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Buttons has a hay poke

stef.trg

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Kirchberg in Tirol, Austria
Just got home from a walk, got Buttons out and nearly had a heart attack! Her eye is barely open, swollen and all cloudy. Not what I was prepared to see today. Got her an appointment at the emergency vet in an hour, couldn’t possibly leave her like this until tomorrow. We’re really on a run at the moment with our vet costs! 🤦🏼‍♀️

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Just got home from a walk, got Buttons out and nearly had a heart attack! Her eye is barely open, swollen and all cloudy. Not what I was prepared to see today. Got her an appointment at the emergency vet in an hour, couldn’t possibly leave her like this until tomorrow. We’re really on a run at the moment with our vet costs! 🤦🏼‍♀️

View attachment 173577

Hi!

Please take a deep breath. It is most likely just either something scratchy stuck under and eye lid or an eye poke that is just about starting to ulcerate but as there is no sign of bleeding and the ulceration is just setting, things are not on the dramatic side.

Good that you are having her seen promptly so you can step in with antibiotic drops or gel ASAP; since eye medication and treatment are the same for all common pet species, a general vet will do.
Please ask the vet for a rehydrating lubricant if they do not prescribe one themselves (more and more UK vets will actually); this helps to speed up the healing process and adds to the eye comfort. You will have to always wait for at least half an hour after applying the antibiotic eye meds (most likely isathal as you are in the UK) before you can use an artificial tear gel or lubricant to allow the antibiotic to be fully absorbed.
If your vet is not prescribing any kind of lubrication in combination with the antibiotic drops/gel, get some from a pharmacy or order online.
Artificial tear gel like viscotears is much easier to apply and longer lasting in effect than drops although drops will do if you cannot get hold of gel; you just have to give them more often, up to 6 times a day instead of just 3 times. My own vet prescribes lubrication now with any antibiotic eye treatment and I have found that it really makes a difference with the healing process. Because I have so many piggies, I always have some gel at home, just in case. It's come in handy over the years!

The eye should look back to normal within a few days but you need to keep applying the meds for as long as you have been prescribed.
The important thing with eye injuries is the prompt action as that means that it cannot deteriorate badly and will heal off again a lot more quickly and easily. ;)

All the best!

PS: My Brathlys has just presented with an ulcerating eye poke last week. Her eye is already starting to look pretty normal again with the ulceration pretty much gone now after three days of treatment thanks to stepping in promptly. The eye should be fully healed off within 7-10 days of the injury happening. ;)
 
Hi!

Please take a deep breath. It is most likely just either something scratchy stuck under and eye lid or an eye poke that is just about starting to ulcerate but as there is no sign of bleeding and the ulceration is just setting, things are not on the dramatic side.

Good that you are having her seen promptly so you can step in with antibiotic drops or gel ASAP; since eye medication and treatment are the same for all common pet species, a general vet will do.
Please ask the vet for a rehydrating lubricant if they do not prescribe one themselves (more and more UK vets will actually); this helps to speed up the healing process and adds to the eye comfort. You will have to always wait for at least half an hour after applying the antibiotic eye meds (most likely isathal as you are in the UK) before you can use an artificial tear gel or lubricant to allow the antibiotic to be fully absorbed.
If your vet is not prescribing any kind of lubrication in combination with the antibiotic drops/gel, get some from a pharmacy or order online.
Artificial tear gel like viscotears is much easier to apply and longer lasting in effect than drops although drops will do if you cannot get hold of gel; you just have to give them more often, up to 6 times a day instead of just 3 times. My own vet prescribes lubrication now with any antibiotic eye treatment and I have found that it really makes a difference with the healing process. Because I have so many piggies, I always have some gel at home, just in case. It's come in handy over the years!

The eye should look back to normal within a few days but you need to keep applying the meds for as long as you have been prescribed.
The important thing with eye injuries is the prompt action as that means that it cannot deteriorate badly and will heal off again a lot more quickly and easily. ;)

All the best!

