my guinea pig has a blue eye

Question
hi there, my guinea pig's eye seems to have just turned blue and cloudy over night and it's stayed for 2 days now. can you recommend a medicine for her?
many thanks  

Answer
Hi Elsa,

Your Guinea Pig has a cataract on her eye. Since it  happened very quickly it is most likely due to diabetes, which is common in some Guinea Pigs or inherited. Either way it is a cataract, nothing to worry about really, I had a Guinea Pig with diabetes so she had chronic cataracts.

As it is due to either being inherited or diabetes, signs of diabetes are drinking lots of water, thin but is eating normally and healthy appetite, frequently going pee,  sudden onset of cataracts, chronic wet bottom, and frequent Urinary Tract Infections (URI). Are all signs of diabetes, it is treatable but it takes work on your part and an exotic vet that will work with you.

Best way to lessen the cataract is by feeding her fresh foods with lots vitamin C and A in them. Also seeing your vet is a good idea as the vet can prescribe a cream that you can put on the eye to help. If it is inherited your best chance of helping the cataract is with the food as sometimes the eye cream can be expensive and often not work at all and even if it is diabetes.

You'll have to take her to an exotic vet to have her looked at, but as it happened just over night, I would say it is diabetes, just as that is what happened with my girl. She lived a long healthy life considering she was already 5 years old when I got her. So diabetes is nothing to fear, you just need a vet who is experienced and will work with you in caring for your Guinea Pig.

Take care now,
     Jules