Self Black Male Guinea Pig (Jack) with Sore Eye

[PiggyBandits]

Hello,

I hope you are all well. I am posting in hopes that someone may have an answer or similar experience. I've attached a picture of Jack, my mother's Self Black guinea pig. He is about 18 months old and my mum purchased him from a breeder. She had another Self Black (called Eevee) from the same breeder, but sadly Eevee passed away a couple days ago. She was about 3 years old and in good health; it was quite sudden and unexpected.

At about 12 months old, both Jack and Eevee seemed to develop the same eye issue. It looks like pink flesh protruding from behind the eye/from the lid. Antibiotics failed to treat both of them and Jack still has the issue. We've been trying to identify the issue, as the vet has been clueless and treatment doesn't seem to be helping him at all. He doesn't seem irritated by it, doesn't scratch his eye but it is odd that it is exclusively the Self Blacks that have it.

Hopefully, someone may have some experience with this issue and can shed some light and advise us on how to treat him.
Thank you in advance!
Stacey

 

[Wiebke]

Hello,

I hope you are all well. I am posting in hopes that someone may have an answer or similar experience. I've attached a picture of Jack, my mother's Self Black guinea pig. He is about 18 months old and my mum purchased him from a breeder. She had another Self Black (called Eevee) from the same breeder, but sadly Eevee passed away a couple days ago. She was about 3 years old and in good health; it was quite sudden and unexpected.

At about 12 months old, both Jack and Eevee seemed to develop the same eye issue. It looks like pink flesh protruding from behind the eye/from the lid. Antibiotics failed to treat both of them and Jack still has the issue. We've been trying to identify the issue, as the vet has been clueless and treatment doesn't seem to be helping him at all. He doesn't seem irritated by it, doesn't scratch his eye but it is odd that it is exclusively the Self Blacks that have it.

Hopefully, someone may have some experience with this issue and can shed some light and advise us on how to treat him.
Thank you in advance!
Stacey

Hi!
I am very sorry for your loss.

It looks like there could be a genetic disposition in play.
You may find this link here helpful in working out with your vet what exactly you are up against. Links - Eye Conditions - Guinea Lynx Records

Since we have members and enquiries from all over the world, it would really help us if you please added your country to your account details (accessible via your username on the top bar) so we can see whether we can give you vet recommendations or not. It makes it a lot easier for us to tailor any advice and recommendations when we know which brands of medication, climate, vet and rescue access etc. to factor in.

 

[PiggyBandits]

Hi!
I am very sorry for your loss.

It looks like there could be a genetic disposition in play.
You may find this link here helpful in working out with your vet what exactly you are up against. Links - Eye Conditions - Guinea Lynx Records

Since we have members and enquiries from all over the world, it would really help us if you please added your country to your account details (accessible via your username on the top bar) so we can see whether we can give you vet recommendations or not. It makes it a lot easier for us to tailor any advice and recommendations when we know which brands of medication, climate, vet and rescue access etc. to factor in.

Thank you for your reply. I will add the country - we're in the UK :-). I came across the page you linked to originally and the chlamydophila psittaci (the image of 'Candy's' eye) seemed similar, but when I looked at wider examples of the condition in guinea pigs on Google, none of the pictures resembles Candy's or Jack's eye and the examples are quite chronic with white discharge and blindness. He's been like this with no change for 6 months so I wasn't quite sure it was the same thing. Doxycycline was prescribed; I'll have to check with my mother as to whether that was the antibiotic he had last time or whether that's available in the UK.

Thank you for your help - really appreciated :-)

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for your reply. I will add the country - we're in the UK :-). I came across the page you linked to originally and the chlamydophila psittaci (the image of 'Candy's' eye) seemed similar, but when I looked at wider examples of the condition in guinea pigs on Google, none of the pictures resembles Candy's or Jack's eye and the examples are quite chronic with white discharge and blindness. He's been like this with no change for 6 months so I wasn't quite sure it was the same thing. Doxycycline was prescribed; I'll have to check with my mother as to whether that was the antibiotic he had last time or whether that's available in the UK.

Thank you for your help - really appreciated :-)

It can be simply a prolapsed conjunctiva.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum,
Hope you find an answer for Jack's eye issue.
So sorry for the loss of Eevee

 

[PiggyBandits]

Welcome to the forum,
Hope you find an answer for Jack's eye issue.
So sorry for the loss of Eevee

Hello, thank you for the welcome! It was sad how quickly Eevee deteriorated. As Jack's from the same breeder, we wanted to make sure the eyes didn't represent something more sinister.

Wiebke - I think I agree with you. I've just seen this: Prolapsed Gland - Guinea Lynx Records a more severe example, which even after treatment still existed but to a lesser degree. He's not unhappy; it doesn't appear painful and he eats, sleeps and sqeaks! Sometimes you just need the right term for something to be able to investigate what it might be.

Thanks!