swollen eye

[superka]

So i noticed caramilk was squinting one eye and was kind of watery. i checked it out and noticed a hair sticking out of the corner of her eye... i gently pulled it out and she made a small wheeking noise as it obviously hurt and pulled her head away yanking the last of it out.. it was quit long, i was surprised. eye was really swollen right after. its late at night and i can only call the vet in the morning. best case they'll probably only be able to see me the day after. anything i can do in the mean time to help alleviate her eye? things to watch out for?

 

[Dollyx]

Poor Caramilk! To help with the swelling a bit, maybe you can try gently putting a warm washcloth over her eye, applying very little pressure and make sure its not too hot. Hope everything goes well with the vet and it's not too serious If you can call your vet and ask for advice on what to do before they can see her, they might prescribe you Terramycin, which will help keep the eye clean and prevent it from getting infected. And you should watch out for cloudiness in the eye!

 

[weepweeps]

Poor Caramilk. I haven’t got any experience with eye issues. Hopefully it will settle down now the hair is out.

 

[superka]

Poor Caramilk. I haven’t got any experience with eye issues. Hopefully it will settle down now the hair is out.

thats my hope too. the eye seems a bit better, but the bottom lid is still very swollen tho.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Poor little Caramilk, I wouldn’t place a cloth on it as it could introduce germs and cause infection. Phone your vet as soon as he’s open, eyes are classed as urgent, get antibiotic drops and tear gel (artificial tear lube) you should be able to buy the later at a pharmacy, it’s the same for humans and pets

 

[superka]

Poor little Caramilk, I wouldn’t place a cloth on it as it could introduce germs and cause infection. Phone your vet as soon as he’s open, eyes are classed as urgent, get antibiotic drops and tear gel (artificial tear lube) you should be able to buy the later at a pharmacy, it’s the same for humans and pets

i was thinking of using gause as its sterilized but i haven't done anything yet. wanted to get as much advice before doing anything hasty. just been monitoring her. she's been quiet so far. the vet opens in 3 hours....

 

[Piggies&buns]

Best to just leave it alone until you can get to the vet.
Hope she is ok

 

[superka]

So called my vet. Out of the office till next month..... soonest i can book it is the 9th.... called up every vet that deals with pocket pets in my city. none are taking new clients with any haste. the vets i called did say i can use a warm compress and make sure the area is clean. i got tons of packaged gauze pads that are all sterile. i am leaving it alone for the most part, but i did just clean it. i'll keep eye cleanings to once a day if needed. she seemed to enjoy the gauze pad. she would move her face away from anything that would get close. but second i touched it with the pad she just stopped moving and relaxed. i only held it for a few seconds then put her back. It does seem to be getting better. not as puffy and the lower lid isn't as droopy. other then the eye she's acting like her normal self in the cage. eating drinking ect.

 

[superka]

Well good news is her eye seems much better now. i'll keep close watch over her over the next few days.

 

[Claire W]

Just seen your thread. Sorry that you couldn’t get a vet appointment but I’m so glad her eye is looking better

 

[Wheekallweek]

Her eye does look better doesn't it, she's not squinting as much for sure

 

[MMasters]

What you need is chloramphenicol eye drops or gel to prevent infection. There is nothing wrong with putting a COOL compress on your guinea pig to reduce swelling. You can use a soft clean towel, sterile guaze is not necessary. Go to the pharmacy and get artificial tears, which is made for people. Twice a day, rinse her eye with this. Simply hold her in your lap, tilt her head so you can see her eye, and gently squirt it with the artificial tears. Now, a CHEAPER way to do the same thing is get the wetting solution for soft contact lens wearers. You want the saline solution, not the cleaning solution. This is what I use for my guinea pigs because I tend to squirt in quite a bit and you get more for your money than a small bottle of artificial tears. Also, contact lens solution has to meet certain standards and artificial tears are unregulated. But if you want artificial tears, get a brand made in the UK, EU, or USA from a reputable pharmaceutical company. There was a serious problem in the USA with a brand imported from Asia and sold under the name of a local pharmacy.

Now, the eye has a wonderful way of healing itself in many cases. Our eyes encounter a lot of dirt in everyday life. So, if your guinea pig has clear eyes (the white part is white (not red) and the middle of the eye is the normal color (not cloudy), then you simply need to make sure the swollen eyelid gets better in a couple days. If not, then you need to take advantage of the local veterinarian who has emergency hours, if you can't get an appointment with a vet during the day.