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Two piggies with haypoke!

Betsy

Betsy

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Gave my lot cuddles this morning and both Christian and Meg have haypoke! Both in their left eyes. They were fine last night when they had their veg dinner. Meg's eye is all cloudy with a bluey white film over it and I can see the damage to Christian's eye and the bluey white film is just starting to develop. The earliest appointment I could get was 9.15 tomorrow morning. What are the chances of 2 piggies getting hay poke at the same time in the left eye? Oh to thank me for noticing Christian had haypoke, he wee'd on me!
 
Betsy said:
Gave my lot cuddles this morning and both Christian and Meg have haypoke! Both in their left eyes. They were fine last night when they had their veg dinner. Meg's eye is all cloudy with a bluey white film over it and I can see the damage to Christian's eye and the bluey white film is just starting to develop. The earliest appointment I could get was 9.15 tomorrow morning. What are the chances of 2 piggies getting hay poke at the same time in the left eye? Oh to thank me for noticing Christian had haypoke, he wee'd on me!
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Sheer bad luck! :(

The blueish film is an ulceration (infection) of the hay poke. A minor hay poke is often not immediately visible when the eye is covered by watery fluid. However eye injuries do deteriorate very quickly, so ulceration can come on in a matter of hours, as I know from my own ample experiences. Last year I had 8 hay pokes overall; this year thankfully only a couple.

Do you have an out-of-hours service or a 24 hours clinic within reach? Eye treatment and medication is the same for all mammal pet species, so any vet will do. The sooner you can step in with prescribed antibiotic eye drops (isathal or - for very bad cases - chloramphenicol), the better. Also ask for metacam.
Lubrication/hydration of the eye can also help with the healing process; ask your vet or get some plain artificial eye gel (easier to apply and working for longer than drops although drops will also do if you can't get gel) from a pharmacy. Apply the gel/drops at least half an hour after any medicated drops to allow the medication to be fully absorbed. The gel can be applied 3-6 times a day; the more the better, especially in the first days or if the infection has penetrated further and the eye is dull/has whitish ulceration inside and not just on the surface. It really makes a difference, especially where the infection has already penetrated deeper quickly. ;)

All the best!
PS: Pull the lower eyelid down in order to best apply any eye medication. It may be a two person job at first as long as the eye is very sore.
 
Oh no! All three of mine had hay pokes in the first half of this year, but at least they did it one at a time!
 
Poor piggies. It’s always the way - they like to keep us on our toes! I hope they get better soon
 
I don't know of any out of hours vets down here atm as haven't been here long enough.
 
Betsy said:
I don't know of any out of hours vets down here atm as haven't been here long enough.
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Google your area for out-of-hours vet clinics or call your vet clinic; they have a cover number on their answering machine. ;)
 
I have given Meg some Metacam and Christian is dosed up to the eyeballs on his regular dose of 0.7ml twice a day.
 
Oh crumbs that's a shame :(
There's the recommended vets Piddle Valley vets near Dorchester but that's not open today, but has 24hr emergency cover.
Welcome to Piddle Valley Vets | Piddle Valley Vets
I had a look at vets4pets & see there's a couple near Poole that are open if you're stuck?
Find a Practice
No idea what they're like but eyes aren't particularly species specific :) so most vets should be ok for them in an emergency.

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If you can't get to a vets today, did you say you sometimes have Remend available for emergency purposes?
Or as Wiebke suggested human eye drops from the pharmacy (but don't tell them it for Guineas tho, some get funny about it)
Wiebke said:
Also ask for metacam.
Lubrication/hydration of the eye can also help with the healing process; ask your vet or get some plain artificial eye gel (easier to apply and working for longer than drops although drops will also do if you can't get gel) from a pharmacy
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Orca's just recovering from a double hay poke in her blind side... Twice in 3wks! Clinigel/Tiacil drops, loxicom, Baytril & I have been well acquainted with Orca's hay poke Queen habit!

A bit further away for vets, but I think Blandfords Damory practice has 24hr cover & Blandfords Friars Moor vets has 24hr cover. Not sure who @teddymouse uses as Angies that direction.

Good luck xx
 
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Drove Veterinary Hospital in Swindon has 24 / 7 care. It’s possibly a bit too far for you though, probably about an hour and a half drive.
Sorry to hear about Christian and Meg - that’s really bad luck.
Hope they both recover quickly
 
That’s bad news and it’s a real worry. Rose had a bad one earlier this year. Hope they get well soon. Healing wheeks from the girls.
 
GPTV said:
Oh crumbs that's a shame :(
There's the recommended vets Piddle Valley vets near Dorchester but that's not open today, but has 24hr emergency cover.
Welcome to Piddle Valley Vets | Piddle Valley Vets
I had a look at vets4pets & see there's a couple near Poole that are open if you're stuck?
Find a Practice
No idea what they're like but eyes aren't particularly species specific :) so most vets should be ok for them in an emergency.

