Damaged Eye & bedding advice needed !?

[Cala]

Hi all
Yesterday I took my guinea pig boy, Sweetcorn, to the vets as his eye looked really cloudy....
It turns out his eye has been damaged, most likely by a poke in the eye from Hay!
Oh NO.....
He has pain killers & eye drops and we are going back in 5 days for a check up.
Poor lad.
My main concern is now... what bedding should I use?
The vet has said & I get this, that until the eye is better that I change to fleece bedding or vet bed and hay baskets. Basically all things soft with little chance of aggravating or making Sweetcorn's eye worse.
The boys are outside in a hutch within a wendy house, which was until yesterday filled with a mix of Aubiose & Hay & snuggle pads!
Now i'm stuck... Hay is so warm, Aubiose so absorbent & Fleece seems too cold and flat and not snuggly at all (in an outdoor setting anyhow).
I'm worried the boys are going to feel the cold & the damp.
Does anyone know of a good insulating bedding that is not bitty or sharp and would work in an outdoor setting?
They are in a completely waterproof & windproof setting but it isn't warm. With Hay I'd been managing with blankets over the hutch & snuggle pads to keep their Hutch at 17 degrees dropping to 14 degrees by morning.
Any advice, suggestions or ideas gratefully received!
Many thanks a worried Piggy carer.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear he’s had a haypoke.
you cannot ever prevent haypoke, even if you change their bedding, as hay is a vital part of their diet.
you also can’t reliably use fleece outside as it can absorb moisture from the air and stay wet which is worse for their health.
My piggies live in my shed, they have both had a haypoke (two years ago and, touch wood, none since), and they still live on aubiose and hay as bedding (and now it’s getting colder the amount of hay will be increased dramatically) for warmth.

 

[Cala]

I’m sorry to hear he’s had a haypoke.
you cannot ever prevent haypoke, even if you change their bedding, as hay is a vital part of their diet.
you also can’t reliably use fleece outside as it can absorb moisture from the air and stay wet which is worse for their health.
My piggies live in my shed, they have both had a haypoke (two years ago and, touch wood, none since), and they still live on aubiose and hay as bedding (and now it’s getting colder the amount of hay will be increased dramatically) for warmth.

Thanks for your reply...
In your opinion should I just carry on as we were...?
I made an insulated hutch liner yesterday but it felt so cold and damp this morning!
I think because the vet said no hay and no Aubiose as bedding that really worried me.
Not sure what to do for the best?!

 

[Piggies&buns]

In my personal opinion, yes. When both mine had haypoke I never changed their bedding. Loads of hay is just so vital to them for their diet but also warmth.
I use fleece in summer but stop around the end of September as it just too risky of them being on bedding that may not remain dry and then getting cold.

 

[Cala]

In my personal opinion, yes. When both mine had haypoke I never changed their bedding. Loads of hay is just so vital to them for their diet but also warmth.
I use fleece in summer but stop around the end of September as it just too risky of them being on bedding that may not remain dry and then getting cold.

OK, thank you.
Really appreciate your advice.

 

[Veggies Galore]

I agree with @Piggies&buns buns Cala . Haypokes are one of those things that unfortunately happen occasionally .

I understand your vets reasoning ... but piggies NEED hay so, don't stop giving them hay .

Aubiose is a great bedding . I use it and have never attributed a hay poke to it .


PS your piggie are gorgeous

 

[Cala]

I agree with @Piggies&buns buns Cala . Haypokes are one of those things that unfortunately happen occasionally .

I understand your vets reasoning ... but piggies NEED hay so, don't stop giving them hay .

Aubiose is a great bedding . I use it and have never attributed a hay poke to it .


PS your piggie are gorgeous

Thank you so much for your advice and your opinions.
The boys are so funny & so rotund!
Cala

 

[Siikibam]

Could you use soft hay instead? Hope his eye recovers well. They’re both handsome

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Hay pokes are part and parcel of giving piggies the enrichment to burrow in hay. I would however strongly recommend to source some very soft hay for for the burrowing in order to minimise the risk a bit and to feed any stalkier hay in racks.
A Comprehensive Hay Guide for Guinea Pigs (incl. providers in several countries)

For treating any hay pokes, my own vet now routinely prescribes plain artificial tear gel in addition to the medicated drops or gel; unless you have already been given a lubricant of some sort.
In my own experience (especially after a fresk year with 8 hay pokes), it has really made quite a noticeable difference in terms of speeding up the healing process and comfort in the eye. You can use tear drops instead of gel but they are more difficult to apply and and not as long lasting. You can get the tear gel from a pharmacy as long as you say it is for yourself for overnight.

