It can be scary when you notice a change in your guinea pig’s behavior or appearance. This is especially true when you notice that your guinea pig has crusty eyes. In today’s article, we are going to explain all the common reasons why guinea pigs have crusty eyes.
Why does my guinea pig have crusty eyes?
The main causes of crusty eyes in guinea pigs are tears in the cornea, respiratory illness, and scurvy.
Cornea Tear
The most common reason for crusty eyes in a guinea pig is a cornea tear. This usually occurs when your guinea pig gets poked in the eye with hay or another sharp object. When this happens, the cornea gets penetrated and will soon start to swell up.
As their eye begins to swell, it will probably cause a very bad itch. Your guinea pig will likely respond by constantly itching their eye. When they do this, the can make the irritation worse, and cause even more inflammation. As a natural defense mechanism, their eye will start to produce discharge in order to soothe the burn. After the discharge, their eyes might start to become crusty. A cornea tear can also cause your guinea pig to lose hair around their eye.
To help prevent your guinea pig from getting crusty eyes, you should try to clean the discharge off with a clean wipe.
Related Article: Blue-Eyed Guinea Pigs
Respiratory illness
Respiratory illness can also cause crusty eyes in guinea pigs. Similar to a cornea tear, it can cause discharge from the eye. A common respiratory illness in guinea pigs is Pneumonia, which can have symptoms such as pink eye or clogged nose.
There are many causes of respiratory illness in guinea pigs, including dirty cages, stressful environments, and transmission from parasites. The best way to protect your guinea pig from respiratory illness is to maintain a clean environment inside their cage. You should also check in on your guinea pig daily to make sure they have a healthy appearance.
Vitamin C deficiency
Lastly, your guinea pig can develop crusty eyes if they are not getting enough vitamin C. This condition is referred to as scurvy and can cause a ton of other issues besides just crusty eyes. It can result in skin rashes, lethargy, runny nose, and even affect your guinea pig’s lungs.
In order to prevent a scurvy in guinea pigs, it is very important that you feed your guinea pig a diet that is high in vitamin C. One of the best sources of vitamin C are leafy vegetables. I recommend you feed your guinea pig some form of leafy vegetables at least every other day.
What can I give my guinea pig for to help with crusty eyes?
Now if you’re guinea pig already has crusty eyes, you are probably looking for a solution to the problem. The first thing you should do is wipe their eyes with a warm, clean cloth. You can purchase eye wipes for guinea pigs online at amazon.
Another option is to give your Guinea pig Terramycin ointment. Terramycin is an antibacterial cream that can help fight against an infection in your guinea pig.