URGENT: Guinea Pig Eye Popping Out!

[Lillyandolliethepiggies]

Hi everyone!

My guinea pig, Ollie, is two years old. About two weeks ago, I noticed his eating habits were not the same. He gradually ate less and less, so I took him to two different exotic vets about 3 days after I noticed a change in his eating habits. Both vets could not find anything wrong at the time and stated that he was healthy - meaning no heart/lung issues, no dental issues, no issues with his skin/fur, and only had the beginning formation of cataracts. Ollie did receive a subcutaneous injection that day to make sure he was hydrated.

Three days after the vet visits, I noticed his left eye beginning to bulge and turn a slight blue color. I took him back to the vet and was then prescribed Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Bacitracin Zinc Opthalmic Ointment, USP. I was told to place a thin ribbon on his eyes twice daily for 7-10 days. It is now day 4 on the ointment and his eye has flared up much more to the point where he is unable to blink. I also have an inkling that Ollie may be scratching at his eye when we are unable to watch him. I do not know what to do moving forward. I want to salvage his eye more than anything. During this last pet visit, the doctor was concerned that he may have glaucoma.

During these last two weeks, I have been syringe feeding him water and critical care to make sure he stays nourished.


Please give me advice!

 

[Lady Kelly]

I'm not familiar with those medications but are any pain relief? He will really need some. He could have teeth issues too. Tagging in @furryfriends (TEAS) who is so much more experienced than me

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

Oh no your poor boy! I think it might be worth another opinion with a piggy savvy vet. Unfortunately a lot of vets say they see piggies but most of them don’t know how to treat them. I’ve been to so many!

I’m no expert but it sounds like it’s some kind of abscess, did they actually check the back of his mouth (very back teeth etc) or just the front? Has he got metacam?

Where about are you based? Are you able to get to Cat and Rabbit vet in Northampton? I think the sooner you can get to an experience vet the better, he must be in a lot of pain and could potentially need his eye removed.

Good luck with your poorly little boy, hope he feels better soon.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

From your description, this sounds like a retrobulbar abscess (abscess behind eye). If this is the case, he will need enucleation surgery (eye removal). I am guessing you aren’t in the UK?

 

[Jesse's pigs]

My boar Mo had something very very similar occur with him. One day I returned hon after him being fine in the morning and his eye was bulging. After seeing vets and being prescribed eye drops etc it got to the point if looking like yours. I don't know whether your vet can, but mine offered to drop (safe of course) dye in the eye to determine whether it was an abscess behind there. However in my case and how quickly it popped up, the vet diagnosed a likely tumour pressing on the back of the eye.

So I'd guess either abscess (fingers crossed) but could be tumour.

I've attached pictures of what my beloved Mo's eye came to look like in the end. Looks rather similar to yours.

 

[Lillyandolliethepiggies]

I just returned from the ER vet that also specializes in guinea pigs. The doctor started Ollie on Azithromycin (antibiotic) and Meloxicam (for pain). Ollie was also given lubricating ointment to help out the eye as much as possible. She suggests Ollie get a CT scan to see what may have caused this in order to come up with a proper treatment.

The doctor also did mention that the eye is no longer salvageable and should be removed. A part of me agrees, while the other part of me really believes Ollie can get through this without getting his eye removed. With this being said, I am going to wait until after the CT scan (scheduled in two days) and make an educated decision after interpreting the results. In the mean time, I will make sure to keep him on the antibiotic and pain reliever.

Does anyone have any more suggestions?

 

[Lady Kelly]

You've done all you can this far. The pain relief will definitely help him. Keeping everything crossed for Ollie that he doesn't need the eye removing

 

[Jesse's pigs]

I just returned from the ER vet that also specializes in guinea pigs. The doctor started Ollie on Azithromycin (antibiotic) and Meloxicam (for pain). Ollie was also given lubricating ointment to help out the eye as much as possible. She suggests Ollie get a CT scan to see what may have caused this in order to come up with a proper treatment.

