Can a protruding eye be "just" an ulcer?

[tatals]

One one my pigs has a bulging eye. It suddenly became a bit cloudy yesterday. It wasn't cloudy on Sunday; luckily, I had taken some pictures of him then and was able to compare.
I hadn't noticed the bulging before, but it's possible it was already there.

I took him to the (exotics) vet this morning, and she told me he has an ulcer and gave him a prescription for eyedrops (chondroitin + ciprofloxacin; I need some opinions on that, please) to be used up to 60 days.

Right then, I was relieved. I can deal with an ulcer. But now that I'm considering things, I'm honestly a bit scared. He doesn't seem to be in pain. He eats and acts normally, plays around all day with his cagemate, and is his usual happy, popcorny self. Ulcers should be painful, itchy, or at least uncomfortable, shouldn't they? That, along with the bulging aspect of it, is making me a bit concerned about a possible tooth abscess (even though he's eating properly), or worse, a tumor.

In your experience, can this be "just" an ulcer? Should I take him back and have his teeth checked out?

I'm asking because I really depend on this community. There are no cavy-savvy vets in my area - guinea pig vets are quite rare in Brazil, and usually found only in larger cities -, and I have to rely on learning as much as I can. I have already lost a piggie to misinformation about antibiotics, and I don't want that to ever happen again.

 

[Wiebke]

One one my pigs has a bulging eye. It suddenly became a bit cloudy yesterday. It wasn't cloudy on Sunday; luckily, I had taken some pictures of him then and was able to compare.
I hadn't noticed the bulging before, but it's possible it was already there.

I took him to the (exotics) vet this morning, and she told me he has an ulcer and gave him a prescription for eyedrops (chondroitin + ciprofloxacin; I need some opinions on that, please) to be used up to 60 days.

Right then, I was relieved. I can deal with an ulcer. But now that I'm considering things, I'm honestly a bit scared. He doesn't seem to be in pain. He eats and acts normally, plays around all day with his cagemate, and is his usual happy, popcorny self. Ulcers should be painful, itchy, or at least uncomfortable, shouldn't they? That, along with the bulging aspect of it, is making me a bit concerned about a possible tooth abscess (even though he's eating properly), or worse, a tumor.

In your experience, can this be "just" an ulcer? Should I take him back and have his teeth checked out?

I'm asking because I really depend on this community. There are no cavy-savvy vets in my area - guinea pig vets are quite rare in Brazil, and usually found only in larger cities -, and I have to rely on learning as much as I can. I have already lost a piggie to misinformation about antibiotics, and I don't want that to ever happen again.

Hi!

A protruding eye is most often caused by an abscess behind the eyeball ('retrobulbar abscess') and much more rarely by glaucoma (high pressure inside the eye). Please see a vet; a protruding eye is always serious.
You will need to ask for a strong unlicensed antibiotic like azithromycin (UK brand name: zithromax) in order to have a chance to get on top of the abscess without an operation. Enrofloxacin (better known as baytril) is often not strong enough to get on top of the abscess.

Ulceration is an infection that is creating pus/gunk; in the eye it is either from an infected surface scratch or an eye poke/perforation. The eye is much more likely drawn in (smaller than usual) because of the pain. Eye injuries and infections need to be seen by a vet promptly, too, because they can deteriorate very quickly and the damage can be much more extensive than visible to the naked eye as the infections goes deeper inside the eye where it is much more difficult to treat.

Eye infection treatment is the same as in cats and dogs; including applying the same eye drops/gel - any halfway decent general vet should be able to deal with them. It is a case of speed over specialisation.
This just so you know what the words mean and what you need to do. Eye problems can unfortunately not be left; it can result in loss of sight or the need for an eye removal operation.

All the best!

 

[Bradshaw Piggies]

One of mine had a retrobulber abscess; and it did respond very well to treatment with Azithromycin. The cloudiness was a result of inflammation, and did resolve as the abscess healed

Hope you manage to find the right vet and that he makes a speedy recovery

 

[Swissgreys]

You have done a great job getting him seen asap and getting treatment.
It may be several things as mentioned above, but in the short term as you have limited access to specialist vets I would use the treatment prescribed and keep a close eye on him.
Maybe switch to daily weighing to have a better picture of his overall condition and health.
I would monitor closely and see what happens before panicking about worst case scenarios.
You are doing a great job. I hope your boy's eye improves soon.

 

[Merab]

I feel for you as I am dealing with a similar situation.
The advice given here for you is very helpful.
Hope your piggy’s eye heals quickly

 

[tatals]

Thank you, everyone. I got the Azithromycin. He hasn't taken it yet, just the eyedrops, but the cloudiness has improved from yesterday morning a bit, so I'm daring to be hopeful.