My guinea pig's eye is discolored and looks blind. What should I do?

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 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 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!

Hi and thanks for your request. Unfortunately it is not possible to provide a specific answer in this case as this would require an ophthalmoscopic examination at your local veterinarian with an direct ophthalmoscope or a slit lamp. Vitreal opacities can often be confused with cataracts.

Thanks for reaching out about your guinea pig. Eyes infections, corneal abrasions (from hay, other trauma), dental disease and other ocular problems are common and should be assessed by a veterinarian, before they progress. The redness is a clinical sign of inflammation or bleeding. Good luck.

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!