Help With Timid Guinea and Eye Drops - (Vet Diagnostic of Conjunctivitis)

[Biscoffi & Toffee]

Hi,


Could anyone help me with my little boy Biscoffi, we recently got our two little boys Biscoffi and Toffee. But yesterday, when cleaning the cage and then feeding them some lettuce I noticed that Biscoffi had one of his eyes squinted so I got an appointment the same day at the vets. And they diagnosed it as conjunctivitis as the dye showed no injury to the eye itself but they agreed it was rather squinted.

They showed me how to administer the drops etc, but after doing my daily research on guineas I came across a site that said that you should 'NEVER' remove a piggies hideaway to get them out. Which is something I currently have to do as our two are really new to the household it was only recently they took food from my hand which is when I noticed the eye, biscoffi who has the eye issue reluctantly after a min or so of carefully attempting let me pick him up. But today I had to get him out by moving the hideaway from one side to the other so they still had some access to hiding but I had a little chance to get him out, which I carefully did but I am worried this will damage his confidence and make him even more timid. These eye drops are vital for him to recover and he needs them for 7 days total 3 times a day. Its so sad that only 3 days after getting him I needed to go for a vet trip poor little biscoffi is probably wondering what the heck is going on.

I am wondering if anyone knows the best and least stressful way I can do this for my little boy without just 'Waiting for him to come to me' as they have to be done every 2-3 hours and 3 times a day so if I spend 1 hour waiting over the course of the day I may not be able to get all of the drops in. Is this just the lesser of the evils here or is there a better way to get my little boys drops in without constantly attempting to slowly slowly get hold of him at his level from below.

Please reply quickly if possible as the next dosage is tomorrow and I really need to know the best way here

Thanks

Sam

 

[4boipigs]

I have experience giving a blind boar daily eye drops and recently had to give one of my youngest scaredy-pigs ear drops. The easiest suggestion would be to lure them to you with a treat. Can you put a treat in a box or hide that you can pick up and carry them away in? If the pig is just too shy, I try to catch them as fast as I can, set them on my lap, do the drops, and set them back in the cage. Lots of treats help if they aren't too scared to eat around you.

 

[Biscoffi & Toffee]

I have experience giving a blind boar daily eye drops and recently had to give one of my youngest scaredy-pigs ear drops. The easiest suggestion would be to lure them to you with a treat. Can you put a treat in a box or hide that you can pick up and carry them away in? If the pig is just too shy, I try to catch them as fast as I can, set them on my lap, do the drops, and set them back in the cage. Lots of treats help if they aren't too scared to eat around you.

I have some hideys that can be picked on delivery but not at the moment, he's only scared when I attempt to get him out. Once he is on my lap he does bunch up to start with then after his eye drops I wipe his eyes and give him some lettuce and he calms down a little and starts relaxing and sniffing and has a little much, I am just worried about the stress on him getting him out as I do have to remove one hideaway and then move the other one around. After a few mins of moving the hideaway to a different corner and slowly and carefully moving my hand closer to him I can give him a stroke and pick him up. But I am just worried about the moving ordeal is causing him stress when he is already unsure of his new environment since he is so new

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,


Could anyone help me with my little boy Biscoffi, we recently got our two little boys Biscoffi and Toffee. But yesterday, when cleaning the cage and then feeding them some lettuce I noticed that Biscoffi had one of his eyes squinted so I got an appointment the same day at the vets. And they diagnosed it as conjunctivitis as the dye showed no injury to the eye itself but they agreed it was rather squinted.

They showed me how to administer the drops etc, but after doing my daily research on guineas I came across a site that said that you should 'NEVER' remove a piggies hideaway to get them out. Which is something I currently have to do as our two are really new to the household it was only recently they took food from my hand which is when I noticed the eye, biscoffi who has the eye issue reluctantly after a min or so of carefully attempting let me pick him up. But today I had to get him out by moving the hideaway from one side to the other so they still had some access to hiding but I had a little chance to get him out, which I carefully did but I am worried this will damage his confidence and make him even more timid. These eye drops are vital for him to recover and he needs them for 7 days total 3 times a day. Its so sad that only 3 days after getting him I needed to go for a vet trip poor little biscoffi is probably wondering what the heck is going on.

I am wondering if anyone knows the best and least stressful way I can do this for my little boy without just 'Waiting for him to come to me' as they have to be done every 2-3 hours and 3 times a day so if I spend 1 hour waiting over the course of the day I may not be able to get all of the drops in. Is this just the lesser of the evils here or is there a better way to get my little boys drops in without constantly attempting to slowly slowly get hold of him at his level from below.

Please reply quickly if possible as the next dosage is tomorrow and I really need to know the best way here

Thanks

Sam

Hi and welcome

It is always trickier when new piggies develop a health issue.

If luring with a treat at the back of the lift out box doesn't work, then lifting the hidey and taking the piggy out will have to do - the quicker you get hold of them, the less the flight reflex can kick in. Use a special melody and phrase for the act so the new piggy can learn to brace for it. It is not causing any lasting trauma, especially when you follow up the medical procedure with a treat and give a lot of praise during the procedure.
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)

Use some of our piggy whispering tips to communicate with him in his own language and in concepts that he understands immediately. That makes the whole experience look less like random violence.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips

Medicating/health issues come before any other considerations. Your new piggy will realise that they feel better after being handled by you and that creates a different bonding/trust experience in its own right.

 

[Biscoffi & Toffee]

Hi and welcome

It is always trickier when new piggies develop a health issue.

If luring with a treat at the back of the lift out box doesn't work, then lifting the hidey and taking the piggy out will have to do - the quicker you get hold of them, the less the flight reflex can kick in. Use a special melody and phrase for the act so the new piggy can learn to brace for it. It is not causing any lasting trauma, especially when you follow up the medical procedure with a treat and give a lot of praise during the procedure.
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)

Use some of our piggy whispering tips to communicate with him in his own language and in concepts that he understands immediately. That makes the whole experience look less like random violence.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips

Medicating/health issues come before any other considerations. Your new piggy will realise that they feel better after being handled by you and that creates a different bonding/trust experience in its own right.

Thank you for your reply , I have ordered some little pickup able hidies for them to get him out to make it way less stressful thank you for calming a few of my worries and that link to understanding them is amazing. Definitely helped a bunch for both now and the whole of their lives <3

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for your reply , I have ordered some little pickup able hidies for them to get him out to make it way less stressful thank you for calming a few of my worries and that link to understanding them is amazing. Definitely helped a bunch for both now and the whole of their lives <3

Glad that my advice has helped you.

You may find our new owners guide collection link below very helpful; the links in my first post are all in there as well. Over 15 years worth of questions on this forum and up to 50 years of owners experience with guinea pigs have gone into our very practical how-to guides that take you through a wide range of issues that every newbie comes up against and also give you some background information that you may find fascinating. The principle is always very different from the reality, after all - that also goes for pet ownership. It is the little unanticipated things that can really throw you when good intentions come up against conflicting needs.

For us on here, welfare is not an absolute state for the enlightened few but an issue with constantly moving goal posts that we can all work towards in little or larger practical steps within the constraints of our own circumstances and means and that we can improve on and adapt to as we go along without being deficient as caring owners. We are all still on that same journey and will continue on it all our lives.

You may want to bookmark this link, browse, read and re-read at need; our guide format allows us to constantly update end extend our information resource. A number of guides will read differently depending on the level of experience you have but they can give you something at whatever level you read them: Comprehensive Owners' Practical and Supportive Information Collection