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Deaf and blind - how to tell?

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sophiew (EAGPR)

sophiew (EAGPR)

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This is one of the 16 Ginger piggies that Teresa took in earlier this week, who is now with me. She was very aggressive initially, both to pigs and people (she was housed alone when collected).

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When I was hoovering earlier, the other pigs ran away but she sat at her bowl munching her food, completely unconcerned. It occurred to me that she might be deaf (as she has been living outside and certainly isn't used to hoovers!), so I did a few tests, clapping each side of her, and whistling at various pitches - nothing.

Teresa had already suspected the pig may have problems with her sight, and she has a small cloudy circle in each of her eyes. Again, how do I tell? I know their sight isn't great anyway, but she seems oblivious to hands waved in front of her, although I think maybe she can see light / shade.

She is currently living by herself as she refused to accept any of the other pigs as cage mates at Teresa's.

How can I tell if she is blind / deaf and if she is - what are her chances of bonding with another pig?

She has been out for cuddles tonight in one of Pollie's Cozies and seemed comfortable and even friendly. She's currently in a playpen eating greens. She doesn't seem to walk into anything but feels her way gingerly (excuse the pun! :)))

Sophie
x
 
I have a blinde piggy (Gypsey) but she has full hearing as far as I know. We found out she wsa blinde because of the cloudyness in the eyes, its gradually got worse and worse and now one eye has a very large amount of white in it. It was confirmed by the vet who tested it via a light test.

She copes fine and you wouldnt really know it unless you watched her for ages as then you can see she uses the other pigs abit, she uses sound and touch. This might not help if your piggy is also deaf but all my pigs are taught to know words and my voice, and they know to come to their name etc which has helped Gypsey alot. So might be worth trying to teach her commands too if she isnt deaf...

But something that might be able to help is I found the voice only got her to come towards the sound if I was just calling her whereas tapping the cage base/floor makes her come to the exact point I am/she needs to be. It makes no real noise so I think she uses the viabrations/feel of it.

With bonding I had to think of this lately because Tallulah her cage mate was going to have a spay (just had it) and there was a slight chance we might lose her. So I decided to adopt a third pig, Montana, so if something happened to Tallulah or Montana she always has a familiar face. I think it was important because she does follow and copy them/use their smell to find her way around if something changes.

Gypsey doesnt knock into things too much, but occasionally she will nose it abit.

ETA: You can see Gypseys here...

Cataracts004.jpg
 
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It looks like she has cataracts and is deaf as well. Poor girl!

One of my earlier piggies developed cataracts on both eyes, but still had her hearing and learned to follow my voice.

Perhaps you can introduce her to a very laid back neutered boar for company - but she may just react aggressive or confused to other piggies' advances.
 
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I've been watching her in the playpen tonight and she can get about ok - and I think she can see partially, enough to climb up the side of the pen rolleyes but I really don't think she can hear - I sneezed and she didn't even flinch.

She's a sweet girl.

Sophie
x
 
As you know I had Sleepy who was deaf and blind, I am sure she will make friends with another piggy who will help her immensly as a guide and a comfort, just finding the right piggy.
Also, if she has some "agressive behaviour" she may be scared if she is deaf/blind and may not have been handled alot to know she is safe and not going to come to any harm, or is the behaviour Pain somewhere?
I am sure with regular handling she will gain your trust :)
 
I have a piggy who is suspected to be blind and deaf, as she has blue eyes, and blue eyes in animals are supposedly linked to deafness. She is very calm and likes to be held tight. She doesn't squeak, and she makes funny throaty 'breathy' noises that sound like she is poorly, but she's not. She lives with many other pigs (part of a group of 14) and has been with her best friend Lucy since I got them. She is the sweetest and most lovely guinea pig ever x) She eats and drinks etc just like a normal piggy but she does do the 'gingerly walking' thing you've described!
 
I am glad my suspicion of cataracts has been confirmed - she is not completely blind, but can see light and big splashes of colour.

Hopefully, you can find her that goodnatured sow or boar that will take her under the wing.

Perhaps you can develop a way of light petting "contact" touch to alert her to your presence; I did that with Mischief.

I know it sounds a bit weird, but guinea pigs can receive our thought pictures when we try hard to think at them. You may use it to tell her what you are about to do, like feeding, picking up, bathing etc. It takes some practice. My problem is that I can't receive piggy thoughts back - but not for lack of trying!
 
I have no advice (sorry!) as have no experiance with blind or deaf animals, but she is a cutie! I hope that you can find a piggie that she will accept and look after her. Perhaps if she lived alone before being rescued she is acting aggressive out of fear and once she calms a little, she may accept a laid back piggie?
 
Just treat her like any other pig. She probably knows no different anyway. Daphne doesn't, and loves her friends xx
 
"I know it sounds a bit weird, but guinea pigs can receive our thought pictures when we try hard to think at them. You may use it to tell her what you are about to do, like feeding, picking up, bathing etc. It takes some practice. My problem is that I can't receive piggy thoughts back - but not for lack of trying! "

If you can't receive pig thoughts how do you know they have received your thought pictures?
I will say on the thread what I would say to you in person, I think it is a lot of nonsense, unless you can provide us with independently verified evidence to the contrary.
 
