Sometimes guinea pigs get an eye condition called a corneal abrasion. In my experience I've only had two guinea pigs with corneal abrasions, and both of them were baby Texels. Sometimes the fur curls into the eye, giving it a corneal abrasion. I have also heard from experienced breeders that other breeds can get corneal abrasions from hay poke or getting bedding in their eyes. This can happen at any age in any breed, although it is most common in baby Texels. It is treatable, so don't panic if it pops up in an animal in your herd.
To identify corneal abrasions, look for a cloudiness in one or both eyes. They also may not want to open the eye/eyes with the corneal abrasion(s). You can use a guinea pig with normal, healthy eyes to compare to if you are not completely sure what to look for. Usually in Texel litters one baby with a corneal abrasion pops up every two litters.
Once you know an animal has a corneal abrasion, you need to know how to treat it. When I had an animal with one, I became scared because I thought she was blind. Luckily, my friend and mentor let me know what it was and how to treat it. You can use either Triple Antibiotic or vitamin A capsules. Either way, you treat it twice a day, morning and night, until the eye looks normal. To use the vitamin A capsules, you break them open and squeeze all of the liquid into the eye. Use one capsule per eye and make sure all of the liquid goes into the eye, especially if the animal is trying to keep the eye closed. To use the triple antibiotic, take a small amount of it from the tube with your finger and gently rub it on the eye. I like to hold the animal until the triple antibiotic has dried completely so their cage mate doesn't lick it off. My personal concern is that if they lick it off, the animal that consumed it might get sick because guinea pigs cannot have many antibiotics.
You should check all of your Texel babies (and your other piggies) for corneal abrasions often. Gone untreated, a corneal abrasion could potentially blind the animal. However, if you treat it, it should clear up in about a week and a half, depending on the animal, and the animal will live healthily.
To identify corneal abrasions, look for a cloudiness in one or both eyes. They also may not want to open the eye/eyes with the corneal abrasion(s). You can use a guinea pig with normal, healthy eyes to compare to if you are not completely sure what to look for. Usually in Texel litters one baby with a corneal abrasion pops up every two litters.
Once you know an animal has a corneal abrasion, you need to know how to treat it. When I had an animal with one, I became scared because I thought she was blind. Luckily, my friend and mentor let me know what it was and how to treat it. You can use either Triple Antibiotic or vitamin A capsules. Either way, you treat it twice a day, morning and night, until the eye looks normal. To use the vitamin A capsules, you break them open and squeeze all of the liquid into the eye. Use one capsule per eye and make sure all of the liquid goes into the eye, especially if the animal is trying to keep the eye closed. To use the triple antibiotic, take a small amount of it from the tube with your finger and gently rub it on the eye. I like to hold the animal until the triple antibiotic has dried completely so their cage mate doesn't lick it off. My personal concern is that if they lick it off, the animal that consumed it might get sick because guinea pigs cannot have many antibiotics.
You should check all of your Texel babies (and your other piggies) for corneal abrasions often. Gone untreated, a corneal abrasion could potentially blind the animal. However, if you treat it, it should clear up in about a week and a half, depending on the animal, and the animal will live healthily.
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