View attachment 126214

If you can't get to a vets today, did you say you sometimes have Remend available for emergency purposes?
Or as Wiebke suggested human eye drops from the pharmacy (but don't tell them it for Guineas tho, some get funny about it)


Orca's just recovering from a double hay poke in her blind side... Twice in 3wks! Clinigel/Tiacil drops, loxicom, Baytril & I have been well acquainted with Orca's hay poke Queen habit!

A bit further away for vets, but I think Blandfords Damory practice has 24hr cover & Blandfords Friars Moor vets has 24hr cover. Not sure who @teddymouse uses as Angies that direction.

Good luck xx
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Thanks Andrea, Vets4Pets Holes Bay is the one I've registered the piggies at as it is only a 5 min drive. They had no appointments left today and neither did Vets4Pets Poole. So I got the first one I could tomorrow. While Christian's there I'll have a word with them about his back problem and see if I can get a prescription for his Metacam. Hopefully they will be prepared to give me a 100ml bottle and not a 32ml one cos at 0.7ml twice a day I had to order the 32ml bottle every 20 days.
 
Aw poor Meg and Christian :( why do these things always happen at weekends?

One of my degus is walking around with a closed eye today :( I suspect a poke so if he hasn’t opened his eye by tomorrow morning, it will be vets for him too
 
Betsy said:
Hopefully they will be prepared to give me a 100ml bottle and not a 32ml one cos at 0.7ml twice a day I had to order the 32ml bottle every 20 days.
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I've used pet drugs online for years, for lots of the girls meds, also the dogs worming tablets, etc. as they are so much cheaper than the vets!
Loxicom for Dogs | Save Over 50% | Fast Delivery - Shop Now
Ask the vet how much they charge to write out a prescription (mine charged £15)
but if it's a repeat prescription it may still be cheaper than getting the Loxicom from the vets?

Try the link for 100ml bottle (don't forget to include £3 P&P if you spend less than £29 total)
... I usually buy dog wormers or Remend Corneal Repair Gel - Shop Now and Save at Pet Drugs Online 'Remend' corneal repair eye drops & keep on standby in the fridge (Orca just lives for haypokes! :( ) to bump up over to make P&P free
 
Vet looked at Christian and Meg and they both have eyedrops 3 times daily which they are completed delighted about (NOT) but they love the coriander bribe afterwards. Meg also has to have Metacam which she is loving at 0.4ml twice a day. I have to take them both back on Friday at 9am for another check. I got a prescription of Metacam for Christian I asked the vet for a 100ml bottle and he wrote a prescription for 180ml as Christian has to have it for life and the prescription fee was £10 (I paid £15 at my last Vets for Pets).
 
Glad they have what they need now Jacky, fingers crossed for a speedy recovery!
 
Betsy said:
All 4 of them just sit in my lap and let me put eyedrops in when they need eyedrops. :)
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I forgot to mention it's hard to pick them up for the eyedrops mind, I chase them all over the place! I have snugglesacks strategically placed that I can normally herd them into fairly easily but when they know its eyedrop time it's "Nope you ARE NOT going to do that to me!"
 
Poor Christian and Meg! I hope they're feeling better soon, eye drops are no fun...giving Thistle hers has been an experience these last few days. Healing wheeks for the little ones ❤
 
Hello Slaves and Piggies in Forum Land
I just thought I'd better let you know that I love my Metacam, I love my cuddles and I love my treats and I love my breakfast and I love my dindins BUT I DO NOT LOVE MY EYEDROPS! Also I did not appreciate being poked and prodded by the vet who was called Jure (pronounced Yuri). Slave may have like him and thought his Scandinavian accent was very lovely (!), I however certainly DID NOT!
Lots of love
Meg
PS I think I may put in a complaint to the GPU (Guinea Pig Union) about the way I have been treated.....
Meg Lettuce 12.webp
 
get well soon you two.... ps less off the hay diving & you won't need eye drops, or mummy slave drooping her lids at the Scandinavian Jure either ;)

....dont forget to remind Mummy Slave that if she does buy your yummy Metacam (& yukky) meds from Petdrugsonline she can also raise 1.5% through The Excellent Adventure Sanctuary - Northampton Fundraising Ideas | easyfundraising.org.uk of the price for your little chums at TEAS that need lots of meds :hug:

speedy recovery. love the girls & I.xx
 
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Dear Christian and Meg,
We would like to know if your poorly eyes are better now?
You have to be very careful when hay diving.
We hope you get lots of nice treats as well as eye drops.
Love and licks from Jemimah, Priscilla, Phoebe and Micah
 
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