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Readwkids
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new guinea pig owner
« Thread Started on Mar 16, 2004, 10:19pm »

Hi, We adopted our first guinea pig this weekend. A cute little boy about three months old. We are crazy about him already. When I got home tonight I noticed he is squinting one eye. It is somewhat puffy looking but no drainage. I have read quite a bit, but I am wondering if there is something that is safe to use to cleanse his eye. I called one vet today and they suggested I just take him back to the store. I really like the little guy and just want to make sure he is ok. What should the next step be? Thanks

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angiewny
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Re: new guinea pig owner
« Reply #1 on Mar 16, 2004, 11:06pm »

Hi Readwkids! First off, congratulations on your new cavy. I wish it were under better circumstances you were posting here.

If I were you, I would NOT return the gp to the store for fear that it will not receive the necessary medical attention he deserves. I've heard stories that it would cost the store more money to have an animal receive medical attention & they are not in the business to spend money. So, in other words, I believe if you were to return the gp, he may be neglected until he dies.

I would definitely seek an *experienced* guinea pig vet ASAP & get your little guy in right away. I am no expert but a couple things come to mind...he could have some sort of an abrasion on his eye, the start of an infection (viral or bacterial), etc. It is more common for store pigs to be less healthy & they could be spreading disease amongst each other. They go through so much between the breeder & being shipped to the pet store & then most likely do not receive the best care at the store before they are sold. They usually do not receive any medical attention either. Combine all of that with stress of going to a new home & you can understand how they may become ill.

Again, if it were me, I would take him to an *experienced* gp vet asap & then try to obtain reimbursement for the vet's visit from the pet store you bought him from. You may have to be persistent to get a refund, maybe not.

I wouldn't try to put anything in his eye until he can be seen by a vet though. If anything, you may try to gently dab it with a warm washcloth, but be careful not to press too hard or rub to further irritate things.

Is he drinking from his water bottle? Is he eating hay, pellets, veggies, fruits? Have you noticed any wet spots from pee & poop?

I wish I could offer more advice but that is all I can think of to recommend. I can advise a website you may want to check out for more gp info. www.guinealynx.info

Please let us know what you decide & how your little boy is doing. I wish you all the best of luck!!!

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God bless,
Angie and houseful of blessings:
6 ferrets, 6 cats, 3 dogs, 2 rats, 2 guinea pigs, hamster, frogs, fish, hubby, & 5 wonderful children--homeschooling & enjoying the outdoor wildlife & birds in our NWF Backyard Habitat, western NY!

Readwkids
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Re: new guinea pig owner
« Reply #2 on Mar 17, 2004, 12:00am »

Thanks for the reply. His eye is looking better as we speak. He is eating and pooping for sure. There was some wet bedding. I have not seen him actually drink from his water bottle but the level has gone down and its not leaking. We got him from PetsMart and I called them and talked to them. The first thing they said was bring him back and they would refund the money. I told them I didnt want to get rid of him, I just wanted something for his eye. They were not really in the mood to discuss that. I have fir shavings for his bedding, thats what they said he needed. Is there something that would be better for him? I have put the Vitamin C drops on his food. Is there a better way? He is such a cute little guy! I teach first grade and he was going to be a classroom pet, but I think now he is just going to be our pet at home.

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angiewny
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Re: new guinea pig owner
« Reply #3 on Mar 17, 2004, 12:54am »

Hi, glad to hear he is doing well. Also glad to hear there was wet bedding & poop! Yes, Petsmart (along with other petstores) is one of the stores I've heard some horror stories about.

It doesn't surprise me that they didn't seem overly interested in talking about a remedy for the little guy.

I am not familiar with fir shavings, although I seem to remember hearing they may not be the best absorbent-wise. Is that what they were using at Petsmart? I use *kiln-dried* pine shavings that have been aired out at home & then for softness & more absorbency I put a layer of Carefresh over the shavings. Then I put Timothy hay in there & the pigs like to spread that out as they eat it.

Speaking of which, are you feeding him a *grass* hay? That is essential for a gp's diet. You should get some right away if you don't already have it. Are you also feeding *guinea pig* pellets? How about veggies...dark green leafed are preferred....romaine lettuce, spinach, green pepper, baby carrots or regular carrots, tomatoe. Not too too much, but given daily. The bulk of their diet is grass hay & gp pellets.

About the vit. c, I need to research putting it on the food...I can't honestly say if that is good or bad. I know putting it in the water is not recommended. I've heard that either giving it to the pig orally (liquid syringe by mouth--no needle) or in tablet form as a treat is the best way to go. I've also learned that if they are getting a good gp pellet enriched with vitamin C & get enough veggies & fruit in their diet, that vit. c supplementing isn't necessary. So, it may be your personal choice on what to do with that.

I think your gp would make a much better "home" pet than a "classroom" pet. You sound like a caring person whose concern is genuinely about the guinea pig, himself & that is wonderful! I've heard about a few different things regarding class gp pets....they are more stressed in a classroom setting than a home setting since things may be more unstable at class; ie., irregular floor time schedules, possible allergies to children from gp's hay and/or bedding, remembering to provide daily fresh veggies, proper cleaning of the cage/change of bedding, risk of being dropped or injured by a child unfamiliar with a wiggly gp (especially 1st grade---they are so young), etc. Not to say that this couldn't work if you were really ontop of taking care of the gp the way he needs to be, but sometimes it becomes overwhelming for the teacher if they aren't aware of a gp's needs.

I really hope your gp's eye will be allright!!! Please keep us informed of this little guy, ok?

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