There are various diseases that attack the guinea mean and that is why you have to be cautious about the problems when you adopt a guinea pig. When adopting a pet, one must be knowledgeable about the problems that the pet will face in its lifetime.
The owners of the guinea pigs are pretty much aware of the issues that a guinea pig faces and one of the common problems they have claimed is eye problem.
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What can you do if your guinea pig has runny and watery eyes?
If you are going to buy a guinea pig, you must check that it is a healthy one. One of the signs of a healthy guinea pig is clear and bright eyes. When you see it is having watery or crusty eyes, then it will mean that the guinea pig is suffering from some eye infection.
In case your pet guinea pig comes up with a watery eye problem, do not hesitate to take it to the vet as the soonest.
When does the guinea pigs utter tear?
There can be various reasons behind the watery eyes of the guinea pig. The problem can start from some injury, sore eyes, or sometimes even respiratory problems can be the cause of the watery eyes. At times even diabetes causes the problem of runny eyes. Mycoplasma pulmonis is a disease that also causes the wateriness of the eyes in guinea pigs.
Are the watery eyes of guinea pigs caused by crying?
Guinea pigs are not yet proven to be emotional enough to cry for some reason, their tears may be indications of some illnesses or problems. Their tears are not meant to be the outcome of crying but some illnesses or eye infections.
What are the common eye problems of guinea pigs?
The watery eyes of the guinea pig can be the outcome of conjunctivitis, which is an allergic problem. If your guinea pig is facing such a problem then you can also find it to have red and sore eyes. The ocular discharge is a symptom of such issues.
What are the other symptoms along with watery eyes that can be found on guinea pigs?
Along with watery eyes, if you find your guinea pig is wheezing and having a runny nose then there can be allergic problems with the little creature.
Now we will discuss a few definite problems which can cause wateriness in the eyes of your pet guinea pig.
Regular milky discharge
The guinea pigs usually have a milky substance running from their eyes which are essentially needed for cleaning their eyes. This liquid also keeps their eyes lubricated and even helps their faces to remain cleaned.
This discharge is often not visible to the eyes of the owner, as when the discharge occurs, the guinea pig lifts its front paws and makes an effort of cleaning its face and eyes with this liquid. This ocular discharge is a normal phenomenon and will happen naturally to the guinea pigs without causing any problem.
Different conditions of the eye
If the guinea pig has crusty eyes, cloudy eyes, or protruding eyes then there can be serious problems behind this issue. Upper respiratory tract infections can cause these issues. Also, injury to the eyes, abscess, or tooth problem can be causing such issues. Even cataracts can be a problem with guinea pigs.
When you see the guinea pig have crusty eyes as well as running tears, then this can be the issue of upper respiratory tract problem too. In fact, runny eyes along with a snotty nose are another symptom of this problem.
Damage in the eye
You need to regularly check the guinea pig so it does not get any injury in its body or in the organs like eyes, nose, paws, etc. If you find there are any cut marks, abrasion or signs of scratches on the body of your pet, and along with that the eyes becoming cloudy then you can assume that pet has been injured by the spikes of hay that is given on their diet or some other sharp object around its shelter.
Take the guinea pig near to you and examine the eyes closed. If the object is a tiny piece of something and that is stuck to the eyes of the guinea pig, then you may be able to find it and pluck it out. Do not try to take the thing out with your hand as your fingers will be too thick for the small eyes of your small pet. Take the help of tweezers to pick the object out of the eyes of your pet cautiously.
If you find any cut marks or scratches around the rim of the eye then do not touch the affected part as it may hurt the pet. There may be signs of redness in the eye along with such marks. If you find the eyes are getting swollen or sinking then you should not delay in taking the creature to the vet. An early check-up with the vet may prevent the pet from getting blind.
Dry eye
Sometimes the secretion of water or tear from the eyes of the guinea pig can be due to the dryness in the water duct of the eyes. This does not only cause runny eyes but also the itchiness and redness of the eyes as well as swelling at the rim of the guinea pig’s eye.
When the dry eye is seen in the guinea pig, the vet performs the tear test and the tear is taken for laboratory tests. When the problem will be diagnosed the proper medicine will be given for applying to the eye area of your pet.
Cataracts
Like humans, guinea pigs also suffer from cataracts. In such a case, the thickness of the lens in the eyes gets increased. Sometimes the guinea pigs get this problem genetically or sometimes they get affected by cataracts when they age.
The old guinea pigs usually suffer from cataracts, so if your guinea pig is not suffering from a watery eye, yet you should get it checked by the vet once every six months so the cataract can be prevented at the onset.
Medicines for a watery eye
Though you should not give any medication to your pet guinea pig without getting it checked by the vet, yet there are some over-the-counter drugs that can be applied by experienced guinea pig owners. Chloralean is one such medicine that is applied after clearing the eyes of the guinea pig when affected.
After you take your guinea pig to the vet, he or she will check the secretion and also check the eyes of the pet. Sometimes the ophthalmic antibiotics are given depending upon the seriousness of the problem. The regular application of such medicines may reduce the redness, swollenness, or wateriness of the eyes.
You can also use some sterile eye lotion in cases of eye infection. These lotions should be applied to the eyes for some weeks and then they should be stopped. When your guinea pig is suffering from abrasion in its membrane then you can apply artificial tear ointment to get it cured. After a week or so the improvements can be seen.
However, in case of continuous problems, you must take the suggestion from the vet until the problem is completely cured.
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