Purdie - Blindness?

Post Reply
Tracis
Let Sleeping Pigs Lie

Post   » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:54 am


Purdie is so pretty in her close-up photos!

I noticed that my Ginny had a cataract in her left eye too, just over a year ago. It was quite like you described - just one day, it seemed to appear.

The vet told me that she also has one in her right eye as well, but it does not seem as "eye-catching" as the left one. She had blood tests and urine tests for diabetes, and now I keep her on a very restricted diet.

After a year, she still has some vision in both eyes.

I wish you and Purdie the best at your vet visit. :)

User avatar
Trick

Post   » Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:34 am


Sure Lynx, you can add any photos I post on GL anywhere and any time :)

Ginny's eye in those pictures looks a lot like Purdie's, I think it's pretty certain to be a cataract from reading your thread and one linked from it. I do wonder about her other eye as it was quite hard to see her pupil contracting in the right eye when we shone the light in.

I think I'll take her to our local vets for tests as she's probably going to need more than one lot done if it turns out she is diabetic and our good vet is too far away for weekly visits. I'll still take her with Brie though so that he can have a good look at her.

I'm reading over the diabetes info linked from the main site here and I'll start searching through the forum as well. I know at least Purdie hasn't had any other health problems. The only things that really stand out with her is her sensitive skin (no doubt due to being texel) and her small size.

She doesn't lose weight but she's never really gained any either and she is tiny (2lb 2-3oz, 970-1000g) compared to my other girls, who are all admittedly quite large.


Edit: I meant to say as well that at the moment there are no other signs of anything wrong. She isn't peeing or drinking excessively or displaying any of the other diabetes symptoms, she isn't lethargic or displaying any heart piggie signs either. Hopefully if there is something underlying this means it's in the early stages *I hope*.

I'll ask good vet if he can x-ray her without sedation as well (local vets won't) just to see everything is good inside.

The only other thing is that you can see with her right eye up above that the eyelid does jut out a little from her eye exposing the sort of fatty white looking stuff. It's always been like that.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:18 am


Thanks, I'll go add them.

User avatar
Trick

Post   » Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:32 am


Purdie has been confirmed as having a cataract in her left eye, and the vet also showed us that her sight is in fact even poorer in her right eye than it is in the left. Her right pupil is incredibly slow to react to light, which points to it being a congenital problem.

Purdie also provided the vet with her Lake Piddle which he was able to test with a couple of different strips, one specially for testing glucose levels. Both came back normal, and her physical exam showed nothing out of the ordinary. I'm quite happy with that as like I say she is showing no other symptoms of anything wrong. The vet did say that it may be that she will develop cataracts in her left eye as well.

I feel so sorry for the poor darling, but at least now I know why she can be so jumpy and perhaps why previously she had never managed to live with another pig before. I am glad that at least she is happy living in our pen with the girls, even if her sight is deteriorating. We will keep a close watch and when the time comes we will simply keep enough things in the same position that she feels happy. We will also keep a close watch on her eyes to make sure nothing further develops.

Tracis
Let Sleeping Pigs Lie

Post   » Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:20 am


Great news that Purdie does not have diabetes! I'm so happy that she had a good examination. :)

There are many threads about caring for blind (and partially blind) guinea pigs, as I'm sure you have seen. One thing I do for Ginny is to always keep things in her cage and her floor-time area the same. This way she always knows where her food dishes and water bottles should be.

User avatar
Bugs Mom

Post   » Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:56 am


That is good news indeed! I second tracis is this is how I handle Lady Bug's blindness. I also speak to her when I enter the room and before I pick her up. Helps keep her from becoming startled.

cutemomomi
Obey My Authority

Post   » Fri Mar 07, 2008 12:34 pm


Purdie just melts my heart... :)

With that said, I am glad that they ruled out diabetes for your pretty girl.
I am sure with your accommodations and care, she will continue to thrive and be the happy little girl in your cage. :)

User avatar
Trick

Post   » Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:40 pm


I am really relieved that her tests came back clear, especially as I know there are GL blind piggies that are as happy as can be :)

We're going to start keeping some things in the same place and see how it goes, she's never had a problem bumping into houses or anything so far, it tends to be the other pigs she bumps into! But if her eyesight continues to deteriorate we will start keeping solid houses and bowls, racks, bottles and so on in the same place.

I tend to chatter to the girls all the time so hopefully that won't be too much of a problem! I just wish she wouldn't scream whenever I pick her up, she loves her lap time so much it's confusing that she reacts like that to being lifted :/

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Fri Mar 07, 2008 5:37 pm


Lift => large bird of prey. With claws. Well, to you they're fingers.

If she's okay once she's picked up, I'd try (emphasis on try :-) to ignore how upset she gets when picked up.

User avatar
Trick

Post   » Tue May 06, 2008 2:50 pm


Purdie is squeaking when passing urine. I don't think she is having trouble with her poops as it seems like I'd be hearing her a lot more often if she was but I'm keeping a close eye on her. We've only just noticed her doing this this evening, she was definitely fine yesterday.

I'm going to put some white towels down in the pen to see if I can catch her pee, she won't do it if I lift her out unless I wait at least an hour and that will really distress her. I'd rather not separate her from the herd unless it is absolutely necessary.

Is there anything I should be looking for in pee other than blood? I've read over the UTI page, is there anyway of ruling out bladder stones other than x-ray? The local vets won't do x-ray without sedation and it would be next week before we could get to the further out vets.

User avatar
Trick

Post   » Tue May 06, 2008 2:56 pm


I forgot to say, otherwise there are no changes in Purdie at all or any symptoms of anything amiss. Her weight is steady and her behaviour normal.

User avatar
Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Tue May 06, 2008 2:58 pm


I've read over the UTI page, is there anyway of ruling out bladder stones other than x-ray?
No, you need an xray. I've never had a pig sedated for a full body xray.

Post Reply