farm guinea pigs (meat cavy!)

[Bug n Flock]

Taken first thing this morning before cleaning the eye or applying ointment. Fur grease is from the ointment. After two days of treatment, marked improvement. Way less goop, swelling is down, crust is less, holding eye open wider, excessive flinching behavior gone, seems more active. The activity level change could be misleading due to transport stress, though. Very tolerant of handling and treatment of his eye. Very nice pig, do not regret my decision to buy him.

Also just took in three new rats from someone on craigslist. The rats are sneezing(probably myco), and one has interesting behavior which could be a brain tumor, ear infection, or that schizophrenia-like condition I have been studying... don't remember if it was in this thread that I was talking about it, but shrug. Cute little rats, though.

 

[Bug n Flock]

Today's update on the pig. Same story. First thing in am photo before cleaning or treating. Seems improved from yesterday even, what do you guys think?

 

[Fuzzy Torpedoes]

The eye looks decent to me. I think maybe it looks less swollen from yesterday but the pictures are taken at different distances from his face so, yeah.

What can look really freaky with these is when they get cornea damage. With supportive treatment and if it's not like seriously catastrophic damage, they can heal up well from that. But the eyes are not bulletproof of course, and with the worst damage they can lose the eye like anything else.

 

[Bug n Flock]

I had a kitten with cornea damage a few years back. It healed back 100%, but MAN was it a freaky looking kitten for a while.

 

[Zoomie]

You are doing good, @Bug n Flock! He is looking better. Great save!

 

[Bug n Flock]

Today's update photo. Clearly I do not have a bright future in guinea pig eye photography.

I think he looks good other than the eye boogie(and ointment face, lol). Whoo hoo!

 

[biophiliac]

View attachment 1134900 Taken first thing this morning before cleaning the eye or applying ointment. Fur grease is from the ointment. After two days of treatment, marked improvement. Way less goop, swelling is down, crust is less, holding eye open wider, excessive flinching behavior gone, seems more active. The activity level change could be misleading due to transport stress, though. Very tolerant of handling and treatment of his eye. Very nice pig, do not regret my decision to buy him.

Also just took in three new rats from someone on craigslist. The rats are sneezing(probably myco), and one has interesting behavior which could be a brain tumor, ear infection, or that schizophrenia-like condition I have been studying... don't remember if it was in this thread that I was talking about it, but shrug. Cute little rats, though.
View attachment 1134903
View attachment 1134904

Promise I won't hijack your thread - but can I just show you my favorite rat Kai Cheng (rip).



PS The foto in his cage is of a girl who would come to visit him and they would play for hours!

 

[Fuzzy Torpedoes]

Ah, one of those children with parents who don't care enough about their kid's interests to engage them by getting them pets of their own? Totally seen that, yep.

 

[Bug n Flock]

What a cuuuute rattie!

Sorry for the lack of updates. The eye infection is 100% cured, but a couple of days ago he started sneezing and coughing. He was wheezing a ton and really having trouble breating. I thought I was going to lose him, honestly. They recover quickly, thankfully, though. I do believe he is healthy now. Or at least, he is no longer wheezing or coughing. Cross your fingers he doesn't have anything else!

Posted from my phone, please forgive any typos

 

[Fuzzy Torpedoes]

Oh dear. It's good that he seems to be recovering, but will mention that this is the sort of thing small animal vets are for. They can prescribe safe antibiotics that can help with this. Even with help, they do not always survive upper respiratory infections.

One trouble with guinea pigs in USA is that the animal itself tends to cost less than the vet visit.