Guinea Pig Eye Problems, Symptoms and Treatments

Even if the guinea pig is healthy, he will naturally secrete a white and milky discharge. The cavy will then spread the fluid around their face to clean themselves. They might do this a few times a day as part of their natural grooming habits. There are a number of conditions that will make the eyes diseased and knowing the different types will help you distinguish when your pig is healthy or not.

URI
An upper respiratory infection will cause crusty eyes, which is when small pieces of a crystalline nature are produced. They are often accompanied by mucus out of the nose and the animal will eat less than usual. The cavy might be lethargic, but that can be tough to determine since a guinea pig is often pretty lazy. If you have antibiotics, you can easily treat the condition after seeing a vet.

Cataracts
Cataracts happen with age and the eyes will become cloudy and bluish. This condition can occur earlier in life if the animal has a genetic condition. If the guinea pig has contracted diabetes, they can also experience cataracts. In this case, the cataract will appear quickly and show strong symptoms right away. Vision for the animal will be severely reduced so you need to have your cavy checked.

Entropian
Entropian can happen in newborn cavies. Enropian is when their eyelashes turn inward, irritating their eyes. The eyes might become white and get a corneal ulcer from the rubbing. Teddies and Texels are more likely to have entropian. If you can gently turn the eyelash outward and cleanse the eyes with a gentle lubricant, it will help.

Conjunctival Problems
The lacrimal gland is located at the base of the eye and can be inflamed, making a condition called cherry eye. When they have conjunctival problems, swelling and pain can result.

Pea Eye is another condition that can happen. This is when the conjunctival sac becomes protruded, but pea eye is not painful. Swelling only occurs in the corners of the eyes and treatment isn’t needed. If your animal has an inflamed conjunctiva, you can treat it with an antibiotic like flurbiprofen and gentamycin, which both require a vet visit.

Injury
Even normal, healthy guinea pigs can get an injury. If only one eye is affected, an injury is the most likely cause.

If the animal has gotten something in their eye like bedding, you can manually remove the material with tweezers (that have been sterilized) but you will need to be extraordinarily careful. Your guinea pig might have a corneal infection or other more serious infection that will require more advanced treatment from a vet professional. If your animal’s condition doesn’t improve within a day or so, consult a vet.

Guinea pigs don’t have the best eyesight compared to other animals. Nevertheless, they do need them so you will want to take all eye conditions and infections seriously. Talk to a vet to get the right medications and treatments to help your animal.

         

More Guinea Pig Health, Illnesses and Symptoms Articles: