Guinea Pig Crusty Eye/ Sneezing

[Maya.Antoinette]

I just got my guinea pig two days ago and he seems to be sneezing a bit and his eyes are a little crusty. He’s three months old and his brother seems to be fine. He’s also eating and drinking alright and they had oranges this morning and he’s eating the oxbow vitamin C treat now. I don’t know if this is normal or should I be worried?

 

[Maya.Antoinette]

I just got my guinea pig two days ago and he seems to be sneezing a bit and his eyes are a little crusty. He’s three months old and his brother seems to be fine. He’s also eating and drinking alright and they had oranges this morning and he’s eating the oxbow vitamin C treat now. I don’t know if this is normal or should I be worried?

So I just realized that both my new piggies are sneezing. Allergies? What do I do?

 

[Freela]

These are signs of an upper respiratory tract infection and they should be seen by a vet as soon as possible for assessment and antibiotics. A lot of pigs in pet stores are stressed and not kept under great conditions- it's nothing you've done wrong and they came to you with this bacteria, but as it can get worse (even fatal) in a hurry, please see a vet as quickly as you can for them!

 

[Wiebke]

I just got my guinea pig two days ago and he seems to be sneezing a bit and his eyes are a little crusty. He’s three months old and his brother seems to be fine. He’s also eating and drinking alright and they had oranges this morning and he’s eating the oxbow vitamin C treat now. I don’t know if this is normal or should I be worried?

Hi!

Please have your new piggies vet checked if in any doubt. Check your hay and bedding for dust, as well as checking for pollen.
The crustiness on the eye is from a little milky eye cleaning fluid and nothing to worry about. With advanced URI you are looking for thick snotty yellow/green crusts that glue the eyes together.
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?

Please feed peppers of any colour and do not feed fruit for vitamin C. The acid in fruit can cause tiny cracks in the lips through which bugs can come in and can cause cheilitis, lip infection, which can be fatal depending on the nature of the bug,
You may find the sample diet picture and our feeding tips in our general diet guide very helpful to feed a long term balanced hay based diet for long term health and improved longevity.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

All links are part of our new owners guide collection, which addresses specifically all the areas we get the most questions and concerns about. They are based on our own long term experiences and are as practical and step-by-step as we have been able to make them.
The guides cover anything from settling in and making friends with your boys (including a spot of piggy whispering!); understanding their behaviour; housing/bedding, tips for a sustainable diet and how-to care guides; learning what is normal and not; life long health monitoring and when/how soon to see a vet etc.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

You can access our full guide collection on a very wide range of topics via the shortcut on the top bar.

 

[Zoespigs]

I've never fed mine oranges due to the acidity. One of my bed use to get sore runny crusty eyes when I had her on bedding but since I put them a fleece 3 years ago she has been fine. Alot of dusty bedding such as shaving etc affects them.