Hay Poke, probably not a serious problem but still...

Jazzbox

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:43 pm


Note please I attempted to use the forum's search function but got the following error message: "Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 8388608 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 16 bytes) in /home/guinea2/public_html/forums/db/mysql4.php on line 214".

At any rate, we just noticed that Going Merry, our 3 1/2 year old girl, has an eye problem that seems to me to be a hay poke. As her eye looked fine a short while earlier this evening, this obviously just happened.

She does not seem to be in any pain, and in fact came over to me earlier with her best "I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a few blueberries today" look. Of course, I gave her a few. (She thinks she fooled me but I am smarter than she realizes.)

What do we need to do, other than watch for any signs of infection? And what are the signs of infection for which we must watch?

Thanks in advance!
(And as I said, we first tried to use the forum's search function but it only returned an error message.)

Image

User avatar
skinnypigs1
Supporter in '12

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:46 pm


You'll need to take her to a vet asap.
Eye injuries are serious.
You don't want her to go blind or to lose her eye, she'll need eye drops of some kind to help heal it.
This is not something that you can just watch, she needs to be seen by a vet!

Jazzbox

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:48 pm


Okay, we will call the vet tomorrow!

User avatar
skinnypigs1
Supporter in '12

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:51 pm


That's great!
You don't want anything to happen to your lil cutie.
I was given Cirpofloxacin drops when my piggy needed them and they healed up the eye injury quickly.

User avatar
PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:01 pm


Ditto skinnypigs1. Eye injuries are serious.

I have used Gentamicin Sulfate drops/ointment prescribed by my vet to treat hay pokes, with good results as well.

Here is some info on eyes:
https://www.guinealynx.info/eyes.html

Jazzbox

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:14 pm


I am a little hesitant to recommend to the vet what medication that she should prescribe. OF course I will post here as soon as we get back from the vet. (I would be very surprised if we were unable to see the vet tomorrow.)

Are there any particular advantages or disadvantages to either Gentamicin Sulfate or Cirpofloxacin? As for the Gentamicin, guinea pigs do not strenuously object to having ointment applied to their eyes?

User avatar
skinnypigs1
Supporter in '12

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:17 pm


We weren't telling you what to recommend to your vet, just letting you know what we've used as a reference :)

I think it would depend greatly on the temperment of your piggy.
Out of my pigs, the one with the eye drops was the worst for doing things with, just the way it had to go of course.
Other pigs of mine have been amazing for doing things you'd think they'd hate.

Jazzbox

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:23 pm


Well of course I will mention to the vet the two medications that have been cited here. I trust that if she has something else in mind, she will explain why she thinks one particular medicament will be more efficacious others.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:23 pm


The eye page provides some sound guidelines. I hope it heals up well.

Your photo is very clear. Let me know if you'd like it permanently added to this thread.

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:26 pm


Whoa! That looks like a huge ulcer to me! Definitely painful. Definitely see a vet by tomorrow, at the latest. Don't think you need to go on emergency tonight, but it is a serious one!!!

Ointments in general stick around the eye longer, so usually don't have to be applied as often. Antibiotic drops usually need to be used every 6-8 hours (or more often, depending on the med and problem).

Jazzbox

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:31 pm


Josephine: she does not show any signs that I can interpret as caused by her being in pain. She is pretty much just her usual self.

Lynx, by all means add the picture to the thread permanently; perhaps it will prove useful to others.

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:38 pm


O.K. I'm just saying it is a horribly painful thing to have a chunk of your cornea missing. It's a bad one. Whether or not you are "noticing" what you think are signs of pain does not negate the potential pain.

Post Reply