I have been reading this with some interest, and I wonder wether placing a small mirror next to your piggy might be useful, as it could perhaps reflect some light through the sides of the piggys eyes where it can actually see and for those who are deaf as well it would give them a chance to learn to lip-read what you are saying. It may take a little time to teach them this but they are so worth the effort
 
As an American tennis player once said "You cannot be serious".
There is very little difference between genius and insanity.
 
Well my pigs are very bright and I am sure they would pick up lip-reading if they needed too. just because they dont talk to us in English doesnt mean they dont understand or have there own language.And perhaps the anus is on us to try and learn to speak there language.I thimk there needs to be some reserch done to see if we could learn there language
 
I've contacted the chap where this group of pigs came from to see if he could give me any info on this sow. All he said was that he had noticed that when he put his hand in her cage with food she pushed her nose against his hand - all the other pigs ran away.

I'm guessing she was probably sniffing in the direction of food which confirms suspicions of her being partially sighted. He hadn't noticed if she was deaf but they were all living outside in cages in a large shed so not sure he would have noticed anyway. He was very eldery and I dont think he could hear or see brilliantly himself - not knocking him too much though, the pigs are in good condition and were clean and well fed.

Teresa x
 
Teresa J said:
I've contacted the chap where this group of pigs came from to see if he could give me any info on this sow. All he said was that he had noticed that when he put his hand in her cage with food she pushed her nose against his hand - all the other pigs ran away.

I'm guessing she was probably sniffing in the direction of food which confirms suspicions of her being partially sighted. He hadn't noticed if she was deaf but they were all living outside in cages in a large shed so not sure he would have noticed anyway. He was very eldery and I dont think he could hear or see brilliantly himself - not knocking him too much though, the pigs are in good condition and were clean and well fed.

Teresa x
Click to expand...


Thanks Teresa - I don't think I'd have noticed the deaf thing if it wasn't for the hoovering (rare in this house! :))) as I know it sets my others off and she just sat there.

Not sure how easy it's going to be to find her a 'friend', as she seems to want to eat other piggies! rolleyes but she's a sweet girl and can be an indoor pig and live alone if she chooses

Sophie
x
 
Wow, you who have lip reading and mind reading pigs sure have talented pigs :)) I love mine to bits but I will not accuse any of them to have any talents except for squealing for food and generally messing up the cage. Just to give you a general picture, mine have issues finding pieces of cucumber that have fallen from their open mouths.

It just made me laugh a little, probably because I'm a naturally sceptic boring lawyer with no imagination. It's my loss.

And I'm not trying to offend anyone. It must be lovely to feel you have such a connection with your piggies!
 
Dont mean to be rude Skrikopanik, but you are probly very scientific, and maybe need to get in touch with your touchy feely side. sort of get in touch with nature more
 
" perhaps the anus is on us to try and learn to speak there language.I thimk there needs to be some reserch done to see if we could learn there language "


Perhaps the phrase "up yours" would be an appropriate response....(maybe not)
 
Polly said:
Dont mean to be rude Skrikopanik, but you are probly very scientific, and maybe need to get in touch with your touchy feely side. sort of get in touch with nature more
Click to expand...

I try to touch nature a lot, but right now most of it is buried under two feet of snow. I do grow grass on my windowsill and eat a lot of veggies (which I share with my piggies). Hopefully this will help with my scientificness.
 
When Rosemary had her operation, she needle cut straight down the nerve. Now when we are doing something noisy, the other two run inside but she acts as if nothing happened.
On one ear, she is a little deaf but as long as deaf guinea pigs are in a safe home, they will be fine.
 
I think the important thing is to establish rituals and contacts so that she isn't startled by things, like being roughly picked up without warning.

However, as this doesn't seem to be a new development, she has obviously come to terms with her situation and will be used to it. You can always find ways to enrich her world by introducing new smelly things to explore. Scent is obviously her strongest sense left, so you will be able to play on that.
 
Petra I do have to agree with you, mine have veg fallout there mouth and can't for the life of them find it. As much as I would love to have that kind of a bond with a piggie, I just think it is impossible... but they do come for there veg so i'll be happy with that and chew there bars when I dare not have it in time for them such clever little piggies :))!

She is gorgeous either way and the fact she doesn't react to anything she is clearly not bothered otherwise I would suspect she would be terrified and wouldn't be out in the open in the first place... Afterall pigs do like to hide, although when they are confident I find they do this less... none of my pigs ever hide now... but FRed used to be forever hiding!
 
i can't send messages to my pigs, but baxter sends them to me.

he told me he's going to take over the world.
 
Piggies are lovely little animals but I would have thought the main part of there thinking is- food as in.
Where is the food- is the food here yet- what food is it - how much food- is there more food- is that the fridge door opening .. you get my drift.
 
Of course one big problem for the lip-reading suggestion is that piggies have poor eyesight anyway - even the ones that can see normally. They won't be able to perceive something as small as different lip movements.
 
^ i was thinking this :))
i think if you have a piece of carrot and think "come and get this carrot" very hard, it's more likely that your pig has smelled it than received your thought waves >.<
 
Don't know why we've hijacked this thread with debating whether or not guinea pigs are psychic and know how we're thinking/feeling :x
It was supposed to be about blind deaf pigs!
 
It's all tied in with trying to communicate with a blind/deaf pig. In a roundabout way!
 
Pigs arent as 'simple' as some people are trying to make out. My pigs know their own names, and some commands, they know what the word 'no' means for example. I cant see my pigs picking up me mouthing words though...but never tried it.
 
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