Hay poke

[lauryn1289]

Hi all, one of my boys had a piece of jagged hay lodged in the side of his eye. With an extra set of hands and a tweezers I got it out, poor boy let out a big squeal.

His eye is very slightly cloudy on just the corner of it, my other boy has had a hay poke so I know the drill is an antibiotic eye ointment like Isathal. I thought I had a spare tube lying around but I don’t think I do. His eye is also opening most of the way now since it’s gone, I figure it’s still a little tender.

Only issue is the soonest I could get it/him to the vet is the weekend, does anyone know if that’s okay or should I be concerned? Apart from the slight cloudiness his behaviour is normal and he’s eating and bickering with his brother fine, beforehand he was squinting a lot and hiding in the corner a bit so I’m 99% sure I got the whole thing out. There was no blood or anything just to add

 

[lauryn1289]

His eye for reference, the cloudiness isn’t as bad as a lot I’ve seen but it’s still there

 

[fluffysal]

I'm pretty sure that eyes are a priority and therefore eligible for emergency appointments. I'm tagging @Wiebke for you as I'm not experienced. Gorgeous pig btw.

 

[lauryn1289]

I'm pretty sure that eyes are a priority and therefore eligible for emergency appointments. I'm tagging @Wiebke for you as I'm not experienced. Gorgeous pig btw.

Thank you He’s very handsome but he’s an absolute demon, we joke that he’s part guinea pig part satan spawn

 

[fluffysal]

I used to have one like that, Tim nice but dim. He was only handled for essentials and nail trims were a 3 person job even at the vets! Stunningly good looking though. He was rehomed after a visit from the plum fairy and is much more chilled when living with ladies.

 

[Piggies&buns]

The cloudiness means it is ulcerating. He needs a vet sooner than the weekend I’m afraid.

Eyes are considered urgent and need to be seen within 24 hours of the injury occurring.

Even if you had to isathal from previously you wouldn’t be able to use it now as it has a short shelf life once opened (a matter of weeks if I remember correctly)

 

[VickiA]

Any vet can see an eye injury. It’s classed as a same day emergency. Please call your vets again and ask to be seen today.

 

[lauryn1289]

He’s on the way to the vet! They gave him an appointment straight away when I mentioned cloudiness. Thanks everyone

 

[lauryn1289]

The cloudiness means it is ulcerating. He needs a vet sooner than the weekend I’m afraid.

Eyes are considered urgent and need to be seen within 24 hours of the injury occurring.

Even if you had to isathal from previously you wouldn’t be able to use it now as it has a short shelf life once opened (a matter of weeks if I remember correctly)

Thanks so much, my regular vet is seeing him in a few minutes!

 

[lauryn1289]

Hi all, the vet he saw was wonderful and even put the neon fluid thingy in his eye just to measure the size of his ulcer to check again in a few days how it is. He has a big corneal ulcer and got 0.44mls Loxicom and Chloramphenicol eye drops, I’m not as familiar with those as Isathal but either way whatever works. Thanks everyone for the help!
l

 

[Piggies&buns]

Chloramphenicol is stronger than isathal.
I’m glad he has loxicom too.

We recommend a lubricant gel also as it can aid healing.

He has received prompt treatment and that really does make a huge difference so I'm glad he hadn’t had to wait to be seen

 

[lauryn1289]

He got his meds and he’s back home and into bed and had some veggies, hopefully feeling better soon!

 

[lauryn1289]

Chloramphenicol is stronger than isathal.
I’m glad he has loxicom too.

We recommend a lubricant gel also as it can aid healing.

He has received prompt treatment and that really does make a huge difference so I'm glad he hadn’t had to wait to be seen

I’ve had guinea pigs for nearly 10 years and it’s only my current two that have ever had eye pokes surprisingly! My other boy Eggs had one a couple months back and had Isathal but that poke didn’t ulcer at all so I feel awful that Ollie might have had the hay stuck in there for a
little bit before I noticed it

 

[Merab]

Fortunately you caught it quickly and were able to get him prompt treatment so the eye should heal fairly soon.

 

[lauryn1289]

Hi everyone, sorry for yet another comment here! Just wondering does anyone know if some squinting/irritation/pain maybe is normal with eye drops? He squints straight away and for a while after and hates them, still squinting right now and it seems painful. His eye is open about 75%

Again I’m only familiar with Isathal personally and not this Chloramphenicol and don’t remember squinting or pain with that but then again nobody’s had such a bad hay poke or needed Isathal for anything but goopy eyes otherwise. I figure it’s possibly just his eye itself actually hurts but concerned either way

 

[Merab]

I don’t know about the actual drops but when Micah had haypoke his favourite trick was closing his eyes tightly as soon as the eye drops approached. When I finally got some into his eye he squinted until they settled.

Any doubts then contact your vet and ask.

 

[lauryn1289]

Hi everyone, just a quick update to say his eye is already looking better He looks miserable here from his his eyedrop and metacam but he went into bed after to munch on a nibble stick and do some popcorning