my guinny doesnt look so good

Question
we have just recently got another guinea pig and it came from the pet store and soon after we hd him for a few days it broke out with sething wrong with its eye.. and now my other piggy is not feeling well at all and has stuff comin from his eye too.. can u help us on whatto do ?? thank u kim bell

Answer
Hi Kim,

Your guinea pigs are almost certainly suffering from an eye infection that they caught at the pet store. Unfortunately, animals in pet shops are often looked after by inexperienced staff and kept in poor conditions, so when you bring them home they come with a variety of health complaints. I recommend you check between their legs to make sure they're definitely both boys, and examine their hair for mites as these are two main problems with pet shop piggies.

Try wetting a cotton bud in warm water to remove the gunk from your piggies' eyes. Use a fresh bud for each eye. If it is just a mild eye infection, doing this with a salt solution twice a day should clear up the infection quite quickly. If you don't notice any improvement in their eyes after three days, make an appointment for them at a specialist small animal or exotic pet vet, as they may need some antibiotics.

If your piggies are off their food, not eating, drinking, or pooping as normal, or look puffed-up, take them to the vets right away as it could be a more serious problem.

If you have any other questions ... just ask!
Jenny.