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Scratched Eye?

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laureng91

laureng91

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi everyone.

I got home from work about an hour ago. Went to get my pigs in from the garden and saw one of my piggies looks like she has scratched her eye! I didn't notice it this morning when I put them out and I've checked all the others over and they're all fine. She'll be going to the vets first thing in the morning but just wondered if anyone has any advice. A friends pig had the same issue a while back and she ended up having to be pts so I'm quite worried. I've attached pictures of her good and bad eyes to show.

Thanks, Lauren.
 

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Hmm not sure, I think the vet might put some green dye in to make sure it's not an ulcer. It's what they did with our dog and one of our guinea's. I hope it's nothing bad.

I'm sure someone with more knowledge will reply soon :)
 
Holly has had a few hay scratches in her time. If you aren't concerned about an ulcer then salty water on some cotton wool applied twice a day will do to clear it up! The eye may cloud over and look like a cataract. If you are using salty water and it doesn't clear up in just over a week then a vet visit will be needed! Hope this helps!
Ps check there is no hay or whatever made the scratch stuck in there! Looks the same as Holly's was so I wouldn't worry if it starts improving within a week.
 
laureng91 said:
Hi everyone.

I got home from work about an hour ago. Went to get my pigs in from the garden and saw one of my piggies looks like she has scratched her eye! I didn't notice it this morning when I put them out and I've checked all the others over and they're all fine. She'll be going to the vets first thing in the morning but just wondered if anyone has any advice. A friends pig had the same issue a while back and she ended up having to be pts so I'm quite worried. I've attached pictures of her good and bad eyes to show.

Thanks, Lauren.
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It looks like an ulcerating eye if the blue film is on the outside of the eye. Please have her seen promptly. Generally, eye injuries heal off pretty quickly with the right and prompt treatment. Don't treat on spec. It can be caused by a scratch or a hay poke.
 
Thanks guys. The first thing I thought was she'd poked hay in it. I'm calling the vets first thing in the morning and hoping they can get me in before I start work at 11!
 
Wiebke said:
It looks like an ulcerating eye if the blue film is on the outside of the eye. Please have her seen promptly. Generally, eye injuries heal off pretty quickly with the right and prompt treatment. Don't treat on spec. It can be caused by a scratch or a hay poke.
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Sorry if it sounded as if I was disagreeing with going to the vets. My mum doesn't usually let me take piggies to the vets unless they are ill or very injured. So in my experience with hay pokes salty water to keep it clean has worked as it healed. I do recommend a vet visit for any issue really!
 
please see a vet tomorrow/ASAP, eyes are a very fragile/delicate bodypart, with guinea pigs they heal very quickly generally, with the correct treatment (often tiacil or fulcamthic ?spelling is rubbish?) as long as its done quickly, however they will spiral quickly out of control if not treated promptly or complications occur.

get the vet to check for foreign bodies under the eyelid too, My Grace had a tiny grass seed (fluffy looking ones) had gone into her eye, it wasn't spotted by myself or the vet at first & didn't see any improvement, as the seed was continuously rubbing the eyeball making it cloudy & ulcerated.
within days it had improved when seed removed & treated, her eyes now look perfect.:wub:

previously i have boiled & cooled some water to tepid/cool temperature &dissolved a pinch of salt in it & bathed as an emergency measure overnight, don't put in too much salt as this will sting & stress out your piggy (i aim for a tiny pinch in an egg cups worth of water).

ask for a painkiller too if you think she may be in pain- i know how much it hurts with a bit of grit or an eyelash in my eyes :(
if its going red/bloodshot it more than likely hurts:(

good luck let us know how you get on.... ps i love her brown flecking colour:luv:

Ellie, Grace & i. xx
 
xxaimeexx said:
Sorry if it sounded as if I was disagreeing with going to the vets. My mum doesn't usually let me take piggies to the vets unless they are ill or very injured. So in my experience with hay pokes salty water to keep it clean has worked as it healed. I do recommend a vet visit for any issue really!
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It is VERY important to have any potential eye injury seen by a vet promptly; not doing so can end up in the loss of the eye/eye removal operation that is a LOT more expensive and risky compared to seeing the vet for a scratch/poke or something sharp stuck under the eye lid that can be easily remedied with the right kind of eye drops. Unlike you, a vet can test for the nature and severity of the injury. Just using salt water is not enough in anything that has perforated the surface of the eye.

