My new guinea pig has a crusty eye. What home remedies can I try?

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.

Thanks for using PetCoach. There are several possibilities for Pietje's crusty eyes. The first is to make sure that he has adequate Vitamin C supplement. This needs to be in the form of fresh fruits and veggies as well as fresh food, and Vit C supplement (not in the water). A bit more on feeding https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/guinea-pigs-feeding The other differentials include mites or ringworm. A vet visit can help diagnose either of these conditions. The vet may recommend a fungal culture or skin scraping to make a diagnosis. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/guinea-pigs-problems I hope this helps.

Mochi's eye does look like there is infection. Have her examined by your veterinarian for confirmation. She will likely need antibiotics if infection is diagnosed. Use a warm washcloth to gently clean the eye, change bedding frequently to minimize irritating dust. If you are using pine or cedar shavings, immediately clean the cage and use aspen shavings or recycled paper bedding. The cedar can be irritating and may cause liver disease.

Try using a warm, moist cloth to remove any discharge and/or crusts from the eye so she can try and open her eye. You may also want to try and flush the eye with some saline/artificial tears. You may also need to hand feed her if she is not able to see what/where her food is. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of 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.

You can take some eye wash like the one below, and rinse out the eyes twice a day for about 5-7 days. If no improvement or they seem worse at any time then you need to get them to a vet for an exam. http://www.allivet.com/p-8131-vetericyn-plus-eye-wash-3-oz.aspx

Sorry to see this has happened to poor Ellie. She requires immediate veterinary attention as this eye is badly infected and will be very painful. I suspect she has developed a bad corneal ulcer or there has been trauma to the eye. She needs to assessed by a veterinarian and appropriate treatment given. They may be unable to save the eye.