Why is my guinea pig's eye swollen and red? What should I do?

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.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Weight loss can be caused by overgrown teeth, and thus difficulty eating/chewing. However, other, nonspecific signs such as pain, can also cause reluctance to eat. Bandit may have an eye infection or corneal ulcer, which is causing him some discomfort. I recommend having him seen by a vet, who can file his teeth if necessary, and determine exactly what is going on with his eye. I hope this helps and that all is well!

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.

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.

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.

The two most common causes of facial swelling in guinea pigs are abscesses in the jaw or a dental problem. Check your guinea pig's chin and mouth area. If she is drooling or the fur is wet, those are both signs of a dental problem. If a tooth is abscessed or growing abnormally into the area behind the eye, there can also be a discharge from one or both eyes, so check for that as well. Abscesses or tumors in the nasal cavity can also cause swelling like this to happen. All of these conditions must be treated by a vet. I suggest you find an exotic vet in your area to check him out.