Crusty Eye

[Mistileigh]

I have a baby guinea pig approximately five weeks old that I just bought from the pet store. We brought him home and I have noticed a couple days in a row that white crust keeps appearing in one eye. I use warm compresses and get it off but by the next day it is back.

He made my tenth guinea pig which don't get it wrong they live in a five story huge cage split between boys and girls and the baby has the top section alone until he is bigger.

I have a vet for them but before I headed to the vet I figured I'd get an opinion to see if you think this is just the milky portion that they use to coat their eye instead of a possible URI. He is eating, drinking and playing ALOT, doesn't have a runny nose and isn't breathing funny! I just know how contagious that URI are and considering I have nine others it's necessary to catch fast.

The difference in this baby verses another one's we have is we raised the other seven babies from birth
The mom and dad came from a pet store and are now about two years old and the two sets of younger ones are about a year or year and a half and we haven't had any problems.
I have a picture but can't figure out how to add it.

 

[Siikibam]

You can use the ‘Attach files’ button below the area you type.

Could it be the the fluid they use to clean themselves? If it persists there’s no harm in getting it checked out.

I know you’ve not asked about it but it needs mentioning. At that age guinea pigs should not be living alone. The need for companionship and guidance on how to be a pig is extremely important. So please either find him a friend soon as possible, or bond him with one of your lone boars. You can’t leave him alone until he’s bigger. He needs a friend to live with now. Was he alone in the pet shop?

When you brought home the first two, was mum already pregnant? And are sows living with sows and boars living with boars now? As in no intact boars living with (intact) sows? Trying to figure out your setup with 9 piggies.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s possibly just the cleaning fluid, but only a vet can say for sure.

Please do note that as he is so young, he should not be alone. Guinea pigs under four months old need to be immediately bonded with another piggy. Their social needs are so incredibly high at that young age.. At a minimum, he needs to be in a cage side by side with another piggy for constant through the bar interaction, not living above by himself.

 

[Mistileigh]

You can use the ‘Attach files’ button below the area you type.

Could it be the the fluid they use to clean themselves? If it persists there’s no harm in getting it checked out.

I know you’ve not asked about it but it needs mentioning. At that age guinea pigs should not be living alone. The need for companionship and guidance on how to be a pig is extremely important. So please either find him a friend soon as possible, or bond him with one of your lone boars. You can’t leave him alone until he’s bigger. He needs a friend to live with now. Was he alone in the pet shop?

When you brought home the first two, was mum already pregnant? And are sows living with sows and boars living with boars now? As in no intact boars living with (intact) sows? Trying to figure out your setup with 9 piggies.

None of the sexes are mixed to prevent reproduction. The boys have multiple levels as do the females but their levels are not attached. We have introduced the boys and the babies with no problem. I want them to get used to each other and playing together before I just throw the baby in there and call it a day. I feel like daily play time a few hours at a time several times a day is acceptable as the baby is tiny and the males are full grown.

The cage is so large it requires a step stool to reach the top two levels. So my babies are far from unhappy. I use fleece blankets changed weekly to prevent breathing problems as suggest by my vet who specializes specifically in in guinea pigs. My babies get new treats weekly after each cage change on Friday they have new houses and swings and balls and all the things to make a guinea pig have a very happy life.

 

[Piggies&buns]

None of the sexes are mixed to prevent reproduction. The boys have multiple levels as do the females but their levels are not attached. We have introduced the boys and the babies with no problem. I want them to get used to each other and playing together before I just throw the baby in there and call it a day. I feel like daily play time a few hours at a time several times a day is acceptable as the baby is tiny and the males are full grown.

The cage is so large it requires a step stool to reach the top two levels. So my babies are far from unhappy. I use fleece blankets changed weekly to prevent breathing problems as suggest by my vet who specializes specifically in in guinea pigs. My babies get new treats weekly after each cage change on Friday they have new houses and swings and balls and all the things to make a guinea pig have a very happy life.

It does look like cleaning fluid. Do see a vet though if you are concerned, they are really the only ones who can diagnose any issues.

Bonding cannot be done by a few hours of meetings over the course of days. Unfortunately that isn’t how it works - it is a one time thing which is seen through to conclusion there and then. Allowing them to meet, then separating repeatedly causes stress and means they never form their hierarchy before they are interrupted and they then have to start all over next time they meet.
He and the one boar he is going to be bonded with need to be put into a neutral territory and left for several hours to see how it goes. After a few hours and things have gone well, they are then moved into their thoroughly cleaned down cage together and left together from then on.
Unfortunately having little meetings here and there is not telling you anything about how they are going to bond because they aren’t getting far enough through the process. it takes two weeks of living together after the neutral territory introduction to fully establish a relationship and hierarchy .

Are you keeping more than two boars together?

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[Mistileigh]

It’s possibly just the cleaning fluid, but only a vet can say for sure.

Please do note that as he is so young, he should not be alone. Guinea pigs under four months old need to be immediately bonded with another piggy. Their social needs are so incredibly high at that young age.. At a minimum, he needs to be in a cage side by side with another piggy for constant through the bar interaction, not living above by himself.

I understand that they don't need to be alone. I get that..... I've raised seven and everyone of them is perfectly fine. The baby and the three males have supervised play time multiple times a day to integrate into living together. I am not letting him be alone in a cage with the females by my choice but I do let them see each other thru the fate. I am not being hateful I fully understand the happiness of a guinea pig requires friends but it's very important to me that he not be hurt. As they get more used to each other in about a week or two they will be put together but this baby is the size of my hand and I am worried if the baby frustrates one of them he will be hurt. Please let me handle that I know how to keep them happy I just would like to concentrate on if I should just reach out to the vet or does it seem more like the milky fluid not draining from his eye.

 

[Mistileigh]

It does look like cleaning fluid. Do see a vet though if you are concerned, they are really the only ones who can diagnose any issues.

Bonding cannot be done by a few hours of meetings over the course of days. Unfortunately that isn’t how it works - it is a one time thing which is seen through to conclusion there and then. Allowing them to meet, then separating repeatedly causes stress and means they never form their hierarchy before they are interrupted and they then have to start all over next time they meet.
He and the one boar he is going to be bonded with need to be put into a neutral territory and left for several hours to see how it goes. After a few hours and things have gone well, they are then moved into their thoroughly cleaned down cage together and left together from then on.
Unfortunately having little meetings here and there is not telling you anything about how they are going to bond because they aren’t getting far enough through the process. it takes two weeks of living together after the neutral territory introduction to fully establish a relationship and hierarchy .

Are you keeping more than two boars together?

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

There will be three older males together plus the baby this is why I am taking this process. This is how I introduced the females with females and males with males thru the two litters and it works perfectly for them. I'm not sure why this has become a concentration. I know how to get them to be happy together this isn't my first round of introducing them. I know thee personalities of my guinea pigs and in a week or two I will allow them together but for now they will play several times a day in a different area where nobody has their scent with their balls, food so they learn to eat together and huts to hang out in. Worked before and is working now. It started with being being uncomfortable and now after having him a little bit they now eat together and enjoy a ball that is progress to me it may not be in someone else's eye but work for me. I don't know if I should have joined this I just honestly needed opinions on his eye.