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Help :(

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1stTimePiggieOwner

1stTimePiggieOwner

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We have just took Guinness and Bailey out of their cage to go in the run and I've noticed Guinness seems to have a poorley eye.

His right eye seems very red/pink around the edges and he seems to be struggling to keep it open. He is fine in every other way from what I can see and is eating and drinking normally.

We've only had the boys since last weekend and I am distraught he seems to be having something the matter already:...

Is there anything I can do for my little man at home?

We brought the boys from Pets at Home so I was going to give them a ring in the morning but wondered if we could do anything for him tonight. Or do you think he needs a vet now? We don't have a vet as never needed one before theese are our first guineas and I'm frightened for my little cutie.

Please Help!
 
Pets at home say that for 7 days after you purchase a guinea pig - if anything is wrong with it, their vet will look at the piggy and will pay for any treatment so I would definately give the vet at pets at home a call in the morning
 
It can well be that he has scratched his eye somehow.

You could try and wash it out with saline solution (1/4 tsp on 1 pint of boiled, cooled water).
 
Thank you for that. I'll give them a ring first thing! I hate seeing it look so sore.

Should we bathe it tonight do you think or just wait and see what Pets at Home say in the morning? I don't want to do more harm than good.

I feel really bad. x
 
Ooops, think we cross-posted there Vicky.

Should we do it with cotton wool or just sort of rinse it? As you know we're not entirely confident with them yet?

I could cry, I really really could.

Also I would have pushed the thanks button but it appears to have vanished so sorry about that. x
 
If you are not all confident about handling the piggies, I would leave it. You may upset him even more than he is.

Just get him to a vet as quickly as you can tomorrow morning. Make sure that htere is nothing that can stick to his eye in the cage.
 
My partner says he is happy to give it ago as Guinness is more placid than Bailey. Should we use cotton wool or rinse it (ie pour the solution over the area)?

I will ring PAH in the morning anyway and if they are unhelpful will sort out another vet.

Poor Guinness, although to be fair it doesn't seem to be bothering him really and currently he is in the run munching on some carrot. Bless him. x
 
Rinsing the eye is preferable - wet a cotton wool ball and gently squeeze it over the eye. Don't actually touch the eye, just give it a really good rinse and it should soothe things a little.

It sounds like he may have had a hay poke, which is quite common, there's probably nothing you could have done to prevented it. There are other causes of such a symptom, but hay pokes tend to be most common in young piggies and would lead to a sudden soreness of the eye. Try not to worry, you are doing great so far. :)

Do register with a good vet as soon as you can though, it's important to have one you trust before you actually need to visit the vet. I'm sure we can recommend someone fairly near you.
 
Thank you very much ccc4, we'll see what we can do with the rinsing then and will get Pets at Home onto it in the morning hopefully seeing as they should still be under "warranty" (sounds like a new tele doesnt it?!)

I just didn't think we'd be needing a vet so soon, I just didn't think. Poor piggies, with a novice mummy and daddy! I will have a look on that "recommend a vet" thread as soon as tomorrow is over and Guinness is doing better.

Thank you so much.

x
 
I am not sure about using the vets at Pets at Home - is there a good vet near you? If so whizz him in ther and then give the bill to P@H! We've done it before.
I'm sure your little piggy will be fine! x
 
Have a look under the eyelids for signs hay/grass. Rinse the eye with sterile saline, available from a chemist/optician. The eye may need antibiotic ointment, if there is an infection. Chloramphenicol is the one most used, again available from a chemist, but say it is for yourself not a gp.
 
Update,

I rang pets at home and they were wonderful! They said for us to contact our own vet and get a diagnosis and treatment for Guinness. Then to take any bills to them and they will refund us any money we have had to pay with no questions asked. They also said that if we feel uncomfortable administering any treatment at home ourselves then we can take Guinness and Bailey into them and they can stay there untill Guinness' treatment is over. I think that is excellent excellent customer service. Although we won't take the boys there, we will do it ourselves at home but still I'm impressed.

So anyway I've just rang Alfreton Park Vetinary Hospital, not our nearest vets but it comes highly recommended on the thread on here so I chose them. The receptionist was lovely and she said she would get a nurse to call me back as soon as possible to asess whether Guinness needs to go in today or whether we can treat him at home (bathing I presume?!) until Monday.

I feel much much calmer now and the good news is that Gunness is still munching away and seems happy enough even with his poorly eye.

Thanks for the advice last night everyone, I was feeling very sad and like I'd let my poor boy down.

I'll let you know what the nurse says.

x
 
Phew result. Glad pets at home were reasonable. I had to use the service soon after having my guineas. I got 2 (not from pets at home) and then another from pets at home who got very unwell and died pretty soon afterwards. Their vet just wanted to put the guinea to sleep and not do any treatment but we decided to try treatment with our local vet first. She died and then one of our other 2 caught whatever the pets at home one had and she got unwell but recovered. For weeks I felt really down about it all. It's hard when you first get them and they are poorly quite soon afterwards.

Pets at home paid the vets bills for their guinea, the treatment my other 2 received and they provided compensation and another free guinea (which I reluctantly took as I heard them saying she was being kept on her own in a cage as she had sneezed!) I was pleased with their efforts but just wish they wouldn't stock animals. Okay rant over!

Glad your baby is getting treatment from a wonderful and recommended vet. Let us know how it turns out.
 
Thanks Lisa, on reflection I wouldn't buy animals from Pets at Home again as the advise they give when selling them isn't particularly accurate but I am pleased with what they have said this morning.

When I brought the Guineas I didn't realise there was so many out there that needed adoption else I would have gone down that route. I guess I'm quite naive really.

Thanks again for the advice. The nurse rang back and we have an appointment to see them at 11:30, hopefully Guinness will be back to normal soon.

x
 
Just to update you, Guinness saw a lovely lovely vet at Alfreton Park this morning. He had to have some dye in his eye and this showed up an ulcer which the vet said has probably been caused by hay or even him scratching it. She prescribed him some antibiotic cream for us to put in his eye twice a day and she's asked to see him again on Friday to make sure he's getting better.

Panic Over, phew!

Thanks again for all the advice.
x
 
I am very impressed with how things went! Not only impressed with Pets at Home's recommendation that you see your own vet and present them with the bill, but also that you were able to find and see a great vet. Job well done!

Hope Guinness is now on the mend.
 
Result! Glad guiness is on the mend, great you have found a good vet already.

I wouldn't buy from there again either but when you're new you just don't know. We were there for hay yesterday and there was a guinea all on their own hiding. It was very tempting to get them so they wouldn't be lonely or bought by someone as a single guinea pig but I had to physically tell myself NO.
 
Thank you both. We seem to be doing quite well putting the cream in his eyes, he is really very good though and sits perfectly still whilst we do it. Bless his little heart.

x
 
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