Young Guinea Pig Cataract

[Amiee Dalzell]

Hi everyone.
Today I have just noticed my baby Giggles has a small cataract in her right eye. This was not there a week ago. I was utterly shocked to find it and I've been reading it could most likely be hereditary or possibly diabetes? She is only 6 months old and she is gaining weight nicely (she is a small girl for her age) but she is happy and healthy and popcorns non stop.
Does anyone have any experience with this or can offer some advice? I'm going to get her to the vets on Monday. Could she have possibly just hurt herself?

 

[Amiee Dalzell]

A better photo

 

[Rosie+fcdbbt]

It could possibly be due to a hay poke, but its best to get her checked over by a vet x

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone.
Today I have just noticed my baby Giggles has a small cataract in her right eye. This was not there a week ago. I was utterly shocked to find it and I've been reading it could most likely be hereditary or possibly diabetes? She is only 6 months old and she is gaining weight nicely (she is a small girl for her age) but she is happy and healthy and popcorns non stop.
Does anyone have any experience with this or can offer some advice? I'm going to get her to the vets on Monday. Could she have possibly just hurt herself?


View attachment 82012

Hi!

Is the opaqueness inside the eye or on the surface? In the second case, you need to see a vet as soon as possible for an eye ulcer because of an injury. These can deteriorate very quickly, so cannot wait until next week.

If the opaqueness is inside the eye, then it is most likely a congenital cataract (i.e. being born with the genetic disposition to develop a cataract). They usually happen at an early age, mostly during the second year of life, but some happen even before birth. If the lens is going opaque all at once, then we talk about nuclear sclerosis.
Congenital cataracts are more common in overbred piggies. I have had a few of them and at a time had a devoted group of cataract piggies that lived a full normal and enriched life nevertheless.

Unless your girl is showing typical signs of diabetes, like suddenly increased drinking and weight loss, a link to it is much less likely. There has been a phase a few years ago when diabetes became a bit of a fad; this has died down now after it was realised that guinea pig urine is naturally high in glucose. Diabetes does occur, but it is much less common and can in most cases be controlled by diet (we have tips if necessary). Our recommended general diet is not all that different from it anyway. A good vet can check it for you, but you require a blood test, which is not easy to get in guinea pigs and should be ideally done by a vet experienced with small animals if you wish you have her tested for that.

 

[Amiee Dalzell]

Hi!

Is the opaqueness inside the eye or on the surface? In the second case, you need to see a vet as soon as possible for an eye ulcer because of an injury. These can deteriorate very quickly, so cannot wait until next week.

If the opaqueness is inside the eye, then it is most likely a congenital cataract (i.e. being born with the genetic disposition to develop a cataract). They usually happen at an early age, mostly during the second year of life, but some happen even before birth. If the lens is going opaque all at once, then we talk about nuclear sclerosis.
Congenital cataracts are more common in overbred piggies. I have had a few of them and at a time had a devoted group of cataract piggies that lived a full normal and enriched life nevertheless.

Unless your girl is showing typical signs of diabetes, like suddenly increased drinking and weight loss, a link to it is much less likely. There has been a phase a few years ago when diabetes became a bit of a fad; this has died down now after it was realised that guinea pig urine is naturally high in glucose. Diabetes does occur, but it is much less common and can in most cases be controlled by diet (we have tips if necessary). Our recommended general diet is not all that different from it anyway. A good vet can check it for you, but you require a blood test, which is not easy to get in guinea pigs and should be ideally done by a vet experienced with small animals if you wish you have her tested for that.

Thank you for all of that information. I should have clarified that I am in New Zealand and it's Saturday here so the vets are closed on the weekends. I'll get her down as soon as possible on Monday.

It does look like it's on the surface of her eye. It's a little hard to tell sometimes. She hasn't lost any weight and I haven' t noticed their water bowls more empty than normal so hopefully it isn't diabetes.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for all of that information. I should have clarified that I am in New Zealand and it's Saturday here so the vets are closed on the weekends. I'll get her down as soon as possible on Monday.

It does look like it's on the surface of her eye. It's a little hard to tell sometimes. She hasn't lost any weight and I haven' t noticed their water bowls more empty than normal so hopefully it isn't diabetes.

If it is on the surface, then it is either a scratch or a hay poke, or something hard stuck under a lid. No connection to diabetes or cataracts.
Eye ulcers can come on very quickly and they have a tendency to come on at the most inconvenient of times. Can you get some visco tear gel from a pharmacy to keep the eye hydrated until Monday? Put in a tiny bit 3-6 times a day. What you really need is antibiotic eye gel to tackle the eye infection, hence the vet. Please make sure to see them as soon as you can on Monday morning.

 

[Amiee Dalzell]

If it is on the surface, then it is either a scratch or a hay poke, or something hard stuck under a lid. No connection to diabetes or cataracts.
Eye ulcers can come on very quickly and they have a tendency to come on at the most inconvenient of times. Can you get some visco tear gel from a pharmacy to keep the eye hydrated until Monday? Put in a tiny bit 3-6 times a day. What you really need is antibiotic eye gel to tackle the eye infection, hence the vet. Please make sure to see them as soon as you can on Monday morning.

Is this the gel that you're talking about?
We can get it here at the pharmacy.

https://www.lifepharmacy.co.nz/home/shop-by-brand/viscotears/viscotears-eye-gel-10g/

Are there any down sides to giving it to her if she doesn't have a hurt eye?

 

[Wiebke]

Is this the gel that you're talking about?
We can get it here at the pharmacy.

https://www.lifepharmacy.co.nz/home/shop-by-brand/viscotears/viscotears-eye-gel-10g/

Are there any down sides to giving it to her if she doesn't have a hurt eye?

Yes, this is the product. And no, it is not a medication and there are no downsides. It is just tear fluid in gel form and will hopefully help to ease her discomfort. Piggy savvy vets in the UK have increasingly started to prescribe it for piggies with injured eyes as an extra support. The gel has a longer effect than drops. That goes for dry human eyes, too, by the way!

I have been prescribed it by my own vet for guinea pigs with bad eye injuries in the last year.

 

[Amiee Dalzell]

Yes, this is the product. And no, it is not a medication and there are no downsides. It is just tear fluid in gel form and will hopefully help to ease her discomfort. Piggy savvy vets in the UK have increasingly started to prescribe it for piggies with injured eyes as an extra support. The gel has a longer effect than drops. That goes for dry human eyes, too, by the way!

I have been prescribed it by my own vet for guinea pigs with bad eye injuries in the last year.

Thank you so much. I'm on my way to get it now.
What's the best way to put it in her eye? Put it on my finger and dab her eye?

 

[Freela]

If it has appeared suddenly, I would wonder if it's a hay poke or other injury that requires an antibiotic drop to ensure it doesn't get worse. Young pigs can develop cataracts, but I would think an injury would be more likely in a baby.