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Metacam for haypoke?

hannahs26

hannahs26

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi, I'm hoping for some advice about treatment of haypoke injuries. I read that it's important to see a vet asap, so have secured an appointment for this afternoon for little Piglet, after we removed a grass seed from her eye yesterday eve and couldn't get hold of a vet then.
Due to being very busy and Covid restrictions, the vet chatted on the phone with me this morning and basically just offered me metacam for her, and told me that if it didn't recover and worsened, it may need to be removed down the line.
I asked whether some eye drops were needed in case of an ulcer or abrasion, and she said perhaps, depending on what the injury looks like on examination. So I asked if she could be seen, so she gave me an appointment for this afternoon.
Anyway, my question is, whether or not the vet prescribed drops, is metacam really necessary in this case? Would you give it to yours in the following situation? Piglet was having trouble opening her eye yesterday afternoon, and a haypoke was discovered in the evening. Other than looking like she couldn't fully open her eye, she was completely normal in herself, and this morning appears completely normal. She is eating, drinking and behaving as normal, and her eye is open, but looks grey and white in parts from the poke.
I'm aware GPs can hide the way they feel to avoid appearing vulnerable, so I'm unsure whether this type of injury would be painful enough to warrant the metacam.
A couple of weeks ago I was considering a vet appointment for Piglet due to her appearing withdrawn for 24 hours or so, so I feel like of her eye was bothering her, perhaps she would show it, as she did then. Or perhaps that day or so where she was withdrawn something else was troubling her to a greater extent than this, but this is still painful for her. Any ideas and advice would be gratefully received. Thank you.
 

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Well done for insisting she is seen. It’s impossible to know the extent of any eye injury without a hands on examination So giving only metacam and waiting to see if it got worse would not be a good way to go about it. Prompt treatment with an antibiotic eye drop and haypokes usually recover quickly.
 
Thank you so much. Having this being our first haypoke and having only had GPs since little over a year, it's hard to know how serious things are, and how to deal with things for the best. I'm so grateful for this forum and the great advice :-) I'm glad that I have an appointment then :-)
 
Yes, well done for being persistent. The metacam is for pain relief and is also anti inflammatory. Eye injuries are very painful and piggies can deteriorate quickly. That is why most vets see eye injuries as a same day emergency. She needs examination to check whether there is any remaining hay or debris, and to see whether there is a puncture or an ulcer to the cornea. That can't be done without an examination so well done.
 
hannahs26 said:
Hi, I'm hoping for some advice about treatment of haypoke injuries. I read that it's important to see a vet asap, so have secured an appointment for this afternoon for little Piglet, after we removed a grass seed from her eye yesterday eve and couldn't get hold of a vet then.
Due to being very busy and Covid restrictions, the vet chatted on the phone with me this morning and basically just offered me metacam for her, and told me that if it didn't recover and worsened, it may need to be removed down the line.
I asked whether some eye drops were needed in case of an ulcer or abrasion, and she said perhaps, depending on what the injury looks like on examination. So I asked if she could be seen, so she gave me an appointment for this afternoon.
Anyway, my question is, whether or not the vet prescribed drops, is metacam really necessary in this case? Would you give it to yours in the following situation? Piglet was having trouble opening her eye yesterday afternoon, and a haypoke was discovered in the evening. Other than looking like she couldn't fully open her eye, she was completely normal in herself, and this morning appears completely normal. She is eating, drinking and behaving as normal, and her eye is open, but looks grey and white in parts from the poke.
I'm aware GPs can hide the way they feel to avoid appearing vulnerable, so I'm unsure whether this type of injury would be painful enough to warrant the metacam.
A couple of weeks ago I was considering a vet appointment for Piglet due to her appearing withdrawn for 24 hours or so, so I feel like of her eye was bothering her, perhaps she would show it, as she did then. Or perhaps that day or so where she was withdrawn something else was troubling her to a greater extent than this, but this is still painful for her. Any ideas and advice would be gratefully received. Thank you.
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Metacam is both a painkiller and an anti-inflammatory which will help fight an infection. If your vet is offering it, please take it.

