Just back from the emergency vet, Noodle had managed to get a roughly 1cm piece of hay stuck, I carefully removed it as I could see it sticking out but it's caused a massive ulcer. We've been given loxicom dog, once a day, isathal antibiotics twice a day and a corneal repair gel to put in every 4 hrs, although that will prove difficult when we are all at work and school next week, any advice on that would be appreciated.
So girls are in my daughter's bedroom in the temporary cage so she can do the drops overnight.
The overnight vet said it would be a long treatment, antibiotics for 2 weeks but the repair drops for over a month.
I've photographed so we can see any difference when we go back to have it checked in a week.
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Hi
Ouch! I am very sorry. Eye infections can come up and deteriorate very quickly in a matter of hours but - unless the damage is too bad - usually also heal pretty straight forward. You are in with a good chance, having had Noodle
seen promptly.
Please give the loxicom (metacam) twice a day. Guinea pigs have a faster metabolism than cata or dogs. How much have you been prescribed so we know whether it is better to split the dosage or to give it twice? It will help to get the inflammation in the eye down as well as acting as a painkiller.
You can also up the isathal to three times a day if needed; especially if you struggle to get enough gel in.
Please wait with the repair gel at least half an hour after the isathal to allow the antibiotic eye drops to be fully absorbed before you apply any gel and do the same with the gel.
Give at least one lot (if possible two but it may be too much of a stretch) of the repair gel in the morning before school/work and then try to get another 2-3 lots in beween coming back home and before you go to sleep. Try to space things out as much as you reasonably can - i.e. as soon as soon as you (or anybody reliable) is coming home in the afternoon/evening and last just before you go to bed.
If you wake up in the middle of night, then please apply a bit more gel in the first week but do not get up extra because this will take about 10-14 days at least and you'll need your sleep with a busy family life and a job. Rather get up a little bit earlier in the morning to try and get two lots of gel in around the isathal in the first few days.
Isathal is mainly effective with the surface healing whereas the repair gel works also in the deeper levels of the eye and also helps with hydration and comfort, especially if the eye has lost the cleaning reflex initially and is rather itchy after the isathal. Since in your case the main damage is in the chamber under the cornea, your vet is prioritising the gel application up to 6 times a day in order to speed up the recovery if that makes sense to you?
If you can't quite keep to the 4 hour rhythm, the eye will still heal; just not quite as quickly. Just try to get in as much as you can but wait 2-3 hours minimum between each gel application if you need to squeeze things into the time you are around. Try to aim at least 4 applications during work days in the next week.
Please don't get spooked when you see blood vessels bringing fresh oxygen to the damaged areas once the ulceration/infection has gone and the eye suddenly looks worse for a time about a week into it; it is actually a good sign since means that the healing process is in full swing. The blood vessels will disappear on their own as soon as they have done the job. The eye may also go a bit opaque in the last stages of the healing process.
Try to get as much in as you can over the weekend in order to stop the infection in its track as quickly as possible and get on top of the ulceration as quickly as you can.
For applying eye drops, you gently pull down the lower lid a little and aim the drops into the gap. Gel you gently dab on the eye surface. If Noodle can't see and has lost sensationg at the moment, it is going to be relatively easy but there will be more of a fight once things get better. Don't worry about spillage; it is par for the course.
If needed use our piggy whispering tips to assert your authority in combination with lots of praise and fussing:
Who is the Boss - Your Guinea Pig or You?
I hope that this helps you.
), it didn't do her any harm to get up in the night last weekend to apply drops.
