Red and watery eye

[Cait_lin]

I went to pick up my boar Pumpkin and noticed his left(?) eye is watery, there are tears or some sort of discharge on his cheek, and you can see red between the eye and bottom lid, like it's kind of droopy or swollen. I called the vets out of hours, they said that since he's eating, drinking and breathing normally there's not much they could do tonight so he has an appointment tomorrow morning. They said to call again if he seems to be unwell.
I'm wondering if there's anything I can do until then to make him more comfortable? He seems like his happy self other than closing his poor little eye sometimes. I looked at his eye without touching to check if I could see any hay in his eye. But does it need to be cleaned? I hate thinking of him being in pain or discomfort all night but I don't want to do anything that might make things worse.
I'm also worried because I can't even take him to his appointment tomorrow, my mum's taking him because I have an appointment that I can't cancel :/

 

[Gadzy]

I did read somewhere on this forum that you can make your own your own saline solution, you could try that until you see the vets? Please try and find the correct measurements from the post though. I can’t remember off the top of my head, it may have been 250ml boiling water left to cool down with a teaspoon of salt added. Please make sure that’s correct before doing as I can’t remember

I’m sure your mum will be fine, just say what eye and the vet will look and hopefully sort out

 

[Cait_lin]

I did read somewhere on this forum that you can make your own your own saline solution, you could try that until you see the vets? Please try and find the correct measurements from the post though. I can’t remember off the top of my head, it may have been 250ml boiling water left to cool down with a teaspoon of salt added. Please make sure that’s correct before doing as I can’t remember

I’m sure your mum will be fine, just say what eye and the vet will look and hopefully sort out

Thank you, I'll look into that, he's having a little nap right now so I hope his eye might feel a little better after some rest ;-;

 

[Wiebke]

I went to pick up my boar Pumpkin and noticed his left(?) eye is watery, there are tears or some sort of discharge on his cheek, and you can see red between the eye and bottom lid, like it's kind of droopy or swollen. I called the vets out of hours, they said that since he's eating, drinking and breathing normally there's not much they could do tonight so he has an appointment tomorrow morning. They said to call again if he seems to be unwell.
I'm wondering if there's anything I can do until then to make him more comfortable? He seems like his happy self other than closing his poor little eye sometimes. I looked at his eye without touching to check if I could see any hay in his eye. But does it need to be cleaned? I hate thinking of him being in pain or discomfort all night but I don't want to do anything that might make things worse.
I'm also worried because I can't even take him to his appointment tomorrow, my mum's taking him because I have an appointment that I can't cancel :/

Hi

We recommend plain tear gel as it is more effective and longer lasting if you can get that from a pharmacy (for yourself obviously) - gel about 3 times a day at the start.
In a pinch, plain eye drops from a supermarket or pharmacy will do; you need to apply it 4-6 times a day depending on the severity as it doesn't last as long and is not penetrating as deep.

You may want to bookmark these two guides here so you can find them easily in an emergency.
First Aid: Immediate Care Measures and Non-medication Products

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

All the best with the vet visit.

 

[Cait_lin]

Hi

We recommend plain tear gel as it is more effective and longer lasting if you can get that from a pharmacy (for yourself obviously) - gel about 3 times a day at the start.
In a pinch, plain eye drops from a supermarket or pharmacy will do; you need to apply it 4-6 times a day depending on the severity as it doesn't last as long and is not penetrating as deep.

You may want to bookmark these two guides here so you can find them easily in an emergency.
First Aid: Immediate Care Measures and Non-medication Products

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

All the best with the vet visit.

Thank you very much, we just got back from the vet. He has a large ulcer in his left eye so the vet has prescribed him Chloramphenicol and told us to use Remend eye drops 4 times a day. Because of the size of the ulcer she has warned us of the worst case scenario so unfortunately I'm preparing for that as well, but hopefully the eye drops will help his poor eye

 

[weepweeps]

Good luck with the treatment. Hopefully it will clear up and not need any further treatment.

 

[Wheekallweek]

Remend is brilliant, you should hopefully see an improvement soon

 

[Cait_lin]

Good luck with the treatment. Hopefully it will clear up and not need any further treatment.

