Guinea Pig Eye Problems: Infection, Hay Poke, or Something Worse

What you are likely looking at

• •Corneal scratch from a hay strand, very common, usually one eye, held half closed and watering
• •Conjunctivitis, red rimmed eye with discharge, often both eyes
• •Dental disease, where overgrown tooth roots press on the tear ducts and cause a constant wet eye
• •Milky white fluid that appears briefly during grooming, which is normal eye secretion, not illness
• •Cloudiness across the surface of the eye, which needs a vet promptly

Signs that mean today, not tomorrow

• •The eye is held fully closed or the pig will not let it be touched
• •The surface looks cloudy, blue tinged, or has a visible mark
• •Thick yellow or green discharge
• •Swelling around the eye, or the eye looks bulging
• •The pig has stopped eating or is hiding

Safe home care

You can gently clean discharge away with a cotton pad and cooled boiled water or sterile saline, wiping outward from the inner corner and using a fresh pad for each eye.

Remove anything that could be poking the eye: take out long stalky hay from the immediate area, check for a stray strand under the eyelid, and keep bedding low dust while the eye heals.

What not to use

A scratch treated with the wrong drop can turn into an ulcer. Vets stain the eye to see damage before choosing a treatment, which is not something that can be judged at home.

• •Human eye drops, including antihistamine and redness drops
• •Any steroid drop not prescribed for this guinea pig
• •Leftover medication from another pet
• •Tea, salt water mixes, or other home remedies

Recurring eye problems

An eye that keeps weeping, especially on one side with no obvious injury, often traces back to teeth rather than to the eye itself. Ask your exotic vet to check the molars and tear ducts.

The Wheeky Identifier app can help you describe what you are seeing and gauge urgency between appointments, and the Guide app covers daily health checks that catch these problems early.