skin/eye infection

Question
We are new Guinea Pig owners, less than two weeks.  One of our pigs has some kind of infection on his eyelid.  There is no discharge from the eye its self, but the lid and the area above his eye, is swollen, grayish and losing hair.  Kind of flaky looking.  He seems fine in all other respects and we thought at first maybe he just got a scratch. The infection has been there four days now and may be getting slightly larger, not improving.

Answer
well a vet is always the best option, one of the difficulties with this being on the web is that you cant really diagnose as well because you cant see the pet, but i will do my best.

it is unlikly to be mites if it is swollen, the swelling does suggest an infection. so quite likly something has got into or under the eye lid and has/is causing it. infection can be easily treated using baytril which is a guinea pig anti biotic but if there is still a bit of hay or whatever could be trapped in its eye then ultimatley the infection will just come back.

tea tree oil will sooth the sore areas but again it is something that really needs looking at by a vet