Hello! So I noticed last night that my guinea pig pepper had a piece of hay stuck in her eye. Her eye was becoming cloudy but as it was later at night we had to wait until this morning to bring her to the vet. My friend told me that this is a case of hay poke. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again?
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Hello, welcome to the forum. Has she seen the vet now? Unfortunately not, hay pokes are just really bad luck I'm afraid.
Beans&Toast
Adult Guinea Pig
Is your piggy okay now after the vets? There's nothing we can do to prevent hay pokes, it's just a part of piggy life unfortunaltey. 
It always needs to be seen by a vet though as eye injuries can be severe and get worse rapidly even though it might look okay to us.
It always needs to be seen by a vet though as eye injuries can be severe and get worse rapidly even though it might look okay to us.
Hello and welcome. Sadly hay pokes are a fact of life with piggies. It's a design fault! Hope your little one is doing fine since the vet visit.
Yes she is at the vet right now. We r picking her up around 2:00 with antibiotics and other medications.
She is at the vet right now. We r picking her up in a little over an hour.Is your piggy okay now after the vets? There's nothing we can do to prevent hay pokes, it's just a part of piggy life unfortunaltey.
Hi and welcome
Has your guinea pig been seen by a vet? Please make sure that you do so as soon as you can as eye injuries deteriorate very quickly; the cloudiness (ulceration) is a sign that the injury is already deteriorating. Never leave it any longer than the following day; ideally on the same day if that is possible.
What kind of hay are you feeding? We recommend much softer meadow hay to play/sit in as timothy hay is very stalky and is a prime contender for hay pokes.
We do use Timothy hay but she is 6 years old and has never has this problem before. Also she just got home from the vet and we have medications for her
Eye pokes are a hazard with guinea pigs. It just takes very little to get a stalk in the eye when a piggy is reacting instinctively to a sudden noise or just doesn't see it.
Good that you have had her seen. With prompt treatment, eye injuries tend to heal well. Make sure that you get all the meds in. If necessary distract her with her favourite treat in a bowl in front of her nose, then sneak in from behind her head when she is absorbed. As long as the eye is sore, it will still likely more than oe attempt, but you generally get there more quickly.
If you can, get hold of some visco tears tomorrow unless your vet has given you some. They help to lubricate the eye and ease the discomfort. Give them about half an hour after the antibiotic drops/gel.
All the best!
Lady Kelly
Senior Guinea Pig
Hey I'm in the same boat as you. Willow had injured her eye last Sunday and has been on eye drops since Monday morning. It's cleared really quick but the first time in around 8 years of piggy ownership that I've ever had to deal with an eye problem. Hope the antibiotics do their job and she feels better soon
I’m glad your pigs eyes cleared up. I hope the eyedrops do the same for mine. I hope your piggie is feeling better. Yea pepper is 6 and this has never happened before
gizzy
Adult Guinea Pig
Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again?[/QUOTE]
You could try a short cut hay like Alfafa King Thimathy!
For many years l used to feed a veriaty of different types of hay ! But for the past 5 or so years l have used Alfafa king exclusively! It is a lot more expensive that some of the standard small animal hay but my pigs favour it above all other types of hay and eat it far more enthusiastically!
The benefits
It is a broad stalked , rich green hay that have a very high abrasive properties making it ideal for wearing the molars down and keeping them healthy!
(I have not had any problems with molars since l started using it )
Most pigs favour it obove all other hays, and because of this they eat more of it , which helps with digestion!
It is a short cut none whispy hay that lays flat in the cage and since l have been using it l have not had a single eye poke problem!
Alfalfa King Timothy Hay for Small Animals | eBay
You could try a short cut hay like Alfafa King Thimathy!
For many years l used to feed a veriaty of different types of hay ! But for the past 5 or so years l have used Alfafa king exclusively! It is a lot more expensive that some of the standard small animal hay but my pigs favour it above all other types of hay and eat it far more enthusiastically!
The benefits
It is a broad stalked , rich green hay that have a very high abrasive properties making it ideal for wearing the molars down and keeping them healthy!
(I have not had any problems with molars since l started using it )
Most pigs favour it obove all other hays, and because of this they eat more of it , which helps with digestion!
It is a short cut none whispy hay that lays flat in the cage and since l have been using it l have not had a single eye poke problem!
Alfalfa King Timothy Hay for Small Animals | eBay