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One Eyed Piggy

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Louise's Zoo

Louise's Zoo

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I'm soon to be collecting my new piggies. One is a 2 year old girl and the other is her baby daughter. The baby only has one eye. Born that way. I had a look at her and mum for the first time last week and just had a general quick look over and all seemed well. Both are adorable. I didn't look at her missing eye much but I am visiting them again next week and I'm going to have a proper look and see what's what.

Does anyone here have a one eyed piggy?

Is there anything special I need to do for her?

Do you have any tips or advice for me?

TIA.
 
Awwww bless her. We had a blind one eyed piggy. There is noting special you will have to do to be honest. Does the little one have sight in her remaining eye?
 
It should be okay. Guinea pigs, fortunately, rely on their other senses far more than their eyesight. The only care I can think of is that, if the socket and eyelid is still open, you may have to gently clean any discharge with a Q-tip in sterile saline, as sometimes even without an eye the tear glands may still be functional, leading to eye lubrication with nowhere to go.
 
Well I went to see them both today and had a good look at babies eye. She has a fused eyelid and when I gently tried to open it, it looked to me like she had an eye inside. Could she have a fully working eye in there but just a fused eyelid? Is there anything I can do? There was no discharge or weeping and the eye area looks very normal and healthy, just tightly closed.
 
Only thing you can do is take them both to the vet for a check over and express your concerns, are they from a rescue or a breeder? Rescues should get her sorted at the vets first, but breeders and such probably won't bother. There may be something you can do with the eye, so it's always worth checking :) Just keep a close watch to make sure it doesn't get infected, that's what I do.

I have a little girl who was born with a cataract and her eye is tiny where it never grew. She can't see out of it so she's a little more skittish and often runs into things, but as long as you approach your piggy on her good eye side and talk to her softly then there shouldn't be a problem :)
 
They are coming to me, free, from a breeder who is no longer going to breed guinea pigs. I will definitely get them vet checked if the breeder can't. Just want the best for them.

The baby is very good to handle (as is mum) and doesn't seem any different in her behaviour, despite the lack of vision. I'm really, really hoping that maybe there is a perfect eye there and the lid just needs a bit of expert help to open. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
 
Well do let us all know if the baby has an eye under a fused eyelid nor not! I for one need to know!
 
My daughter just reminded me this evening that years ago we had a new born baby bunny that was born with one eye closed. (re homed a rabbit from pets at home and it gave birth a few days after we got her!) I now remember the same thing happening, we thought it was sealed closed but after a few days gently bathing the eyelid, it started to open and there was a perfect eye underneath!

I'm going to go see the piggy on Wednesday, possibly tomorrow if I get time and I'm going to suggest we/I bathe the eye and just see what happens.

I really want to know as well!
 
My Tim has one eye after the other was removed due to an abscess behind it. He copes really well and the only time we notice is when he wheeks in the wrong direction.
 
An update!

Went to see the piggies again today. I bathed Eileen's closed eye and it did open very slightly but it seems that the eye opening itself is too small and wont stay open. I can't tell if there is an eye underneath, I think there may be but if there is I suspect it is very small. So it looks like the eyelid just isn't formed correctly and will remain closed, but not totally fused as I first thought.

I will be bringing them home in 2 and a half weeks. Baby Eileen, mummy Eva and aunty Edna! So excited.
 
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