The doctor also did mention that the eye is no longer salvageable and should be removed. A part of me agrees, while the other part of me really believes Ollie can get through this without getting his eye removed. With this being said, I am going to wait until after the CT scan (scheduled in two days) and make an educated decision after interpreting the results. In the mean time, I will make sure to keep him on the antibiotic and pain reliever.

Does anyone have any more suggestions?

From the picture it really does look similar to Mo's and I know my vet confirmed that there was no longer any sight or feeling. My fingers are crossed for you but I think the eye is going to need removing. Xx

 

[Wiebke]

I just returned from the ER vet that also specializes in guinea pigs. The doctor started Ollie on Azithromycin (antibiotic) and Meloxicam (for pain). Ollie was also given lubricating ointment to help out the eye as much as possible. She suggests Ollie get a CT scan to see what may have caused this in order to come up with a proper treatment.

The doctor also did mention that the eye is no longer salvageable and should be removed. A part of me agrees, while the other part of me really believes Ollie can get through this without getting his eye removed. With this being said, I am going to wait until after the CT scan (scheduled in two days) and make an educated decision after interpreting the results. In the mean time, I will make sure to keep him on the antibiotic and pain reliever.

Does anyone have any more suggestions?

Glad that you have had your boy seen and that you now have the correct and competent medication.
Azithromycin is better known under the brand name zithromax and is the strongest (unlicensed) antibiotic that can be prescribed to a guinea pig.
Chloramphenicol is usually what is prescribed for very bad eye infection. Good that you have got metacam, too. It is a painkiller as well as an inflammatory. VERY good that you have also been given eye lubricant, which helps with the hydration and the healing process deeper in the eye. Apply the lubricant up to 6 times a day but always wait at least 30 minutes after applying the chloramphenicol to allow it to be fully absorbed.
I would strongly recommend to give plenty of probiotics or 'poo soup'. Most piggies can deal with zithromax well, but when it wipes out the appetite, it does so badly because it is so strong.
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

If you can get hold of some artificial tear gel instead of drops then it works for longer than drops and is easier to apply in my own experience with very bad eye injuries where it has been a toss up whether we could save an eye or not (especially as in one case the piggy was rather too old to risk eye removal surgery, so I had to tough it out through total loss of appetite from two course of zithromax).
But those are exactly the meds that my own piggies have been on that have avoided an eye removal op by the skin of their hairs.

Fingers very firmly crossed for Ollie. all depends on what is happening inside and behind the eye (potential retrobulbar abscess).
We have a number of members that have piggies whose eyes needed removal, by the way; so you have quite a few people who can help you with their own experiences in case that becomes necessary.

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

Good luck little Ollie! Fingers crossed for him. If it makes you feel any better pigs do very well with limited sight, my Tonks has only had one working eye forever and she has a few quirks but is no different to my other pigs

 

[Lillyandolliethepiggies]

Just to let everyone know, the vet also ruled out that Ollie is in fact blind and may have been blind since birth in both eyes. With this being said, he will live out a “normal” life if he has to have the surgery! I was told that it may be hard to rule out blindness in both eyes for guinea pigs because they may “freeze” during a vet visit and not respond to any light tests, but throughout these past two years, I had noticed he frequently “ran” into things and had jumped multiple times toward a platform that was not there when his cage was being cleaned. If worse comes to worse and he may need his eye removed, at least this is one positive from an extreme negative.

Thank you so much for caring and I will keep everyone updated!

 

[Wiebke]

Just to let everyone know, the vet also ruled out that Ollie is in fact blind and may have been blind since birth in both eyes. With this being said, he will live out a “normal” life if he has to have the surgery! I was told that it may be hard to rule out blindness in both eyes for guinea pigs because they may “freeze” during a vet visit and not respond to any light tests, but throughout these past two years, I had noticed he frequently “ran” into things and had jumped multiple times toward a platform that was not there when his cage was being cleaned. If worse comes to worse and he may need his eye removed, at least this is one positive from an extreme negative.

