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Retracted Eye.... Advice And Information Appreciated.

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Tazzle

Tazzle

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello... newbie here. I found this great looking forum when googling retracted eye as I had never heard piggies did this, well certainly not to the extent I see now in newly arrived piggie called Oli.

I have experience with all sorts of little furries and manage a facility where people with disabilities learn to care for rescued and adopted animals.

A piggie arrived yesterday and at his health check he appeared to have no left eye. All I could see was a pink crater with dark spot in middle. At first I thought he either had a congenital absence of eye is a damaged eye removed but the lids had not been sewn together to prevent infection or foreign body entry.

I contacted people that had handed piggie in and they said it had been watery but otherwise normal four days ago. Whipped him off down to vet urgently and she said it looked like he had retracted his eye... I did not think they could do it to that degree and any info I have found is minor compared to this. Cause not yet known but vet says probably conjunctivitis needs treating first so that hopefully then be able to see the actual eye. Oli on chloramphenicol eye ointment 3 times a day and review tuesday. He finds any touching near eye painful.

He's otherwise very well, eating enthusiastically , drinking well and pooing normally.

Looking for anyone who's had any experience of this to find out more.... nothing much on any of the websites I go to ... or coming up on Google. All contributions appreciated.
 
Normally eye medication works pretty quickly so if he's not any better in a couple of day's then I'd take him back to the vet.

Did the vet check the eye to see if he had something in it? Hay pokes or getting a hay seed in their eye is one of the more common eye issues.
 
Thank you for replying Jaycey
We both checked for foreign bodies but could not see anything. He has an appointment for Tuesday to see if any improvement so fingers crossed eye will have improved enough for us to actually see it a bit more.... all we can see of the eye itself is less than 1cm slit this morning which is an improvement since yesterday.
 
Inprovement is good! Hopefully it continues.

Worst case scenario though, I've had a pig that had an eye removed and he was fine afterwards. If you have a good piggy vet then any surgery should be fine.

Obviously we want the eye drops to work though and he's all okay. Fingers crossed!
 
Jaycey said:
Inprovement is good! Hopefully it continues.

Worst case scenario though, I've had a pig that had an eye removed and he was fine afterwards. If you have a good piggy vet then any surgery should be fine.

Obviously we want the eye drops to work though and he's all okay. Fingers crossed!
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For sure would rather it gets better but I am prepared if it doesn't. Most animals do fine with eye removal and everyone already been advised to talk to him before picking him up... well that's just manners lol... and to bring hands in from sighted side first to pick him up.

He is a chatty wee boy and already tucks his head under my chin chuntering away.
 
Update on Oli.... there was no improvement in poor Oli's eye. It remains sunken and practically invisible despite the chloramphenicol and analgesia. Concensus is that a foreign body may have damaged it severely prior to his arrival.with us and that it's unlikely to be viable.

He is to have op to remove the eye so that he does not suffer any more pain and with the socket closed it will prevent any other foreign body or infection setting in.

He is such a lovely wee character and a gentleman when we have, of necessity , had to look at the eye or apply the ointment.

Healing thoughts for him much appreciated.
 
Tazzle said:
Update on Oli.... there was no improvement in poor Oli's eye. It remains sunken and practically invisible despite the chloramphenicol and analgesia. Concensus is that a foreign body may have damaged it severely prior to his arrival.with us and that it's unlikely to be viable.

He is to have op to remove the eye so that he does not suffer any more pain and with the socket closed it will prevent any other foreign body or infection setting in.

He is such a lovely wee character and a gentleman when we have, of necessity , had to look at the eye or apply the ointment.

Healing thoughts for him much appreciated.
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Healing vibes being sent for your boy xx
 
Good luck to you and wee piggy! Healing vibes for you little one, hope all goes well!
 
Poor little sausage. I've got my fingers crossed for the surgery! Good luck Oli!
 
when is Oli going in for the surgery?

Healing vibes & fingers crossed for a full & speedy recovery. xx
 
He is having the operation today..Friday. GP TV. He appears so far to be full of spirit and resilience.... I hope I am right.
 
Oh fingers firmly crossed for him. Wishing him a speedy recovery x
 
Hope the operation goes ok. If it helps my Tim had his eye removed for a different reason and he has coped really well. We are now over 18 months down the line and he is doing great.
 
Fingers crossed for little Oli.

My Eliza had her eye removed back in 2013. She had a few complications afterwards (not with the surgery and recovery itself as she recovered very well)

She adapted very well to just having the one eye and you wouldn't have known without looking at her.

We sadly lost her in 2014 due to old age xx
 
Thank you Helen and Claire for your comments Glad to hear that they both did well post op. I suppose given sight isn't their principle sense for dealing with life they won't be too hindered by losing one.

Sadly Oli did not get his op today... 2 emergencies came in so there was no time. Back again Monday.
 
Aw. I know it can't be helped but it's a frustrating wait :hug:
 
As long as it does not adversely affect his eye, which I doubt, we don't mind.
 
I've got no experience with Guineas and eye removal BuT one of my puss cats had hers removed a few years back now and it was definitely the best thing for her. She has had no problems with the operation or otherwise, obviously her perception has changed but it's never impacted her adversely at all. Good luck to your little sausage x
 
I've got no experience with Guineas and eye removal BuT one of my puss cats had hers removed a few years back now and it was definitely the best thing for her. She has had no problems with the operation or otherwise, obviously her perception has changed but it's never impacted her adversely at all. Good luck to your little sausage x
 
Animals do usually seem to just get on with it unlike us humans .... and I suppose that as they make better use of smell and hearing than us too they are less disadvantaged by loss of an eye.

I hope it gets done Monday so he can go back with his new buddies.
 
Good luck to your piggie- I hope the op goes well. The good news is that they are not as reliant on eyesight as we are... one of my pigs went blind in her older age due to cataract formation and she has done remarkably well adjusting. He should do fine with one eye. Please keep us posted!
 
Freela said:
Good luck to your piggie- I hope the op goes well. The good news is that they are not as reliant on eyesight as we are... one of my pigs went blind in her older age due to cataract formation and she has done remarkably well adjusting. He should do fine with one eye. Please keep us posted!
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Thank you.

Just had a thought... was my hubby pick him up from vets Friday and I have just realised I don't know when a gp should not have food from pre op. I know they can't vomit so might not need as much as other animals but overnight a long time.

Anyone advise me please ?
 
Thank you tiamolly. I thought it might be so but would have been gggrrr if I hade got him there to be told I was wrong.
 
Yes you must not starve a piggy before an op, please feed him as normal & even put hay etc in his carrier when you drop him off for his op. Hope all goes well :)
 
Tazzle said:
Thank you.

Just had a thought... was my hubby pick him up from vets Friday and I have just realised I don't know when a gp should not have food from pre op. I know they can't vomit so might not need as much as other animals but overnight a long time.

Anyone advise me please ?
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My guinea pigs never had to forego food preop. The concern is vomiting, as rodents cannot vomit it should be okay.
 
Well after all that Oli did not have his eye removed after all. !

While he was sedated vet had good look at eye and said that while it was sight less and the conjunctiva was adhering to it the site as a whole was not infected and that the risk of haemorrhage /infection/ anesthesia was probably more than if it was just left.

She left the final decision to me and given risk of anaesthesia for piggies I was kinda on the spot... she said if oli was hers she would leave it for now.

So little cuddles is back pert as ever. ...I hope we have made the right decision.
 
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