Eye ulcer recovery

[Aga]

Unfortunately my guinea pig (4-months) got eye ulcer. She must have done it yesterday. I noticed eye squintting so I flushed it with saline. Later the eye became a bit red and I noticed that the ulcer is scratched. I called the vet and had a visit today in the morning. By that time small white spot appeared and the eye became cloudy. The vet was not exotic one but ophthalmologist. She got antiflammatory injection (without steroids) and Gentamicinum (antibiotic), Diclofenacum natricum (antiflammatory) and Cornergel (Dexpanthenolum) for corner regeneration. What are the chances that she recovers and her eye will be saved? I did everything that I could but I am so worried Is it possible that her mate did it? There no fights between them but the dominant one comes to the smaller and it looks as if she was trying to bite her. The smaller one then squeaks loudly and runs away. Should I separate them?

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[Piggies&buns]

Often these kinds of injuries are caused by hay poking the eye. Haypokes are common. If it was caused by a haypoke then as long as treatment was administered quickly - and it sounds like you got her to a good vet quickly (although we wouldn’t have recommended flushing it out before seeing a vet), then recovery is often very good. Both of my two boys have had haypokes and their eyes were looking much better within a couple of days and fully recovered within a week. Although this does depend on the extent of the injury.

Do not separate them. It does not sound like there are any grounds to suspect their relationship has broken down. The squeaking and running away is often a sign of submission which means their bond is fully functioning and there are no concerns.

 

[Wiebke]

Most eye injuries happen from hay pokes or accidental scratches. They are a fact of life with piggies.

The occasional scratch from a misjudged leg swipe (which is the equivalent of a little nudge to keep somebody away from you) can also happen, but please never separate piggies unless they have had a serious fight with deep bloody bites. Instead of helping, you just stress out both piggies and their bond unnecessarily.

Most aggression in guinea pigs is not caused by them, but by their owners, who keep unmatched boars in too small, unsuitable cages and have not the first idea how piggy society works. If piggies are well kept in a spacious accommodation and their owners have taken care to also take likes and dislikes into account (instead of opting for looks), then serious fights are RARE because piggies have mechanisms in place to avoid them, as long as one of them can move away out of reach. It is really as simple as that!

Ulceration (the film on the eye) is not uncommon. Eye injuries tend to deteriorate very quickly but they thankfully also very often heal quickly again if seen and treated promptly. You are not reporting any of the more potentially serious problems, so I would take a deep breath.

Make sure that you get the meds in regularly. What generally helps with the healing process of an injured and infected eyeball is plain artificial tear gel (more effective than plain tear drops) to keep the eye well hydrated during the healing process. You can apply it 3-6 times in 24 hours but you have to wait for at lease half an hour after putting any medication into the eye to make sure that it is properly absorbed.

Ask somebody else to hold your piggy while you gently pull down the lower lid and get any drops in.
If you are on your own, distract them with food or place your piggy on your knees, facing away from you with a bowl of its favourite veg, fresh grass etc. in front of its head. Wait until it is fully absorbed in stuffing itself and then slowly sneak in the drops or gel from the dead angle behind the head. Guinea pigs don't multitask, so you have a better chance. It may take a few attempts, especially at first while the eye is still painful and sore, but it usually becomes easier once the eye has started healing and your piggy is realising that you are actually helping.

 

[Aga]

Eye looks a bit better. But the dominant piggy still chases her. She comes close to her, starts touching her nose, chin, ear etc. and suddenly tries to bite her. Then she squeks loudly and runs away. It is really stressful for me to hear it. How long will it last? Forever?

 

[Deleted member 114675]

One of my sows got a hay poke yesterday . I have posted a picture of what her eye looks like today on my thread .

Sparkle’s got a hay poke

 

[Piggies&buns]

During a guinea pigs teenage months (4-14 months of age), these kinds of dominance behaviours are to be expected. As long as it stays as mild dominance behaviours, then you need to let them sort their relationship out. The fact that there is a squeak and running away, may sound distressing, but it is a sign of submission. You do need to keep an eye on them but you mustn’t step in unless a full on fight occurs (if they decide they don’t like each other, then they will need to be separated). Do read the guides on bonding behaviours in the bonding section to get more information.

I am glad her eye is starting to get better.

 

[Wiebke]

Eye looks a bit better. But the dominant piggy still chases her. She comes close to her, starts touching her nose, chin, ear etc. and suddenly tries to bite her. Then she squeks loudly and runs away. It is really stressful for me to hear it. How long will it last? Forever?

Nipping is a carefully judged gesture of power - it lets the underpiggy feel the teeth without breaking the skin. The correct answer is getting out of the way and submission (NOT pain!) squeaking. It is mild to medium dominance behaviour and nothing to worry about.
You may find these guides here helpful in understanding what is going on:
- Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts) (includes a chapter on dominance behaviours in sows)
- Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics (very helpful for learning to understand key social interactive behaviours and dynamics)