Hay in his eye

[paul1979uk]

Charlie likes to burrow and last few days ive noticed he's got hay in his eyes. Tiny bits, actually on his eye ball. He doesn't seem bothered by it, he seems more bothered by me trying to brush hay away from his eyes. Can it damage them?

 

[carrot_and_parsnip]

Hey, I see no one has answered and I don't know the exact answer, but I think it's only a problem if the hay pokes the eye and injures it or goes behind the eye. Here's a link that might help you http://www.guinealynx.info/eyes.html
Hopefully someone else will come along soon and give you a more specific answer

 

[Wiebke]

Tiny bits get usually washed out, but sometimes a bit of hay can get stuck under a lid or poke the eye and cause an ulcer on the cornea. if you see the eye cloud over and go milky, you should see a vet. Thankfully, eye problems tend to clear fairly quickly again, considering how dramatically they can come on!

Whether your post gets seen, depends on how long it stays in the "New posts"(top bar) section. If it is cleared off quickly, then it won't be seen and you will have to bump it up again. This forum is just a members forum.

 

[paul1979uk]

Cheers both. Was just a bit concerned that he had some hay on his eyeball. Ill keep an eye on, well, his eye.

 

[GuineaPigg]

Whenever any of my pigs get hay in their eyes and it won't come out naturally I get some cotton wool and dip it in cooled boiled water, I don't actually touch the eye with the cotton wool, I just give it a squeeze and the water goes on the eye and washes the hay out.

 

[paul1979uk]

I got back from a weekend away yesterday and his eye was closed, inflamed and surrounded by yellow stuff. My parents who'd been looking after him assured me he was fine the day before but my mother had thought his eye might be watering. Took him to the vet and it turns out he has hay in his eye. She took it out and I have a cream that I have to put in his eye twice a day, easier said than done. What's the first thing he did when we got home, buried himself in his hay. Sigh!

 

[Toffeewoffee]

Bless him, this is why i put my hay in a hay mainger (if thats how you spell it) They cant bury under it then, also when topping up their hay i make sure they are out of the way so that bits dont fall on their face's.

It may be worth buying a different type of hay or investing in a hay manger.

Hope he makes a speedy recovery.

 

[Wiebke]

You will have to try and make sure that he isn't sleeping on woodshavings and hay; they can stick to the gel and cause the same problem again.

The best way for me to the gel in is by sitting the piggy on my knees, facing away from me, with a plate of grass or other treat in front of it. Wait until it is absorbed in the food and then try to get the gel in by moving slowly from an angle. The first couple of days are the most difficult, as the eye is painful and very sensitive. It gets a lot easier once the gunk has cleared and the eye is a lot less inflamed.

 

[paul1979uk]

You will have to try and make sure that he isn't sleeping on woodshavings and hay; they can stick to the gel and cause the same problem again.

The best way for me to the gel in is by sitting the piggy on my knees, facing away from me, with a plate of grass or other treat in front of it. Wait until it is absorbed in the food and then try to get the gel in by moving slowly from an angle. The first couple of days are the most difficult, as the eye is painful and very sensitive. It gets a lot easier once the gunk has cleared and the eye is a lot less inflamed.

Hm, his cage is lined with hay, would something else be better? He really likes to burrow and get cozy, is there something that won't stick in his eyes?