Frosting's eye

[Mum]

One of her eyes has a problem:



I can't seem to get a good picture, but I think you can get the general idea from this picture.

I've read this thread:

http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=30732&highlight=eye

And this one:

http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5456&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=300

I'm wondering if this is the 'corneal melting' that Charybdis talks about?

My vet is out of town for a month, so I'm thinking I may have to take her down to Dr. Ridgeway in Long Beach in the next week or two.

She's a really quiet pig - almost floppy when picked up. Never runs away, just sits put when The Hand comes in to grab her. She eats fine, and she can walk ok, but she does tend to stay in one spot.

So, all is not right with this girl. I sure hope she isn't another special needs pig.

[Josephine]

I can't tell 100% from the pic. If it is really opaque and really white, I'm voting for the osseous metaplasia/choriostoma. Most of my old pigs seem to develop this at some point and to some degree. My 7-8 year old sow just has small areas that have come up over the past year. A sow that lived with her for some time (and came from the same cavy-breeding mill) had almost 50% of each eye affected towards the end of her life. I lost her about 7 months ago. I'm pretty sure she was fairly blind. She used her cagemate to help navigate around the cage towards the end.

There is not any treatment for this and the ophthalmologists still don't know what cause this condition. At least, that is the information I've gotten in the past year by talking to specialists.

If it is an injury and an ulcer, it will certainly worsen without appropriate treatment.

[Mum]

Yes, it's totally opaque in the jagged areas, and around the outside of her cornea, all around the eye (only that eye, not the other one). It doesn't look like an ulcer - more like almost raised opaque pieces (if that makes sense).

I had thought she was a younger pig - she had very long, twisted curly nails, but she doesn't seem to have what I usually call 'old feet.' of course I could be very wrong.

When we get to a vet, I suppose I'll get a full body xray and see if we can tell roughly how old she is. Her cagemate doesn't look particularly old to me either, but I could be way off. (These pigs were dumped outside a petstore).

I'll see if I can get a better picture.

If she is old, then I suppose I need to get an xray of her heart too - she's far too quiet.

[Josephine]

I'm not saying she couldn't be young, but of the 6-10 pigs I've had with the problem, they've all been older than 4 years (documentable).

I don't see why this alone (if it is osseous metaplasia/choriostoma) would be a problem since it needs no treatment, only monitoring, but she may indeed have other more concerning unrelated problems.

[Mum]

Thanks Josephine.

I'm betting that she's oldish and also has a heart problem - most people don't want to adopt the older pigs, especially if they need daily meds (at least I haven't been able to adopt one out so far!)

But I'll get her xrayed just to be sure.

[klynne]

Sorry Mum. I hope it's not something serious and won't hurt her adoption chances.

[Erin8607]

Angel developed the problem when she was about 2. She's 5 this year and it goes around the entire eye now and has a bit of cataract developing in the center.

[cacosta]

Guido has that all the way around both of his eyes. I'm pretty sure he's sees fine. I think he's about 4 years old. Erin correct me if I'm wrong.

[Lynx]

Interesting that several of you have guinea pigs with this condition. I must say, I'm still blown away by spyturtle008's photo. It shows things so clearly. Kind of like looking into the soul of a guinea pig.

[Mum]

Yes, it's an awesome picture! I think her vet's diagnosis was totally different though, which is concerning (for her).

[Lynx]

I just wrote her in hopes she saw a veterinary opthamologist and has more information for us.

[pinta]

I agree on possible heart issues. With how you've described her, I think you have enough heart indications to warrant putting her on a 10 day trial of Fortekor(Lotensin).

Any chance the spot in the eye could be a calcium deposit?

[Mum]

Thanks, Pinta - I'll try her on the lotensin.

I'm not familiar with calcium deposits?

There are actually two spots, but in addition their's a thick white layer all around the edge of the cornea in that same eye, that you can just get a glimpse of in the photo.

[Lynx]

If you happen to get a clearer shot, that would be great.
Does this pig appear to be in any pain?

[Mum]

I'll try and take her outside and get a better shot today.

No, she doesn't appear to be in any pain.

I'm starting her on a trial of Lotensin today.

[Mum]

Wow.

I started her yesterday morning on 1mg lotensin twice a day.

This morning she no longer looks like a pancake and actually dashed under the pile of hay!

What a miracle!

[piggielips]

Good for Frosting! Give her a big kiss for me, ok?

[HollyT]

Frizzle developed this recently. She is a heart pig but just under 4. Another pig of mine who died had it severely. I don't know his age but he was older.

[Mum]

Frosting and Cupcake went down to see Dr. Ridgeway today.

Frosting does have that condition discussed in the other threads (ossios somethuing).

Full body xray showed she is *very* old - at least 6.

And her heart is huge.

Cupcake is all well. No enlarged heart for her, but she's about 4.

[sus4rabbitsnpigs]

Aw.