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Guinea Pigs Eyes

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craftybabe

craftybabe

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I have recently taken on 2 guinea pigs from my mum, who can no longer care for them. They are very fat so on a diet. One has what looks like a cataract and it looks very sore. I can get to the vets next week but until then is there something apart from washing it i can do to help him.
He is about 4 so still young and seems to be ok apart from his eye.
 
How much do they weigh? Guinea pigs come in all shapes and sizes so they may not be overweight. Which diet have you put them on? I would get your little one to the vets sooner. Guinea pigs hide signs of pain or illness and if it looks sore it will feel very sore. With eye injuries piggies can end up losing an eye so it needs quick action.
 
It could be a hay poke and if so he needs the vets as soon as possible as he will likely need drops and pain relief. If it is a cataract he will not be in any pain. My Fuzzy has a cataract and she is only 2.
 
I will get him to the vets when i can but my local vets are awful for only seeing you with full payment. His eye is milky in colour and red around the edge, I am changing the bed every day to keep them clean. I will weigh him to see what he is as i am unsure. I have only ever had hamsters so have lots of hamster bits but just started out with guinea pigs. My mum was not keeping them clean so were in a dirty small cage but now they are in a bigger one x
 
That does sound like a hay poke. Have you a PDSA, blue cross or RSPCA hospital near you? They see people on low incomes.
 
He weighs 2 and a half pound so thats about 1kg ( i think) . I'm not sure about pdsa i will have a check. x
 
craftybabe said:
He weighs 2 and a half pound so thats about 1kg ( i think) . I'm not sure about pdsa i will have a check. x
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That is a healthy weight. He is not overweight at all so no need to worry. It is good to weigh piggies regularly as any weight loss alerts us to illness.
 
the rspca do cover this area so have there details will contact them for help. Glad he is a good weight , they both seem big but then i am used to small hammies x Thank you guys :-))
 
That is great. RSPCA is a drop in so you should be able to take him right away. I would take both for a check up to ensure all is well. Do you know what to feed them?
 
yes have guinea pig food, got hay and straw, ginger is allergic to bedding we use for hamsters so have normal shavings for them as well. they are on gertie guinea pig x
 
Straw is not suitable bedding for guinea pigs as it is to harsh. I would switch to vetbed or fleece. Gertie guinea pig is really a junk food. It is best to buy a pellet and slowly switch them over to it. Are they getting two handfuls of vegetables daily?
 
Yes on veg for breakfast and late in the day. I used hay to start with but was told not to so got straw. I can go back to hay as have some here. They hate pellets chuck them out the bowl lol. I will try different ones see how they do x
 
They need to have unlimited hay. 80% of a guinea pigs diet needs to be hay. They have to graze on it constantly. I would not use hay as bedding as they can get hay pokes. How big is the cage? It needs to be a minimum of 60 by 140cm.
 
cage.webp this is the cage they are in and are indoor guinea pigs as my mum had them indoors.
 
You may like to switch to a c and c cage to give them more space and light. I love c and c cages. Have you taken them to the vets? Thee eye really needs checking.
 
I will get a cage like the c and c one when move to a house. As I'm in a flat so piggies still at my mums for now i just care for them. She has a cat so they need to be in a cage thats safe from cat so he doesn't go for them. I am waiting for rspca to reply to my call as they are 10 miles away from me. I do not drive so do not want to take them in unless know i can be seen....will be to stressful for them. I am cleaning 3 times a day with water.
 
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