get him to have much, as he goes into full blown panic mode & didn’t know how best to restrain his head without hurting him. Hopefully the vet will be able to do more investigations tomorrow then & I can take it from there.
 
If it does turn out to be a retrobulbar abscess he may need his eye removed. My Tim had the same thing but has coped really well and we are now over 2 years down the line and he is coming up to his 7th birthday. They tend to feel a lot better once the eye is removed as the pressure has gone. Good luck at the vets.
 
That’s good to hear, gives me some hope! He’s booked in for an X-ray on Thursday & it says under general anaesthetic on the quote details which I don’t really like the thought of. I’m going to ring round the other vets in the area to see if they all do this as standard, if so I guess I’ll have to go ahead with it.
 
Are you in the UK? if so are you able to travel to Northampton at all? the vet who operated on Tim is the best in the country with dental issues and retrobulbar abscesses and people travel from as far as Scotland to see him. He is Simon Maddock at the Cat and rabbit clinic.

The Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic
 
Wow that does sound amazing, just wish it was closer to me! I saw a different vets tonight who will at least try to do the X-rays without general anaesthetic on Monday. They aren’t too hopeful they’ll get the images they need so he may well have to go under anyway but at least they’ll try. Then I think I’ll decide where to go with it from there.

His nasal discharge from the one nostril has returned but they don’t want to give him baytril again until at least after the X-ray, as it put him off his food & it’s unlikely to be a URI. Are there any home remedies I can do to help the congestion? The other vet suggested having him in the bathroom whilst the shower is on so he inhales the steam but I wasn’t sure if this was ok?

He seems to be eating but I’m going to continue with the critical care to try & make him as strong as possible if he does have the anaesthetic. Are there any other tips to best prepare him for this & give him the best chance?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top