Charlie's Fatty Eye |
|
| What is Fatty Eye? |
| Fatty eye is a condition that develops in some guinea pigs. It's where the muscle of the lower eyelid bulge out, due to excess fat that has built up in the tissue around the eye. Pigs with this condition usually have droopy or saggy looking eyes, and you can see a grey/ white or sometimes pinkish area of fat. Fatty eye is harmless and causes no discomfort, so does not require treatment. However, if you are unsure if your pig does have fattyeye or whether it may be something else like an injury, please see your vet. Fatty eye is more common in some breeds and is thought to be hereditary. |
| Fatty Pig, Fatty Eye? |
Fatty eye seems to be more common in guinea pigs that are overweight, and has been seen to improve in some guinea pigs that subsequently shape up a litte. Being overweight isn't healthy for any animal, so regardless of a fatty eye, if you have a pudgy piggy, make sure it is getting enough exercise and that its diet is healthy. |
| Could It Be Related To Heart Problems? |
There has been some recent evidence to suggest that there may be a relationship between fatty eye and heart problems. Several guinea pigs who had fatty eye have been put on Lasix for suspected heart problems due to other symptoms (Lasix is a heart medication which is a diuretic, so rids the body of excess fluids which can collect about the body if the heart is not working properly). And in some guinea pigs, as the Lasix starts working, a noticeable improvement with their fatty eye has been observed. This suggests that the condition may develop as a side effect of the heart not working effectively. However Lasix does not improve the condition in all guinea pigs, so it's not conclusive, and it's more likely there are several causes of this condition. Search the forums at Guinea Lynx for more information on this potential link. |
|
As heart problems often can't be diagnosed until a pig has passed away, the use of heart medications is often on more of a trial basis than as a result of a definite diagnosis. You may find some vets are unwilling to prescribe on this basis. If you are worried that your pig with fatty eye may have heart problems, as a result of their eye, or because it's paired with other symptoms indicative of a weak heart (for example frequent URIs) please discuss it with your vet. Most sources still believe fatty eye is a completely harmless condition, so althought it's always worth looking in to these things, I personally don't feel any need for alarm when I see it in one of my guinea pigs.
|
| Charlie's Fatty Eye |
 |
Here is Charlie's fatty eye. It just affects her left eye, not her right, and she's had it since she was about two and a half years old. |
| |