Thank you very much

 

[Cait_lin]

Remend is brilliant, you should hopefully see an improvement soon

Aw thank you, that's reassuring! I used Remend for his brother Moss when he had a ulcer as well and it really helped, but I think that ulcer was a bit smaller than Pumpkin's ;-;

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you very much, we just got back from the vet. He has a large ulcer in his left eye so the vet has prescribed him Chloramphenicol and told us to use Remend eye drops 4 times a day. Because of the size of the ulcer she has warned us of the worst case scenario so unfortunately I'm preparing for that as well, but hopefully the eye drops will help his poor eye

Hi

You can also add tear gel into the rink, as long as you wait for half an hour in between applications to the eye in order to have them fully absorbed.

The gel will help with the itching of the antibiotic (chloramphenicol is the stronger of the two available antibiotics in the UK, by the way) but the additional hydration provides comfort and an ideal healing environment, which can speed up recovery especially in areas further down that the antibiotic struggles to reach.

Please take a deep breath. I have had piggies with eye injuries that my vet and I have both had our doubts about (in one case the eye was only a third the size of a normal eye) and that my piggies have made a full recovery from. There may be ultimately some scarring left but with some patience you will hopefully get there over the coming month or slightly longer. It's still all to win for. Just keep at it. We are here for practical tips and moral support if and whenever you need it.

 

[Cait_lin]

Hi

You can also add tear gel into the rink, as long as you wait for half an hour in between applications to the eye in order to have them fully absorbed.

The gel will help with the itching of the antibiotic (chloramphenicol is the stronger of the two available antibiotics in the UK, by the way) but the additional hydration provides comfort and an ideal healing environment, which can speed up recovery especially in areas further down that the antibiotic struggles to reach.

Please take a deep breath. I have had piggies with eye injuries that my vet and I have both had our doubts about (in one case the eye was only a third the size of a normal eye) and that my piggies have made a full recovery from. There may be ultimately some scarring left but with some patience you will hopefully get there over the coming month or slightly longer. It's still all to win for. Just keep at it. We are here for practical tips and moral support if and whenever you need it.

Thank you so much for your advice and kind words! I'll look for some tear gel + that makes sense about the antibiotic as poor Pumpkin didn't seem happy after I put it in his eye Making sure to give him plenty of treats and cuddles too

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much for your advice and kind words! I'll look for some tear gel + that makes sense about the antibiotic as poor Pumpkin didn't seem happy after I put it in his eye Making sure to give him plenty of treats and cuddles too

The eye is very painful and sore and chloramphenicol needs to be kept in the fridge, so it is cold when it hit the eye.

The best way to deal with medication is to divert your piggy with some food or treat and when they are busy chomping away, either pull down the lower eye lid the vet nurses' way and give any drops into the gap between the lid and the eye or with gel pull the lids gently apart and dab the gel directly onto surface, making sure that it really goes in and doesn't end on the lid.

It is not going to be fun but once your piggy realises that it makes their eye feel better and they get big praise for cooperation, it will become a bit easier. Your own confidence and determination will transmit to your piggy.

 

[Betsy]

During Lockdown my Rainbow Piggy Shy Little Meg had really bad haypoke. She was on Chloramphenicol, Remend and Viscotears, 4 times a day for 6 weeks to get it better! Poor Meg hated being picked up and hated eye drops. Together, we saved her eye.

This is what it looked like at the start.



This is what it looked like after 6 weeks of 12 eyedrops per day.



I'm sure with your care, Pumpkin's eye will get better.

 

[Gadzy]

Is Remend different from something like Ocry gel?

 

[Betsy]

Ocry gel is a lubricant like Viscotears so yes it is different.

 

[Gadzy]

Thank you so much for your advice and kind words! I'll look for some tear gel + that makes sense about the antibiotic as poor Pumpkin didn't seem happy after I put it in his eye Making sure to give him plenty of treats and cuddles too

Good luck, I’m having some eye issues as well with mine. All the best, take care

 

[Cait_lin]

During Lockdown my Rainbow Piggy Shy Little Meg had really bad haypoke. She was on Chloramphenicol, Remend and Viscotears, 4 times a day for 6 weeks to get it better! Poor Meg hated being picked up and hated eye drops. Together, we saved her eye.

This is what it looked like at the start.

View attachment 273605

This is what it looked like after 6 weeks of 12 eyedrops per day.

View attachment 273606

I'm sure with your care, Pumpkin's eye will get better.

Oh poor Meg that's an amazing difference and really reassuring to see, thank you so much

 

[Cait_lin]

Good luck, I’m having some eye issues as well with mine. All the best, take care

Thank you very much, best of luck to you too

 

[Cait_lin]

I'm wondering, how long before/after the other drops should I use the tear gel? I'm giving the Chloramphenicol at least a couple of hours to soak in before using Remend so it doesn't flush it out.

