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Pink Eye?

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piglet_and_rogers_mama

piglet_and_rogers_mama

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I don't really have experience in this department because none of my pigs have had any upper respiratory problems before. The other day George started to sneeze, and his eye looked a little bit runny. So I got him in with the vet, unfortunately OH had to take him because I was at work, and I didn't get the answers to some questions he didn't think to ask. Anyway, they gave him Bactrim; he has officially been on it for 24hrs. The vet said he sounds clear. He's eating, and behaving mostly normal, but his eye is looking worse. Do guinea pigs get pink eye? That's really what it looks like, at least the way humans display it. Also, the vet gave Dexter a course of antibiotics too; even though he isn't showing symptoms (preventative I guess). Does this sound right? The vet we took them too is "familiar/knowledgable," but definitely not an exotic. Should we give Dexter the antibiotics just incase? He's so little and squirmy still I know it would hard to give him meds, and I know that antibiotics upset the tum. Will an oral antibiotic take care of pink eye if that's what it is, or do we need to go back and get eye drops? Does it take a few days for it to work? Here is a picture. Thank you!
 
It's on the one eye, and it's hard to see in this picture, the "whites" of his eyes are very red. This picture was also taken after I had wiped some of the discharge off his eye so it doesn't look as weepy as it was.
 
Yes guinea pigs do get conjunctivitis (pink eye) and I would recommend getting some antibiotic eye drops from your vet for your pig. The standard treatment is chloramphenicol. The Bactrim will take a little while to kick in, but can upset the digestion so I would advise giving a probiotic (e.g. biolapis - your vet should be able to provide this) 1-2 hours after each dose of the antibiotic to help support his gut.

I'm not a big fan of preventative antibiotics when there are no symptoms, as antibiotic resistance is becoming a real problem, but it's your call. In the UK, Bactrim is called Septrin and is banana flavoured, so I tend not to have too much trouble getting my piggies to take it. You know your pigs best, but if you do start a course of antibiotics, you must complete it (in order to prevent resistance developing).

Let us know how you get on!
 
Thanks for the info. Checked on him this morning and his eye looks horrific. I looked at his lower lid and the inside is blood red. So I'm going back after work, hopefully its something treatable. And I do have him on probiotics, so at least his tummy is ok. Ill keep you posted, thanks again!
 
So I took him back to the vet, and she gave him drops for conjunctivitis. Also wants him to stay on the bactrim for another day to give it a chance to work, but she also sent us home with baytril if he doesn't seem better. She gave me a meloxicam pain pack to reduce immflamation but I'm reluctant to give it to him. Last 2 times i had pain meds, piglet and roger died..idk if thats a coincide but it makes me nervous.
 
I'm glad you've got some eye drops. Hopefully that'll sort it out quickly. I can understand why you would be reluctant to use the pain meds, but I'm sure it's not related. I guess it all depends on if he seems to be in pain.
 
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