Patrick has a cloudy eye pupil.

[Hannah_xx]

He is acting completely normal, full of energy, massive appetite and just as inquisitive as ever. But he has something wrong with his eye.
The pupil is cloudy/blue. I can’t see any trauma or anything suggesting he’s poked it. Maybe cataracts? But that eye also has a bit of crust so maybe not?
I’ve been applying eye drops today.
The other eye is fine.

Think my pigs want me to set up a tent outside the vets!

 

[Hannah_xx]

I’ll make a vet appointment for tomorrow.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Aw, his eye does look a bit odd, it could be a number of things but a vet check will find out what’s wrong. These piggies, such a worry, I always think they go in runs, one sets off all the others. I’m sure it will be easily sorted x

 

[Flutterby]

Sending healing vibes x

 

[PigglePuggle]

Poor gorgeous Patrick, it does look a bit crusty like maybe there's a haypoke or infection, hope the vet can sort him out! X

 

[Wiebke]

All the best!

Only a vet check with dye under ultraviolet light can tell you whether you are dealing with a hay poke that is not ulcerating on the surface but further inside the eye.

My Begw had this just the other week; it's healed perfectly within a week with the correct treatment.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

Otherwise you could be dealing with a dimming of the lens (cataract, nuclear sclerosis).

 

[Cave Of Cavies]

It could possibly be glaucoma, perhaps.

 

[Hannah_xx]

Just got back from the vets!
Patrick doesn’t seem to have haypoke or any damage as such to his eye after doing the eye stain drop stuff.
My vet isn’t the most experienced with complicated piggy things (but I like and trust her which is why I see her). But she agreed it could possibly be cataracts, as it seems to be in the lens. And I’ve noticed his eyesight isn’t so good anymore .However he does have slight redness on the white of his eye. She phoned the exotic vet to have a chat to him about it and they decided for now to apply ACULAR eye drops once a day, and to give him some metacam. And for me to monitor it, and look out for any changes. Then, once things have settled down for me with the other pigs we can look into it some more. But of course if anything changes I’ll take him back ASAP.

 

[Emx93]

Healing wheeks
My piggies want me to pitch a tent at the moment too I think xx

 

[PigglePuggle]

Healing wheeks for Patrick, those eye drops are a very strong anti-inflammatory medicine for eyes, they should get rid of any redness and swelling and make his eye more comfortable for him x

 

[Bill & Ted]

Sending healing wheeky wheeks to Patrick x

 

[Wiebke]

Just got back from the vets!
Patrick doesn’t seem to have haypoke or any damage as such to his eye after doing the eye stain drop stuff.
My vet isn’t the most experienced with complicated piggy things (but I like and trust her which is why I see her). But she agreed it could possibly be cataracts, as it seems to be in the lens. And I’ve noticed his eyesight isn’t so good anymore .However he does have slight redness on the white of his eye. She phoned the exotic vet to have a chat to him about it and they decided for now to apply ACULAR eye drops once a day, and to give him some metacam. And for me to monitor it, and look out for any changes. Then, once things have settled down for me with the other pigs we can look into it some more. But of course if anything changes I’ll take him back ASAP.
View attachment 133535View attachment 133534

All the best!

Cataracts in guinea pigs can't be operated on but yours is not very far developed as the eye in your pictures is still rather more red than purple or even blue in more advanced/fully developed cataracts when you take a picture with flash light (please try not to do it often).

The eye drops should get on top of any inflammation.

Having any changes in the eyes checked is very important as problems tend to blow up very quickly and get worse very quickly.

 

[Hannah_xx]

All the best!

Cataracts in guinea pigs can't be operated on but yours is not very far developed as the eye in your pictures is still rather more red than purple or even blue in more advanced/fully developed cataracts when you take a picture with flash light (please try not to do it often).

The eye drops should get on top of any inflammation.

Having any changes in the eyes checked is very important as problems tend to blow up very quickly and get worse very quickly.

Thanks Wiebke.
The photo above, in his hammock isn’t his bad eye, that’s his good eye.

Glad the drops will help with any inflammation.
If he does have cataracts, I understand they can’t operate on it but what will be done? I’m not worried if he loses his sight but is it a case of leaving the eye to gradually glaze over?

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks Wiebke.
The photo above, in his hammock isn’t his bad eye, that’s his good eye.

Glad the drops will help with any inflammation.
If he does have cataracts, I understand they can’t operate on it but what will be done? I’m not worried if he loses his sight but is it a case of leaving the eye to gradually glaze over?

It is not the eye that is glazing over but the lens IN the eye that is gradually clouding over and going opaque. It is basically like you are trying to look through ever thickening sheets of paper.

Here is a picture of my dedicated cataract group, which ran from 2011-15. you can see that the three cataract sows have all cataracts of different strengths:


There is nothing you can do about this. Pleae do not wrap a cataract piggy in cotton; the more you challenge them, the more quality of life they have.

Our enrichment guide actually features several cataract piggies of mine if you look closely!
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

 

[Betsy]

Betsy has cataracts but her eyes haven't glazed over. She gets around OK. It took a while for her to adjust as she was bumping into things all the time but now she has adjusted she's fine. The vet said that she can probably see shadows but that is all. She isn't as cautious as the others cos she can't see. At veg time she smells the veg and practically steps out the hutch when I open the door. As she is on the top floor this isn't really the best thing to do.

 

[Merab's Slave]

Merab had cataracts and was completely blind for the last few years of her life.
She still lived a full and active life.
She was just a bit slower and more cautious but that could have as much down to age as blindness

 

[alpacasqueak]

My Rainbow Piggy Sheepy had very similar with the start of his cataracts, the other eye started with the same not long after. It didn’t affect him hugely, he just followed his ‘Guide Pig’ cagemate Reggie around a bit more for the first few months, after that he really wasn’t fussed! Could still smell his food and that was definitely the most important thing in his life!
Hope gorgeous Patrick does well x