Unless your vet is prescribing a lubricant when seeing your piggy, I would also strongly recommend to get hold of artificial tear gel, which is something my own vet now gives for every hay poke piggy of mine; in my own experience it really makes a noticeable difference in the healing process as the gel will not just help with eye hydration and comfort during the healing process it also penetrates deeper into eye than the antibiotic. You apply the gel three times a day (ideally roughly spread out as evenly as possible, the same as with the medicated eye drops) but you have to wait at least 30 minutes after the application of any other eye treatment in order to allow this to be fully absorbed. In a pinch, normal tear gel will do but it is more difficult to apply and not as long lasting in effect, so you will have to do that up to 6 times a day depending on the severity of the injury/infection.

All the best! Eye injuries deteriorate very quickly but if they are seen and treated promptly, most will also heal well although it may look worse at the stage when the blood supply with be directed to the injured area in order to heal.

You are doing all the right things. If your vet is willing to throw the kitchen sink at an eye, please throw it. It is well worth fighting to keep an eye. So far - tough wood - none of mine has ever lost their eye even though it has been touch and go in a couple of cases where the injury was very bad or the piggy too old for a removal op. And I have had well over a dozen cases over the years. I hope that this helps you?
 
Wiebke said:
Metacam is both a painkiller and an anti-inflammatory which will help fight an infection. If your vet is offering it, please take it.

Unless your vet is prescribing a lubricant when seeing your piggy, I would also strongly recommend to get hold of artificial tear gel, which is something my own vet now gives for every hay poke piggy of mine; in my own experience it really makes a noticeable difference in the healing process as the gel will not just help with eye hydration and comfort during the healing process it also penetrates deeper into eye than the antibiotic. You apply the gel three times a day (ideally roughly spread out as evenly as possible, the same as with the medicated eye drops) but you have to wait at least 30 minutes after the application of any other eye treatment in order to allow this to be fully absorbed. In a pinch, normal tear gel will do but it is more difficult to apply and not as long lasting in effect, so you will have to do that up to 6 times a day depending on the severity of the injury/infection.

All the best! Eye injuries deteriorate very quickly but if they are seen and treated promptly, most will also heal well although it may look worse at the stage when the blood supply with be directed to the injured area in order to heal.

You are doing all the right things. If your vet is willing to throw the kitchen sink at an eye, please throw it. It is well worth fighting to keep an eye. So far - tough wood - none of mine has ever lost their eye even though it has been touch and go in a couple of cases where the injury was very bad or the piggy too old for a removal op. And I have had well over a dozen cases over the years. I hope that this helps you?
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Thank you so very much for your detailed help! I will ask the vet about the year gel! :-)
 
All the best with the vet trip. Hopefully it's minor and will get better soon.
 
hannahs26 said:
I'm waiting in the car while the vet checks Piglet... they aren't allowing people in. She has her sister with her for comfort, but still out here worrying 😔
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Yes, it’s not nice having to wait outside, sadly it’s normal now though
 
hannahs26 said:
I'm waiting in the car while the vet checks Piglet... they aren't allowing people in. She has her sister with her for comfort, but still out here worrying 😔
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This is sadly the new normal and how vet clinics can continue to work safely and stay open at all times - something we have to be hugely grateful for. While it is frustrating and somewhat limiting for both sides, it could be so much worse.
Accessing veterinary care during coronavirus/Covid-19 lockdown

All the best!
 