Please be aware that our strict forum policy to seek vet care comes at the high price of many piggy lives where this has not happened or happened too late. :(
 
GPTV said:
please see a vet tomorrow/ASAP, eyes are a very fragile/delicate bodypart, with guinea pigs they heal very quickly generally, with the correct treatment (often tiacil or fulcamthic ?spelling is rubbish?) as long as its done quickly, however they will spiral quickly out of control if not treated promptly or complications occur.

get the vet to check for foreign bodies under the eyelid too, My Grace had a tiny grass seed (fluffy looking ones) had gone into her eye, it wasn't spotted by myself or the vet at first & didn't see any improvement, as the seed was continuously rubbing the eyeball making it cloudy & ulcerated.
within days it had improved when seed removed & treated, her eyes now look perfect.:wub:

previously i have boiled & cooled some water to tepid/cool temperature &dissolved a pinch of salt in it & bathed as an emergency measure overnight, don't put in too much salt as this will sting & stress out your piggy (i aim for a tiny pinch in an egg cups worth of water).

ask for a painkiller too if you think she may be in pain- i know how much it hurts with a bit of grit or an eyelash in my eyes :(
if its going red/bloodshot it more than likely hurts:(

good luck let us know how you get on.... ps i love her brown flecking colour:luv:

Ellie, Grace & i. xx
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Thank you! she's a lovely looking pig! :)
 
Good that you have had her checked promptly; a shallow scratch should heal off within a week. She should feel noticeably better in a couple of days. If you find it difficult to get the eye drops in, try distracting her with her favourite food.
 
That's good :D hopefully it'll heal up nicely :) Never dilly dally when a piggie has a problem, they have a habit of going down hill very fast depending on what they have.
 
Wiebke said:
It is VERY important to have any potential eye injury seen by a vet promptly; not doing so can end up in the loss of the eye/eye removal operation that is a LOT more expensive and risky compared to seeing the vet for a scratch/poke or something sharp stuck under the eye lid that can be easily remedied with the right kind of eye drops. Unlike you, a vet can test for the nature and severity of the injury. Just using salt water is not enough in anything that has perforated the surface of the eye.

Please be aware that our strict forum policy to seek vet care comes at the high price of many piggy lives where this has not happened or happened too late. :(
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Sorry Wiebke I was trying to apologise for sounding as if I was saying that you didn't have to go to the vets. I would take the piggies to the vets even if it was a minor injury but especially an eye injury and any health concern really. With Holly's first injury I went straight to the vets. Then it happened again and when I phoned the vet they said to do the same as last time with salty water and if it didn't heal in a week to come get eye drops. I hope I'm not in any trouble for saying that ;.( I don't think you were getting my point. Holly's eye is fine now and I was just sharing my experience as I knew that @laureng91 would be taking her piggy to the vets anyway. Sorry please disregard my earlier posts as it doesn't sound (especially on re reading it) how I meant it to.
 