Here are our cold weather tips for outdoors piggies: Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs

 

[Cala]

Could you use soft hay instead? Hope his eye recovers well. They’re both handsome

Hi & thank you
We have a reasonably soft, sweet green bale I've been using on top of the Aubiose. I've also been giving extra Timothy Hay from BoxOfHay as a 'finer' eating hay.
This is super soft and I've just bought another box (gulp at the price) to use a bit more like bedding until Sweetcorn's eye improves.
I've put everything back to how it was now, which already feels a whole lot cosier, with a bit less Hay inside their inner hides.
Fingers crossed for both healing & warmth!

 

[Cala]

Hi!

Hay pokes are part and parcel of giving piggies the enrichment to burrow in hay. I would however strongly recommend to source some very soft hay for for the burrowing in order to minimise the risk a bit and to feed any stalkier hay in racks.
A Comprehensive Hay Guide for Guinea Pigs (incl. providers in several countries)

For treating any hay pokes, my own vet now routinely prescribes plain artificial tear gel in addition to the medicated drops or gel; unless you have already been given a lubricant of some sort.
In my own experience (especially after a fresk year with 8 hay pokes), it has really made quite a noticeable difference in terms of speeding up the healing process and comfort in the eye. You can use tear drops instead of gel but they are more difficult to apply and and not as long lasting. You can get the tear gel from a pharmacy as long as you say it is for yourself for overnight.

Here are our cold weather tips for outdoors piggies: Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs

Hi & thanks for your advice.
I will check out the guide & will be more mindful of how I distribute the hay.
8 Hay pokes, Crikey.....that's a lot! I feel traumatised by just one!
We have been prescribed Isathal twice a day.
Just off to administer.....
Thanks again

 

[Wiebke]

Hi & thanks for your advice.
I will check out the guide & will be more mindful of how I distribute the hay.
8 Hay pokes, Crikey.....that's a lot! I feel traumatised by just one!
We have been prescribed Isathal twice a day.
Just off to administer.....
Thanks again

If you have just got isathal (which is the milder antibiotic brand), then I would recommend to get some tear gel. you have to always wait at least 30-60 minutes after applying the antibiotic drops before you step in with the gel in order to allow the antibiotic to be fully absorbed.
The gel can be applied every 8 hours (2- 3 times daily depending on the severity, but it can be even more in extreme cases) and the drops up to 4-6 times depending on the severity. Since the antibiotic drops tend to dry out the eye and make it itchy, it is more comforting for the piggy to use the tear gel after the antibiotic.

So far, I have made it without a single poke this year with a similar number of piggies... so you can never tell!

All the best! Eye injuries tend to heal pretty straight forward unless the damage is really severe - which is not the case with you. Just stick to getting the drops and gel in and things will right themselves.

 

[Cala]

If you have just got isathal (which is the milder antibiotic brand), then I would recommend to get some tear gel. you have to always wait at least 30-60 minutes after applying the antibiotic drops before you step in with the gel in order to allow the antibiotic to be fully absorbed.
The gel can be applied every 8 hours (2- 3 times daily depending on the severity, but it can be even more in extreme cases) and the drops up to 4-6 times depending on the severity. Since the drops tend to dry out the eye and make it itchy, it is more comforting for the piggy to use the tear gel after the antibiotic.

So far, I have made it without a single poke this year with a similar number of piggies... so you can never tell!

All the best! Eye injuries tend to heal pretty straight forward unless the damage is really severe - which is not the case with you. Just stick to getting the drops and gel in and things will right themselves.

Thank you so much .... that’s great advice!
I’ll get some tomorrow.
I love this forum.
It’s like a giant safety net of expertise & experience.
Thank you