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Eye Removed :(

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Addie

Hello,

I've got a Guinea Pig who in the space of a week developed a very bad eye infection. There appeared to be no damage at all to the eye initially and the eye bulged out of the socket quite badly. We took him to the vets who prescribed some eye drops but they didn't seem to help and he cried every time we tried to treat it.

You could tell he wanted to eat, but he really struggled even with parsley leaves.

Eventually he must have scratched the top off his eye and the vet said the only option would to be either remove it or have him put down as he was in pain with it and had lost a lot of weight.

Hopefully we made the right decision in having it removed and he seems much brighter since the operation. The vet said there was an abscess behind the eye and a lot of puss behind it. It cost £100.

Currently he is on antibiotics orally and his eye socket is still weeping. I think he has pulled his stitches as the wound has opened up a bit.

He is eating again, but very slowly and we need to separate him from his brother who eats 5x as fast!

We named him Mojo because he was so full of energy and wanted to explore everything and was very friendly, but now when we go out to him he squeaks until he is picked up and then falls asleep. You can't take your hand off him because he squeaks and looks around for you.

I wonder if anyone has had any similar experiences? We are at work all day so are unable to care for him and just wonder if we need to find someone for him to hand feed him and give him the attention he wants at the moment.

Pic:
Mojo brown (left eye removed), Harvey right (with white).
 

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Welcome to the forum Addie.

Your lovely Mojo really has been through the mill lately, hasn't he? With eye infections it can be hard to weigh up the right time to go in for surgery but it sounds like you did the right thing. Ideally the cavity would have been left open to allow for easier draining, and for the area to have been flushed and "packed" more easily.

Fingers crossed for a good, full recovery for Mojo!
 
Hi! Welcome to this forum!

Wishing your Mojo a good and full recovery.

He should adjust well to having only one eye; thankfully sight is not the strongest sense. Just refrain from approaching him from his blind side.

I have had a blind guinea pig once (cataracts, so I'm no help with your boy), but she continued to enjoy life to the hilt.
 
I'm no help but I wanted to say poor baby.

Do you think he's eating enough to keep his system going?

I can only imagine how hard it is to watch him and I will have my fingers firmly crossed that he makes a good speedy recovery and adjusts to life with one eye very quickly. Poor Mojo
 
OH I was going to add that if he's eating enough I would save him further stress and keep him with you and with his cage mate. He's been through alot. If you're nursing him when not in work that should be okay as long as he's eating and getting all the antibiotics / meds he needs.

HUGS
 
Best practice is either to not suture the eye lids at all or else to remove any sutures after a couple of days.
My pig that had an eye removed showed very little change in behaviour, as long as the nose still works for finding food, that is the main priority!
Some residual discharge is to be expected for a short time. Sterile saline is what I would recommend for flushing out the socket.
 
Thats What Is Happeing To My Guinea!

I have a guinea pig called patches his eye recntly swelled (his actual eye ball) and the vet said it is either a cyst or a tumor but it costs far to much they want over £200 and he would also have to have his eye removed!
They have given me antibiotics as he seems perfectly happy and we dont think he could see out of that eye anyway!
But this is the first place i have found were the same thing has happened to some one else, if he does get bad and needs surgery i was just wondering how your guinea is coping?

I have already lost one guinea recently (Paxo) I couldnt face another one :...

The picture is of Patches and Paxo as babbies! :)

Thanks Catherine x
 

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Hi Catherine, sorry to hear your guinea pig is poorly. The Original Poster, does not post here often, so not sure what the outcome was. Hopefully the medications will work, and surgery won't be necessary. I think Laura will be able to help with advice about that. With regard to coping with blindness, I have a little guinea pig who's eyes were born asleep, and she is amazing, she knows her way round the cage, her good hearing means she can follow your voice and your hands, and she has no problems at all. So, if ultimately an op is necessary, provided there are no other problems, blindness itself won't worry your pig. x
 
I have made a little children's picture story about a piggy of mine that went blind with cataracts on both eyes. I hope that that gives you a bit of a boost.


As long as you try not to approach your piggy from the blind side (they don't like that), your lovely furball will be fine!
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=33420
 
Just want to say 'Get Well Soon Mojo'.
Poor little chap, he really has had a rough time, but I'm sure he'll be fine with the love and attention he deserves. All the best Addie!
 
If you give him a good feed before work then again after that should be plenty if he is eating a bit himself, don't let him rely too much on the syringe feeds if he can eat.
 
Addie hasn't posted for many months, often people join to get medical advice and then disappear again; this thread began 8 months ago.

Catherine, could you post a new thread about your piggie? It'll ensure people actually see your guinea's story as people often reply to the first post, not everyone reads through all the replies and looks at the dates, and it's easier to follow your piggie's treatment if you've your own thread. :)
 
Hopefully he will be ok, the only thing i think he would miss is eastenders! I know that sounds silly but he squeaks like mad when the theme tune comes on and doesnt stop until you pick him up so he can see the tv, and he LOVES to follow the rabbit around, he isnt an average guinea pig ... i think he thinks he is a dog to be honest :))

xx
 
How do you create a thread and shall do one?

And Luckily he doesnt need seringe feeding he is still being a bit of a fatty espically for spinage!

Thanks x
 
my mom had a 1 eyed rabbit that lived a long and happy life
just follow the vets after care instructions
also because she only has 1 eye she might be startled if you to pet her on that side
so just move in slow for awhile or if she's facing away with the good eye make sure she knows your there before you try to pick her up or pet her
neat little fact because she will only have 1 eye that remaining eye will get stronger to compensate for the removed eye
 
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