Help! My guinea pig has a cloudy eye and is acting shy. What to do?

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 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.

I suggest you get this eye ointment to put in the eye 2-3 times per day. If after about 4 days of treatment there is no improvement or if the eye looks worse at any time then you will need to take Chauncey to the vet for an exam. I would continue to flush the eye out once a day with saline solution as well. http://www.allivet.com/p-1292-terramycin-ophthalmic-ointment.aspx http://www.allivet.com/p-1294-eye-wash-solution-4-oz.aspx Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I am so sorry that you are having problems with both of your guinea pigs. Because your other guinea pig had signs of a respiratory (nose, windpipe, and lungs) issue, I would recommend having Peaches evaluated by a veterinarian. Many times, respiratory diseases can be contagious, and may present with abnormalities of the eyes (the eyes and nose are connected, so bacteria and other organisms can spread between them!). From the pictures, the changes appear to be mild right now, which is great as you have caught it early! Other things that can cause both watering of the eyes and respiratory problems is bedding in the cage. Shavings made of pine or cedar can be irritating to both the eyes and the respiratory system, and can result in sneezing and watering of the eyes. Excessively dusty bedding can do the same things. If these are present, I would recommend changing those out and looking for improvement. Your veterinarian will be able to look closely at Peaches' eyes, and take a close listen to her lungs to make sure she is not also having respiratory signs.

Poor Pip, it looks like she has developed conjunctivitis. It is inflammation of the eye tissue that can be caused by infection or trauma (like getting bedding in the eye). There is a chance there may be damage to the surface of the eye which could cause an ulcer, usually a vet will put dye in the eye to check for this. Ideally I would take her to a vet to have this checked, but it may be more difficult with the virus. I would ring your normal vet and see what they say about an appointment. You will need an eye drop to treat the eye a d your vet should be able to prescribe this to you based on the symptoms you describe, they may want to see it though. Make sure Pip is still eating well as pain can put GPs off food easily.

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!

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!