PS: My Brathlys has just presented with an ulcerating eye poke last week. Her eye is already starting to look pretty normal again with the ulceration pretty much gone now after three days of treatment thanks to stepping in promptly. The eye should be fully healed off within 7-10 days of the injury happening. ;)
Thank you, Wiebke. That’s all very reassuring to hear! Pewter‘s hay poke in December looked nothing like this one so it was a real shock when I got her out. Eyes always look so dramatic! She must’ve done it while we were out on our walk and we spotted it 20 minutes after our usual vet closes on a Sunday, of course. But it‘s good to hear that I made the right decision in not waiting until tomorrow to have her seen - that makes the £170 consultation fee hurt a little less!

Do you know how long these lubricating gels can be used after opening them? I still have some Lubrithal from Pewter‘s hay poke in December. Is that still good to use you think?
 
Poor Buttons.
Glad you were able to get such a prompt vet appointment.
Hopefully with a course of eye drops she’ll be on the mend in no time.
 
Thank you, Wiebke. That’s all very reassuring to hear! Pewter‘s hay poke in December looked nothing like this one so it was a real shock when I got her out. Eyes always look so dramatic! She must’ve done it while we were out on our walk and we spotted it 20 minutes after our usual vet closes on a Sunday, of course. But it‘s good to hear that I made the right decision in not waiting until tomorrow to have her seen - that makes the £170 consultation fee hurt a little less!

Do you know how long these lubricating gels can be used after opening them? I still have some Lubrithal from Pewter‘s hay poke in December. Is that still good to use you think?

Look on the date on the tube. Ideally, you get a new one once shops are open again or order it online.

But the injury doesn't look too badly as these things go (no sign of blood or hay hanging out of the eye), and should likely improve massively in just the next 2-3 days. The ulceration gunk should come off quickly with the help of the lubricant. If it is any consolation to you, Brathlys looked worse on Thursday.
 
Poor thing. Looks sore. Well done for getting him seen ASAP. 😃
 
Just got back from the vets with some Isathal and a new tube of Lubrithal. The vet found quite a sizeable piece of hay that was still stuck in her eye, poor girl! Definitely glad we got her seen so quickly, that must’ve been so uncomfortable. Her eye already looks much better now that the hay is out. I‘ll get her a check up with our usual vet for the end of the week and then we should hopefully be all good again!

Thank you for all the well wishes, Buttons appreciates every single one of them 💕
 
Just got back from the vets with some Isathal and a new tube of Lubrithal. The vet found quite a sizeable piece of hay that was still stuck in her eye, poor girl! Definitely glad we got her seen so quickly, that must’ve been so uncomfortable. Her eye already looks much better now that the hay is out. I‘ll get her a check up with our usual vet for the end of the week and then we should hopefully be all good again!

Thank you for all the well wishes, Buttons appreciates every single one of them 💕

It rather looked like something could be stuck under the eyelid to me, from the way the ulceration gunk was coming out from underneath the lid and that the eye was still looking painful.

Glad that it is mainly a surface wound that should heal off easily and quickly now that the offending item has been removed. ;)
 
Ouch poor girlie. Why do these things always happen at nights or at the weekends? Well done for getting her seen so quickly. Your prompt treatment will no doubt have helped her chances for a speedy recovery,
 
Ouch poor girlie. Why do these things always happen at nights or at the weekends? Well done for getting her seen so quickly. Your prompt treatment will no doubt have helped her chances for a speedy recovery,
I know! Our usual vets is actually open on Sundays but only from 10am - 1pm. It honestly felt like she waited till they were closed to dive into the hay bag 😂
 
Eye is looking much better already today. No more swelling & gunk and she seems perfectly comfortable so I‘m happy about that! She does seem to have a slightly upset tummy as her poos are quite soft today. They‘re still formed but quite a bit bigger and some of them are a little teardrop shaped. Not sure whether it‘s stress or food related but will keep her off veg until her belly has settled again :) Poor girl, eyedrops and no veg. This will get me some stink eye!
 
Glad the eye is beginning to heal already.
Isathal drops are very effective.
You are not going to be popular if you don’t give bribes with the eye drops :D
 
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