Guinea pig with sticky eye

Q.    My guinea-pig has some “sticky sleep” in his eye and holds the eye shut.  How can I treat this?

A.    Eye problems occur for a number of reasons.  They can be very painful and should always be checked by your vet. 

Hay seeds and pieces of straw lodged under the eyelids are the most common cause of eye damage in guinea pigs.  These can cause intense pain, swelling of the eyelids and spasm of the muscles around the eye locking it shut.  Underneath, the surface of the eye is being rubbed away by the foreign body. 

These need to be quickly removed – usually under local anaesthetic, providing instant relief.  It may just be that he has conjunctivitis, which will respond to ointment but even this can be linked to a chest infection so get him checked by your vet.