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Sore, Cloudy Eye - Possible Hay Poke

BlueBird

BlueBird

Junior Guinea Pig
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So after one of our pigs has recovered from her tooth break. It seems we've now got another pig with an eye problem only a week later.

I noticed that she was a bit squinty and on further inspection one of her eyes is a bit cloudy. The whites of the eye is red and swollen. I suspect a hay poke since this particular pig LOVES hay and we've given them a hay tray to keep warm with this chilly weather we've been having but I found no hay pieces in the eye so I guess she's managed to get it out on her own? I gave the eye a bit of a flush just in case but it seems clear.

Without meaning to be naive here. I've had hay pokes before and they seem to clear up fine in a few days. But is this a vet visitable injury or a wait and see injury? She has no other signs of distress, eating and drinking as normal.

The plan is to see how she is in the morning and if it doesn't seem to have improved take her to the vet but not sure whether this is the right plan of action.
 
Also is this an injury that could wait until Saturday morning ? Our vet is a bit difficult to get to on Fridays and I don't think my work would understand me leaving work for a Guinea Pigs vet visit. I will of course take her sooner than that if I need to but it's just not ideal timing :/
 
i would suggest you take your guinea pig to a vet,eye injuries can turn nasty fairly quickly.treating any eye injury promptly can give a better outcome of a full recovery.i hope you can get some support soon.Good Luck.:)
 
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BlueBird said:
Also is this an injury that could wait until Saturday morning ? Our vet is a bit difficult to get to on Fridays and I don't think my work would understand me leaving work for a Guinea Pigs vet visit. I will of course take her sooner than that if I need to but it's just not ideal timing :/
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Hi! Eye injuries need to be seen by a vet promptly, especially when they are as severe as yours. The longer you wait, the more you risk that the infection is penetrating further into the eye and that it cannot be saved.
Eye injuries can deteriorate very quickly.

It can definitely NOT wait until the weekend!

If it was me, I'd have her seen by an out-of-hours vet or at the latest tomorrow morning as an emergency, but then I have had to nurse two of my piggies through weeks of strong antibiotic eye drops, lubricating gel and several courses of strong antibiotics (which caused total loss of appetite, so it meant round the clock syringe feeding) in order to save their eyes.
Both piggies were too frail for an eye removal op. They had got treatment as soon as I noticed; and yet even with throwing the kitchen sink at them, the outcome was in both cases on a knife's edge for weeks. I certainly don't underestimate an eye injury/infection anymore!
 
When any of mine have haypoke its the vet as soon as I can make an appoinment!
 
I agree - see a vet as soon as possible.
Hay poke can be cleared quickly if treated promptly.
Hope you get it treated ok
 
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