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Can Anyone Give Me Some Advice On My Guinea Pigs Eye Please

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Shelboner

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I have recently been given a boar about 2, I bought a young male he is about 3 months old. They play together a lot but have started fighting. I believe my old male has biten or scratched the younger ones eye. I've have been to the vet and have been given antibiotics and pain killers for him. But I don't know if I should go back his eye has improved slightly but it's been a week now. His eye is normally black and has gone red with a dent in the middle and a yellow scab over the mark... I'm so worried as he is a awesome pig and I don't want to put him through anything that he doesn't need to be put through. Thanks in advance.
 
How long a course of antibiotics were you given? Normally the vet would see you again in 7 days if there wasn't any improvement.

Eyes are very delicate, so if you have any doubts please don't hesitate to go back. My boy had an ulcer on his eye a few months ago, and he made a vast improvement in a few days. So, if your pig were mine I'd take him back.
 
Shelboner said:
I have recently been given a boar about 2, I bought a young male he is about 3 months old. They play together a lot but have started fighting. I believe my old male has biten or scratched the younger ones eye. I've have been to the vet and have been given antibiotics and pain killers for him. But I don't know if I should go back his eye has improved slightly but it's been a week now. His eye is normally black and has gone red with a dent in the middle and a yellow scab over the mark... I'm so worried as he is a awesome pig and I don't want to put him through anything that he doesn't need to be put through. Thanks in advance.
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Please contact your vet promptly whenever there is a deterioration or no visible improvement after 2-3 days; usually your vet wants to see a piggy again within a week's time. This sounds very nasty indeed and urgently needs to be seen!
 
Jaycey said:
How long a course of antibiotics were you given? Normally the vet would see you again in 7 days if there wasn't any improvement.

Eyes are very delicate, so if you have any doubts please don't hesitate to go back. My boy had an ulcer on his eye a few months ago, and he made a vast improvement in a few days. So, if your pig were mine I'd take him back.
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He has made some improvements. The vet I saw wasn't the best she didn't say how long to give him his antibiotics. But she said the eye looks dead and she mentioned getting it removed. But also said if it's dead it can be okay left in as its 200 quid for rwmoving it. I am going back next Friday as I havent got the money for another consultation till then. But he has become more himself over night and running round eating more. But I know he can't see out of it and the vet said she doubts he will see properly out of it.
 
Wiebke said:
Please contact your vet promptly whenever there is a deterioration or no visible improvement after 2-3 days; usually your vet wants to see a piggy again within a week's time. This sounds very nasty indeed and urgently needs to be seen!
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He hasn't deteriorated at all, it's just very slow. But the vet said guinea pigs can be hard to tell. He seems really happy and playful still. I have seen the vet 4 days ago and she said a week or so... and he hasn't got worse. And the eye seems clearer and cleaner just a funny colour red. It's not weeping and it was when I went to the vet and she looked at it. If anything he has got better in person I'm just unsure about his eye. And need some reassurance or advice. If I can load a picture I will post one?
 
Shelboner said:
He hasn't deteriorated at all, it's just very slow. But the vet said guinea pigs can be hard to tell. He seems really happy and playful still. I have seen the vet 4 days ago and she said a week or so... and he hasn't got worse. And the eye seems clearer and cleaner just a funny colour red. It's not weeping and it was when I went to the vet and she looked at it. If anything he has got better in person I'm just unsure about his eye. And need some reassurance or advice. If I can load a picture I will post one?
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I would still recommend to see your vet whenever an eye is turning red (bloody) in the course of a nasty injury. At least you are always free to ring the clinic and ask the treating vet whether he would recommend you coming in to have the eye checked if there is a new development in an ongoing case.
 
Okay I will ring the vet now and see what see she says. I just hope it's nothing bad. It might be the eye dying? She said that could happen and it hasnt popped she looked at it properly. Thank you for your advice I will keep you updated :)
 
Shelboner said:
Okay I will ring the vet now and see what see she says. I just hope it's nothing bad. It might be the eye dying? She said that could happen and it hasnt popped she looked at it properly. Thank you for your advice I will keep you updated :)
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It is always a very anxious time when you are dealing with a severe eye injury as to whether you can save the eye or not. :(

Of course, it is very much worth trying to save the eye, even though guinea pigs adjust well to the loss of an eye and don't lose quality of life if they do. We have got several members with guinea pigs that had to have an eye removed.
 