They are home and happily being groomed by their sisters :-) Bless, poor little Piglet has a corneal ulcer. She had some debris still left on her eye which the vet was able to remove, and has given her a 5 day course of Metacam (0.5mg/ml bottle, of which she prescribed 0.16ml once a day), Remend lubricant (1 drop twice a day), and Clorogen eye drops (0.5%, of which 1 drop twice a day). Doesn't need to see her again unless there is concern.
I'm hopeful this is a good course of action from what I've read on here :-)
Thanks so much for all the helpful advice 🙏❤️
 
That was a very worthwhile visit. And the treatment plan sounds good, too. You should see some improvement in the next couple of days.
 
hannahs26 said:
They are home and happily being groomed by their sisters :-) Bless, poor little Piglet has a corneal ulcer. She had some debris still left on her eye which the vet was able to remove, and has given her a 5 day course of Metacam (0.5mg/ml bottle, of which she prescribed 0.16ml once a day), Remend lubricant (1 drop twice a day), and Clorogen eye drops (0.5%, of which 1 drop twice a day). Doesn't need to see her again unless there is concern.
I'm hopeful this is a good course of action from what I've read on here :-)
Thanks so much for all the helpful advice 🙏❤
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Since the infection seems to be only affecting the surface of the eye and being on the milder side (thanks to your prompt intervention), your vet is not using any of the heavier guns.
Clorogen are the medicated drops against the infection, Remend is to clear the ulceration and to hydrate the eye and metacam is there for the comfort and to help fighting any inflammation. I assume that you have been given cat metacam; if yes, it is about the smallest possible dose. Dog metacam is three time stronger. Does that help you?

the pain and discomfort should disappear within 2-3 days and the surface scratch should be healed and no longer visible within 7-10 days.
 
Yes,
Wiebke said:
Since the infection seems to be only affecting the surface of the eye and being on the milder side (thanks to your prompt intervention), your vet is not using any of the heavier guns.
Clorogen are the medicated drops against the infection, remend is to clear the ulceration and to hydrate the eye and metacam is there for the comfort and to help fighting any inflammation. I assume that you have been given cat metacam; if yes, it is about the smallest possible dose. Dog metacam is three time stronger. Does that help you?

the pain and discomfort should disappear within 2-3 days and the surface scratch should be healed and no longer visible within 7-10 days.
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Thank you so much. Yes, the Metacam is "for cats and guinea pigs".
 
hannahs26 said:
Yes,

Thank you so much. Yes, the Metacam is "for cats and guinea pigs".
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Basically what you have been prescribed is the equivalent of 1 drop of dog metacam (0.05ml) and about half a paracetamol a day for a human in effect. ;)
 
A little update: Piglet has been so unbelievably good at having her eye drops and lubricant twice a day! She is held by one of the children and given something tasty to nibble on to distract her, then she's so good and lets me treat her eye :-) She also seems to love the taste of the metacam, and has had no problem giving that from a syringe too. She's been such a good patient ☺️ I was dreading it after having a chinchilla with eye troubles when younger, and then a cat with eye injury more recently - but she has been nowhere near the nightmare they were to get eye drops in 🤣 Thanks again for all the help on here 🙏IMG_20210112_123314~2.webp
 
Glad the treatment is going well.
Piggies all seem to like the taste of Metacam - I’ve often had to wrestle the syringe away once the meds have been consumed.

Hope the eye is healing up.
 
So glad to hear your patient is being so cooperative and that the eye is healing well. Once the eye starts to heal the drops hurt less and it gets easier to get them in.
Most piggies like Metacam. My Holly is a Metacam junkie - I only have to step near the bottle and she appears - even if she looks like she is in deep sleep she will suddenly spring to life!
 
Metacam contains a little honey to help the painkiller go down when nothing else will... :)
I have yet to meet a piggy that doesn't like metacam.

Glad that the eye is healing well; you did catch it well in time.
 
Wiebke said:
Metacam contains a little honey to help the painkiller go down when nothing else will... :)
I have yet to meet a piggy that doesn't like metacam.

Glad that the eye is healing well; you did catch it well in time.
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I wondered what ingredients were in it. I was surprised that the package insert didn't list them as they are listed in human meds. Honey would definitely make piggies like it 😂
 
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