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xxaimeexx said:
Sorry Wiebke I was trying to apologise for sounding as if I was saying that you didn't have to go to the vets. I would take the piggies to the vets even if it was a minor injury but especially an eye injury and any health concern really. With Holly's first injury I went straight to the vets. Then it happened again and when I phoned the vet they said to do the same as last time with salty water and if it didn't heal in a week to come get eye drops. I hope I'm not in any trouble for saying that ;.( I don't think you were getting my point. Holly's eye is fine now and I was just sharing my experience as I knew that @laureng91 would be taking her piggy to the vets anyway. Sorry please disregard my earlier posts as it doesn't sound (especially on re reading it) how I meant it to.
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I am sure you meant well :) However sadly we have seen people post on here that even despite taking their piggies to the vets promptly with eye injuries, their pets have had to have the eye surgically removed & several have sadly died post op :( If your mum does not let you take your pig to the vet when it needs to be seen, that does not mean that other people shouldn't :( As pet owners we have a duty of care to make sure our pets aren't suffering. However trivial the injury delaying or withholding veterinary treatment is not advised on here & Wiebke was pointing this out :)
 
Poppy'sMum said:
I am sure you meant well :) However sadly we have seen people post on here that even despite taking their piggies to the vets promptly with eye injuries, their pets have had to have the eye surgically removed & several have sadly died post op :( If your mum does not let you take your pig to the vet when it needs to be seen, that does not mean that other people shouldn't :( As pet owners we have a duty of care to make sure our pets aren't suffering. However trivial the injury delaying or withholding veterinary treatment is not advised on here & Wiebke was pointing this out :)
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Thanks! yes I was trying to make sure I got my main message across that she should go to the vets but somehow my message (when I read now I see) was totally messed up and I really needed to edit it a lot but I can't do that now so all I can do is apologise for any confusion caused. :soz:My mum would let me take my piggies to the vets if they were in any need of treatment I honestly have not got a clue why I said that.:hb: I just hope that everyone on here realises that I have noticed my mistake and didn't wan't to put out any mis-information I was just sharing my personal experience and no-one is perfect but I always do my best for my pigs even if this may not be what others would do(I was in no way trying to tell them that was what they had to do) and I learn from my mistakes and my piggies live well and always get the best treatment I can give them. I can't express how totally sorry and wrong I was to post that really no thought went into it (and I make sure to think and re read posts now) . I hope the piggie is okay and recovering well! Please try not to hold this against me it was an honest mistake and it won't happen again(only the best well thought out ADVICE(yes advice only) from now on)! Have a good evening everyone and hope your piggies are well and happy! xx
 
xxaimeexx said:
@Poppy'sMum The piggie in your avatar is super cute!:love:
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It's ok, I know you meant well :) Thank you, that is Daisy (Known as Princess Daisy lol) She is a Rex piggy & the most friendly one we have ever had, she is very tame & curious :) She will lie on her side whilst I tickle her tummy :) I also have her mum Petal, who is now 5, but has been getting vet treatment for bladder sludge for the last 3 years which resulted in her having a full hysterectomy last September & means she will need medication for the rest of her life. Petal's vet bills have run into 4 figures. If you can afford to pay into an insurance plan like Exotic direct I really recommend it, sadly I didn't with Petal, but the younger ones are insured now :)
 
Poppy'sMum said:
It's ok, I know you meant well :) Thank you, that is Daisy (Known as Princess Daisy lol) She is a Rex piggy & the most friendly one we have ever had, she is very tame & curious :) She will lie on her side whilst I tickle her tummy :) I also have her mum Petal, who is now 5, but has been getting vet treatment for bladder sludge for the last 3 years which resulted in her having a full hysterectomy last September & means she will need medication for the rest of her life. Petal's vet bills have run into 4 figures. If you can afford to pay into an insurance plan like Exotic direct I really recommend it, sadly I didn't with Petal, but the younger ones are insured now :)
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Aww what a sweetie. My rex isn't like that at all she trusts me but she's a timid wee thing! I hope Petal is dealing okay with all her medicals!
 
laureng91 said:
Hey everyone,

Just thought I'd let you all know that I had BB back at the vets today to check up on her eye and it has healed wonderfully and is all better! Still having the drops for a few more days, but her eye looks (nearly) as good as it did before :)
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brilliant news :)
 
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