It's very expensive for me to get the eye removed. I suffer from mental difficulties and have been signed off. I got the pigs to help with my anxiety which they do very well :) I think if they say tomorrow that it needs to be removed I will have to put him to sleep :'( as I wouldn't want him to be in pain.
 
Shelboner said:
It's very expensive for me to get the eye removed. I suffer from mental difficulties and have been signed off. I got the pigs to help with my anxiety which they do very well :) I think if they say tomorrow that it needs to be removed I will have to put him to sleep :'( as I wouldn't want him to be in pain.
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Concentrate on sending your boy healing thoughts and speak to your vet if you have doubts to make sure that he ets all the support possible. ;)

PS: As the eye is an enclosed body, removing the painful eye ball will actually not hurt as much as you imagine and he will not live in pain afterwards.
 
Please don't put a healthy guinea pig to sleep...

Although I haven't had a pig have their eyes removed, I have one who is blind in both eyes and she has no issues whatsoever, she adapted very well.

Like @gizzy has mentioned there are ways to get help with payment.

And if none of them are an option you could hand him over to a rescue instead of having him put to sleep
 
I will look in to options about getting help with the payment. But if I can't afford 200 quid for it is it fair to let him be in pain? What rescue places can I take him if the worst is the worst? I don't drive ether. Do you really think I want to put him to sleep?! And I do sit with him and comfort him. So he is well loved here, I just want to do what's best for him not me. So I want to know all possible routes
 
I have no doubts you love him very much and I fully understand how hard it is with vet bills, but there are some other options.

However much it would cost to have him put to sleep, could you ask your vet if you could pay that towards the eye op and pay up the rest in installments?

Are you in the UK? The RSPCA/SSPCA are sometimes able to help with vet bills depending on your circumstances.

You could hand him over to a rescue or use this link for the Blue cross which may be able to help
What if I need to give up my pet?
 
Where are you located?

Unfortunately, one of my guinea pigs was humanely euthanised in December, after her eye worsened for a second - I opted for euthanasia, as the eye could not be saved, and I did not have a competent veterinarian to perform an enucleation etc.
 
I'm based in andover Hampshire. I have spoke to pdsa and I'm not in their area. I can't get hold of the rspca atm and have sent a email and will ring again first thing tomorrow, I think they can help reduce the cost and I can borrow the money, my mum says she will pay some of it as a birthday present. I'm booked in to see the vet Monday I will speak to her about it. She did warn me that it's likely the eye might not survive. I'm extremely gutted and I will do anything I can to, not have him put to sleep. He has a amazing temperament and he is a awesome colour.
 
I've already seen a vet at pets at home. Do you know how much a consultation will be there as I have limited funds and as ive already seen the vet there is cheaper. Thank you :)
 
Guinea-pigGaga said:
John Chitty has a very good reputation!

Anton Vets

And they can arrange payment plans!
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That sounds promising. :nod:

Are u sure its not foreign object /grass seed or something?
Has he had his teeth checked, sometimes accesses can cause eye bulges/problems.

One of my girls had a bad eye, she hadpain killers & eye drops &the eye hadn't cleared up after 2days so I took her back as the eye was cloudy &and a bit bloodshot.
When I went back the vet had a good look &still couldn't find a problem. She was just about to go back in her carrier &I spotted a green fleck in her eye.
It was a grass seed had got lodged in her eyelid &worked its way around the back of the eyeball. The vet &I managed to get it out &I was to give her eye drops for at least another 7-10days &go back in a few days if still no better.
Luckily she improved quickly when the seed was removed &was fine afterwards.
I think it was Tiacil drops or possibly fulcalthmic (sp?) drops -although these are now under a new name that I can never remember!

Please enquire about paying in instalments. A lot of vets are good at helping where they can&offer this as a compromise for owners.

Try phoning Anton vets as suggested &see if they can advise on costs,treatment &instalment payments to make things easier for u.
I think he's more of a specialst vet than vets for pets. He would probably have more experience &success rate with eye removals if needed anyway.

Eye removals aren't the end of the world &guineas still have a good quality of life by the sounds of it from other members on here going through it.

