Your Medical Advice

Question
I would like to know why you don't consider a foreign object in the eye of a guinea pig to be an emergency.

To quote you:
"Of course, I am aware that guinea pigs hide their illnesses, as they are prey animals. Where applicable, I advise vetinary attention, but in some cases it is possible to ease symptoms with remedies at the owners fingertips. To say that ANY signs of illness requires vetinary treatment is simply ridiculous. For example, having a problem with an eye might simply be caused by something being lodged in the eye."

Yes, it is possible to ease the symptoms at home.  But you are doing just that, easing the SYMPTOMS.  You are not treating the illness.  You cannot treat everything at home.  Your example of just something lodged in the eye is a perfect example of your flawed thinking here.

A foreign object in the eye is to be treated as an emergency.  Any vet that told you otherwise (although I doubt you spoke to a vet about this) is an idiot.  Layers of the cornea are fragile.  Something lodged in the eye could cause a corneal ulcer or even blindness.  The eye could become infected if not treated with antibiotics (hmm, you can't get those over the counter now can you?).  Also, I have an experiment for you to try.  Stick a grain of sand in your eye.  Hurts doesn't it?  Try lodging a piece of hay between your eyelid and eyeball.  Feel that?  It's called pain.  Guinea pigs do not like to be in pain.  It can cause them to stop eating if it gets severe.  So do guinea pigs a favor and if anyone asks you about a lodged object in their guinea pig's eye, please tell them to see a vet!

I highly recommend you check out www.guinealynx.info for medical information.  If you don't have medical knowledge, PLEASE send people to someone who does.  Don't make guesses.  Your guesses on pregnancy could result in extra unwanted babies or even deaths to sows from backbreeding.  Your medical advice may result in blindness.  I know you must think it is cool to be called an expert and all, but PLEASE send cavy owners to the real expert - THEIR VET!

Answer
Hi Valerie

Your comments are both sarchastic and childish. To suggest I volounteered for this site because I thought it was cool is insulting.

I never make guesses in the answers I give. I get my information from a gentleman called Peter Gurney, who is the leading guinea pig expert in the UK.

I appreciate that I am not a vet, nor do I claim to be one. I also appreciate that, as a falible human, I will inevitably give out information that is not 100% accurate.

My problem with your message and those of your friends that have messaged me is not that you seek to help by informing me (which I would, of course appreciate), it is that you suggest I do this for the prestige. I find this offensive.

I am happy to be corrected about anything, but please do this in a more mature way.

Andy