This morning I went downstairs, got something out of the fridge - and stopped. Usually by now Uther would be wheeking like god knows what, as soon as he hears the fridge open in the morning. So I went and looked, and he was cuddled up in a bit of straw in one corner of the cage, appearing to be sleeping. I came closer and he still wouldnt move which is unusual but I put it down to him being very tame. I put a bit more straw in that area and even that didnt make him move, he only openened his eyes to look at me.
I was getting worried at that point. Put a handful of lettuce-mix in a far off corner of the cage, and made my "lunch is served" noise and that eventually got him up. He hopped over to the lettuce, sniffed it - and didnt eat. Which is very unusual because he is an eating machine.
So I got him out of the cage (he was very active then, trying not to be caught ) and weighed him, minimal weight loss, nothing major. Worried that it might be a tooth problem that make him feel down, I held some parsley in front of him, and he actually ate a bit - but after one stem he left it. And thats his favourite.
So I sat down, really really worried now, and checked him all over. Didnt find anything, until I noticed his left eye had a tiny bit of discharge and underneath the eye it looked like he had been crying a bit. So I had a closer look and noticed in the corner of his eye a tiny bit of hay (looked like an eyelash from the thickness of it, which is why at first I didnt notice) stuck in the corner of his eye. Like, really perpendicular. I pulled his eyelid up a bit and noticed that the white of the eye was a bit red. Doublechecked by comparing with the other eye - yep, thats perfectly white, so a bit of redness isnt normal. So I carefully pulled out that hay - he was very good and sitting still - and he immediately looked around, being bit brighter.
When I popped him back into the cage he was hopping about and all.
Still didnt touch the food though. :-\
Now I am just wondering, when a piggy has something like that happen - hay stuck in eye, splinter in foot, things like that, does it affect their general wellbeing and mood? I just didnt think that something minor like hay stuck in eye, while being painful, would put a piggy off its food! :o
Do you think I should monitor this further, or rush to the vets immediately, seeing as its an eye-related prob?
Am just worried about the redness of the eye, if something could have gotten infected.
I was getting worried at that point. Put a handful of lettuce-mix in a far off corner of the cage, and made my "lunch is served" noise and that eventually got him up. He hopped over to the lettuce, sniffed it - and didnt eat. Which is very unusual because he is an eating machine.
So I got him out of the cage (he was very active then, trying not to be caught ) and weighed him, minimal weight loss, nothing major. Worried that it might be a tooth problem that make him feel down, I held some parsley in front of him, and he actually ate a bit - but after one stem he left it. And thats his favourite.
So I sat down, really really worried now, and checked him all over. Didnt find anything, until I noticed his left eye had a tiny bit of discharge and underneath the eye it looked like he had been crying a bit. So I had a closer look and noticed in the corner of his eye a tiny bit of hay (looked like an eyelash from the thickness of it, which is why at first I didnt notice) stuck in the corner of his eye. Like, really perpendicular. I pulled his eyelid up a bit and noticed that the white of the eye was a bit red. Doublechecked by comparing with the other eye - yep, thats perfectly white, so a bit of redness isnt normal. So I carefully pulled out that hay - he was very good and sitting still - and he immediately looked around, being bit brighter.
When I popped him back into the cage he was hopping about and all.
Still didnt touch the food though. :-\
Now I am just wondering, when a piggy has something like that happen - hay stuck in eye, splinter in foot, things like that, does it affect their general wellbeing and mood? I just didnt think that something minor like hay stuck in eye, while being painful, would put a piggy off its food! :o
Do you think I should monitor this further, or rush to the vets immediately, seeing as its an eye-related prob?
Am just worried about the redness of the eye, if something could have gotten infected.