Keep trying with theRSPCA a friend of mines cat was involved in a car accident. &they offered to pay for a big percentage of it.
So keep trying them too. Good luck.
It would be such a shame for u to lose him just because of his eye problem.

Healing vibes for your little man &speedy recovery. Xx
 
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GPTV said:
That sounds promising. :nod:

Are you sure its not foreign object /grass seed or something?
Has he had his teeth checked, sometimes accesses can cause eye bulges/problems.

One of my girls had a bad eye, she hadpain killers & eye drops &the eye hadn't cleared up after 2days so I took her back as the eye was cloudy &and a bit bloodshot.
When I went back the vet had a good look &still couldn't find a problem. She was just about to go back in her carrier &I spotted a green fleck in her eye.
It was a grass seed had got lodged in her eyelid &worked its way around the back of the eyeball. The vet &I managed to get it out &I was to give her eye drops for at least another 7-10days &go back in a few days if still no better.
Luckily she improved quickly when the seed was removed &was fine afterwards.
I think it was Tiacil drops or possibly fulcalthmic (sp?) drops -although these are now under a new name that I can never remember!

Please enquire about paying in instalments. A lot of vets are good at helping where they can&offer this as a compromise for owners.

Try phoning Anton vets as suggested &see if they can advise on costs,treatment &instalment payments to make things easier for you.
I think he's more of a specialst vet than vets for pets. He would probably have more experience &success rate with eye removals if needed anyway.

Eye removals aren't the end of the world &guineas still have a good quality of life by the sounds of it from other members on here going through it.

It would be such a shame for you to lose him just because of his eye problem.

Healing vibes for your little man &speedy recovery. Xx
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Thank you. XX The vet did check him over very well and it's very clear his eye is damaged from a bite or scratch. When I discovered the injury his eye was white and he was secreting white liquid which I have been told is normal, and he had a mark on the front of his eye, I immediately took him to the vets, she told me it is quiet a bad injury and that he might just see light and dark if it heals, she did say the eye may die and sometimes that can be fine, but if it dies and it keeps getting infected he will be in pain a lot, I could get it removed but it would cost 200 quid which is a lot to me! :( so I thought I would try saving it first, she has given me metacam painkiller and isathal eye drops. It has improved the swelling and it is cleaner and he seems a lot happier. But the eye has gone completely red and the mark on the front has turnt into a scab and dented in not loads just a bit. And I have no idea if this is normal. There is no foul odour or pus so I know it's not infected. But I also know guinea pigs hide pain well. The vet has made me a check up appointment Monday so my fingers are crossed. I explained on the phone the redness. BTW it's not blood red it's more a lighter red. Which has worried me. Xx
 
Hope your little one gets better soon and you get the help you need. My Alby was blind in one eye and he lived a full life. Well done for doing the best you can. Hope all goes well.
 
Isathal yes that's the new name.

Can u give him his doses spread out evenly throughout the day just to rehydrate his eye? Or is it only a couple of doses a day anyway?

Ask the vet to See if u can give the drops more frequently if he only has 1-2doses anyway.

At. Least the swelling is Going down which is a good sign :)

Sounds like he has some ulcer damage as well as the initial injury.
Fingers crossed it heals quickly &dont worry -you're doing well so far. :)
Let the meds do their work, dont try to rush it by touching the scab.
Xx
 
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Shelboner said:
Thank you very much. BTW mine is called baggins :)
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What a gorgeous name, I'm sure something will turn up, you clearly love your Piggies to bits. The PDSA are naughty they will help you even if you are out of the area, they have done it for one of my pets. I'd ring them again. If they & the RSPCA help with the cost you may be able to raise the rest of the money.
Hang in there I have mental health issues, & my pets keep me going. Keep in touch & let us no how things are going with Baggins
 
Haha okay phones are funny like that :P I do love him to bits and he is only 3 months old and he helps me relax and take my mind of things which can be very hard. He helps more than any meds have done for me. His eye isn't that dry it's like a moist scab and he has been making his own eye liquid which has helped. I haven't touched his eye at all and he is living in my bedroom at the moment to keep him away from hay Beeding and anything to irritate it. Don't worry he still has hay to eat. Thanks for the support guys it's help me tonnes! x
 
How do I post a pic on here to show you guys? I'm using a phone
 
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