Looking more and more like Buzz has the start of Cataracts

[helen105281]

Buzz has been worrying me slightly over the last month or so, just little things like not always getting up for his veggies and having to be encourgaed down the ramp to join Beanbag at the veggie pile and going into a areally deep sleep. He also tends to put his head really high in the air when he is looking to see what's happening. Sometimes he is there up at the grids waiting and looks the same as he always has but my instincts told me something wasn't right.

Had a proper look at his eyes last night and he has some grey cloudiness in both eyes which I think is the start of Cataracts. It definitely explains why he has been like he has.

His main layout has never changed but we have moved odd things about like pigloos and beds and he has never knocked into them. He is always first to spot the hay bag when I am filling the hayloft so I think he can still see just not as well as he used to. Will see how he goes over time bless him.

 

[Abi_nurse]

Bless him, how old is he? Ive got an older boar developing the start of cateracts too.

x.

 

[flintstones]

Bless, I'm sure you have thought of this already but I would get diabetes ruled out because Bette got noticeably ill. She would go into really deep sleep and I would have to wake her to tell her veggies where there, then she would get up.

 

[BellasMummy]

Poor Buzz, just out of interest if piggies do get cataracts is there any treatment for them does anyone know?

 

[helen105281]

Bless, I'm sure you have thought of this already but I would get diabetes ruled out because Bette got noticeably ill. She would go into really deep sleep and I would have to wake her to tell her veggies where there, then she would get up.

Yes it was in the back of my mind, will definitely get him checked by both my vet and rodentologist and see where we go from there.

 

[Wiebke]

I am so sorry to hear this!

Please have him checked re. diabetes.

There is sadly nothing you can do about cataracts in guinea pigs. Congenital cataracts are not all that rare (piggies are born with a genetic disposition that causes cataracts to come on when young or are already born with cataracts), and neither are those that come on in old piggies (like with humans).

However, after an adjustment period, guinea pigs will learn to compensate with their other senses (sight is not their strongest sense, anyway) and will get on with life like normal. I have currently three sows with cataracts and have had others before.

You will need to keep a closer eye on possible eye injuries/infections stemming from scratches or hay pokes.