My guinea pig has a white dot and haze on her eye. Is it a cataract?

Thank you for your question about Rosie. From your description, there are a few possibilities for what this may be. Guinea pigs can develop cataracts as they age, and this makes the lenses of their eyes look white. The lens is in the center of the eye, where the pupil is. These can be irritating and can also be painful if the pressure in the eye increases as a result of the cataracts being present. Another condition that can occur in guinea pigs is osseous metaplasia. This occurs on the rim of the iris, which is the colored part of the eye. What occurs with this process is that bone is put down around the eye, making it look white. This process isn't typically painful unless it gets severe. I would recommend having Rosie evaluated by a veterinarian who is familiar with guinea pigs (and some veterinary ophthalmologists are as well, depending on your area). They can help to determine what portion of the eye is looking weird/white, and if the condition is painful or not. Depending on what they find, they may have medications that they prescribe to Rosie, including pain relievers. Please do not give Rosie any human medications, as many of them are harmful to our furry friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and I wish you and Rosie the best!

This problem could be due to a corneal ulcer and secondary conjunctivitis, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. A check up would be needed to confirm this clinical suspicion and as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thanks for reaching out about Mini and including photos. A discoloration in the center of the eye could be a cataract or infection. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. An infection needs systemic antibiotics. Monitor appetite and try to see your veterinarian early next week. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Cookie and including photos. The cloudy eye could be a trauma, infection or other disease. Also concerned about the swelling of both lower eye lids/conjunctiva. This could be that she is overweight but also possible lymphoma. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pebbles. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian as he may have an eye infection. The veterinarian will use an ophthalmic scope to evaluate the eyes. He will likely need an eye drop or ointment. Is he sneezing or having any other signs of disease? If so, he could have an upper respiratory tract infection and may need an antibiotic. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for reaching out about Periwinkle and including photos. Try cleaning the eye area with a soft moistened cloth. If appears white/creamy or persists, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Continue to monitor appetite. Good luck.

From your pictures, it certainly looks like Pumba has a cataract! You should schedule a visit with your veterinarian to see if they can figure out what caused the cataract - as sometimes they can be caused by a systemic disease and other times it can be a problem just isolated to the affected eye. Cataracts are not reversible, so Pumba will have this cataract for the rest of his life. Finding out what caused it will allow your veterinarian to determine if any treatment needs to be done to try and prevent one from forming in the other eye. Thank you for using Pet Coach!