Thank you so much for caring and I will keep everyone updated!

Sight is thankfully the weakest sense in guinea pigs and not the strongest as in humans. I have had a number of piggies that were pretty much totally blind from cataracts and they have all adapted well and been able to live a perfectly normal life.

All the best!

 

[Freela]

Glad that you got some heavy-duty antibiotics and are getting some imaging to give you some direction. I just want to reassure you with regard to losing an eye- I've had a couple of pigs go blind with cataracts in middle to older age, and both did quite well. Fortunately guinea pig vision is the least of their senses and they will adapt fine with hearing, smell, etc. I know it's hard facing a surgery emotionally, but he will not suffer a decline in his quality of life if he loses the eye.

 

[Lillyandolliethepiggies]

Hi! Update on Ollie:

He has not yet gotten the surgery to remove his eye, but is scheduled for the end of this month for that surgery. In the mean time he is still on azithromycin and metacam.

I have noticed though that his eye has gotten SIGNIFICANTLY better and I am even questioning his need for the surgery. My plan is to continue giving him his medication and if his eye improves even more, I will have the vet take another look to see if it is all that necessary.

What do you think? ( the first picture is from when it was at its worst and the second picture was taken today)

 

[Lady Kelly]

It's still looking very very bad and I would say with only a small improvement that the vet is likely right. When lily scratched her eye and it was bulging it went back to a normal size within a few days and the medication needed continuing to deal with the ulcer and discoloration of the eye. In reality Ollie's eye is still very far from normal

 

[Lillyandolliethepiggies]

Hi everyone! I have an update.

Ollie’s eye removal surgery was scheduled for July 30th. The veterinarian decided not to do the surgery on Ollie as his eye is doing well and is not irritated or swollen anymore. Attached are before and after pictures. I really thought there was no hope for Ollie to keep his eye. Miracles do happen!

 

[Jesse's pigs]

Oh! I am so happy to see this! How on earth did they manage that?! What did they prescribe out of interest cos that is a remarkable reversal!

 

[rhymer]

So glad Ollie is feeling better.xx

 

[Lillyandolliethepiggies]

Oh! I am so happy to see this! How on earth did they manage that?! What did they prescribe out of interest cos that is a remarkable reversal!

He was prescribed an eye antibiotic called Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Bacitracin Zinc Opthalmic Ointment, USP. Then was prescribed another antibiotic called Azithromycin and I believe that the Azithromycin saved him! He was also put on a pain reliever called Meloxicam. He is 100% better and is actually a lot more tame now!

 

[Alextz]

He was prescribed an eye antibiotic called Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Bacitracin Zinc Opthalmic Ointment, USP. Then was prescribed another antibiotic called Azithromycin and I believe that the Azithromycin saved him! He was also put on a pain reliever called Meloxicam. He is 100% better and is actually a lot more tame now!

Hello, I am in a similar situation now, my piggie is on antibiotics now, can I ask how long did you continue the treatment until you saw that much improvement? And did your piggie recovered completely and never had similar problems again? Also did he have an abscess behind his eye? I would appreciate a lot that information, I wanna save my piggie's eye and don't run into surgery before I do as much as possible. Thanks in advance.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hello, I am in a similar situation now, my piggie is on antibiotics now, can I ask how long did you continue the treatment until you saw that much improvement? And did your piggie recovered completely and never had similar problems again? Also did he have an abscess behind his eye? I would appreciate a lot that information, I wanna save my piggie's eye and don't run into surgery before I do as much as possible. Thanks in advance.

I’m sorry to hear of your piggy’s situation. This is an old thread and this member has not been back on since making this post in 2019 so I'm afraid you are not likely to get any update. You can make a new post about your specific situation to receive advice and support