 

[Betsy]

I leave 30 to 45 minute between eye drops.

 

[Wiebke]

I'm wondering, how long before/after the other drops should I use the tear gel? I'm giving the Chloramphenicol at least a couple of hours to soak in before using Remend so it doesn't flush it out.

Use the Remend before the Chloramphenicol to wash out any ulceration gunk and make the eye surface accessible as possible before the antibiotic so it can really do its work; that can be immediately or shortly before.
The tear gel is fine half an hour after the chloramphenicol to help soothe the eye and the chloramphenicol penetrate a little deeper and work at its best or in between session as it is not a medication. It is just hydration but it helps to speed up the healing process.

 

[Cait_lin]

Use the Remend before the Chloramphenicol to wash out any ulceration gunk and make the eye surface accessible as possible before the antibiotic so it can really do its work; that can be immediately or shortly before.
The tear gel is fine half an hour after the chloramphenicol to help soothe the eye and the chloramphenicol penetrate a little deeper and work at its best or in between session as it is not a medication. It is just hydration but it helps to speed up the healing process.

thank you that's good because at the moment I'm giving the Remend first thing in the morning, before the antibiotic
That makes sense, thank you so much, I hope it helps him feel more comfortable, it's so sad seeing how sore his little eye looks

 

[Cait_lin]

Earlier I was watching the boys together and Moss, Pumpkin's brother, walked over to him and I thought that they would start head-tossing but instead Moss put his nose against Pumpkin's neck and his left cheek (the same side as his injured eye), like either sniffing him or nuzzling him. I was worried Pumpkin would be annoyed but he seemed comfortable with it. Maybe Moss smelled the eye drops, or maybe he was checking on him because he could see his eye looked different, but either way it was really sweet Has anyone else experienced something like this when one of your guinea pigs has an injury?

 

[Ramia]

Earlier I was watching the boys together and Moss, Pumpkin's brother, walked over to him and I thought that they would start head-tossing but instead Moss put his nose against Pumpkin's neck and his left cheek (the same side as his injured eye), like either sniffing him or nuzzling him. I was worried Pumpkin would be annoyed but he seemed comfortable with it. Maybe Moss smelled the eye drops, or maybe he was checking on him because he could see his eye looked different, but either way it was really sweet Has anyone else experienced something like this when one of your guinea pigs has an injury?

Actually my submissive bullied and tried to take over when my dominant was very ill with an ear infection

Vet recommended separation and they have been neighbors 9 months.

 

[Wiebke]

Earlier I was watching the boys together and Moss, Pumpkin's brother, walked over to him and I thought that they would start head-tossing but instead Moss put his nose against Pumpkin's neck and his left cheek (the same side as his injured eye), like either sniffing him or nuzzling him. I was worried Pumpkin would be annoyed but he seemed comfortable with it. Maybe Moss smelled the eye drops, or maybe he was checking on him because he could see his eye looked different, but either way it was really sweet Has anyone else experienced something like this when one of your guinea pigs has an injury?

Moss was checking on him but also comforting his brother. That is the equivalent of a piggy kiss.

 

[Cait_lin]

Actually my submissive bullied and tried to take over when my dominant was very ill with an ear infection

Vet recommended separation and they have been neighbors 9 months.

Aw no

 

[Cait_lin]

Moss was checking on him but also comforting his brother. That is the equivalent of a piggy kiss.

Aw that's lovely Moss is such a sweet boy I'm glad he's looking out for him

 

[Cait_lin]

Update: the vet checked with the dye and found that the damage to Pumpkin's eye seems to have healed. There was still a pink section in the corner of his eye that the vet said was probably scar tissue, and his sore eye protruded less than his healthy one. But since then the pinkness has gone away and his eye looks normal and happy again thank you so much to everyone who helped and shared their own stories, Pumpkin thanks you too!

 

[Wiebke]

Update: the vet checked with the dye and found that the damage to Pumpkin's eye seems to have healed. There was still a pink section in the corner of his eye that the vet said was probably scar tissue, and his sore eye protruded less than his healthy one. But since then the pinkness has gone away and his eye looks normal and happy again thank you so much to everyone who helped and shared their own stories, Pumpkin thanks you too!

Hi

Glad that the eye is healing.
Have you got some metacam for the remaining pain in his eye (indrawn eye)?
Signs of Pain in Guinea Pigs