Have you ever noticed that your guinea pig has a little bulge under their lower lid on one or both of their eyes? Almost like it looks swollen or like it’s drooping? Is it dangerous? What IS it?!

Most likely, your guinea pig has a completely harmless condition called fatty eye.

A guinea pig with fatty eye / pea eye (source)

What is Fatty Eye?

No, fatty eye, also sometimes used interchangeably with a similar condition called pea eye, is not the name of the latest hip hop sensation (though if there were ever a rapping guinea pig… it’d be pretty dang perfect. Magnum Pea Eye? 🤣). Fatty eye is a generally completely harmless condition that some guinea pigs have where their lower eyelid looks puffy or a little droopy. Medically speaking, fatty eye is a ‘subconjunctivial protrusion’ caused by ‘deposition of lipid in the inferior bulbar conjunctiva’ (source) … aka fat deposits under the eye causing it to bulge a little.

Why do Some Guinea Pigs Get Fatty Eye?

Fatty eye can be caused by excessive caloric intake, but also can be hereditary.

Can Fatty Eye be Cured?

While generally there’s no need to do anything about fatty eye, if it’s negatively impacting your guinea pig’s ability to see, or looks inflamed, a veterinarian can use a laser to remove or lessen its effects. This would only be in extreme circumstances. Generally, fatty eye or pea eye is permanent and doesn’t cause any problems for your guinea pig. Some find reducing calories can help it go away, but don’t change your guinea pig’s diet without talking to your veterinarian first!

We hope you’ve learned a little something and this has helped reassure you that your guinea pig is A-OK! Want to learn more about guinea pigs all in one spot? Check out the fully illustrated Guinea Pig Guide book here!

On average, guinea pigs’ life expectancies tend to fall between the 5-7 year range, though it is not uncommon (and quite likely, if you follow tips like the ones you’re about to read!) for a guinea pig to live to be 8 or older! But how can you help your guinea pig to join the ranks of the 8+ year old piggies out there?

While guinea pig lifespan does depend partially on each unique guinea pig’s particular health profile, there are many things you can do as a guinea pig owner to help ensure that your guinea pig lives the longest and happiest life possible under your care.

The following 5 tips will help you maximize your guinea pig’s lifespan. In the medical world, approaches like this are known as preventive care – helping to prevent disease and injury before it happens, because the chances for health and recovery are much better through prevention than trying to treat an existing condition.

5 simple ways to help your guinea pig live longer:

1. 1. Provide your guinea pig with a proper diet consisting of vitamin C-rich pellets, fresh water, unlimited timothy hay, and a generous portion of appropriate fresh fruits and vegetables. Unsure what you should feed your guinea pig and how much? A comprehensive list of what guinea pigs can and cannot eat is included in the official Guinea Pig Guide!
   2. Weigh your guinea pig regularly. Weight loss is often an early and clear sign of illness in guinea pigs. By monitoring your guinea pig’s weight on a regular basis (at least once a month, weekly if you’re really diligent!), you’ll be able to see if he or she is maintaining a steady weight and be able to react accordingly if weight loss occurs. You can invest in an inexpensive digital kitchen scale that measures in grams, and use a plastic or glass bowl to place your piggie in. Easy as pie!
   3. Find an experienced exotic animal veterinarian close by to you. Unfortunately, not all veterinary offices treat guinea pigs, and even some that do aren’t very experienced in proper guinea pig care. This is why it’s so important to not wait until your guinea pig is sick to begin searching for a vet. Be sure as soon as you bring a guinea pig into your life (ideally beforehand!) that you find a vet that’s knowledgeable and experienced with guinea pigs. Some offices specialize in exotic pets (guinea pigs, bunnies, birds, reptiles, all fall under this category), but other general vet offices have veterinarians who are excellent with piggies. XXX PUT INFO ABOUT FINDING A VET HERE XXX
   4. Keep an eye on your guinea pig’s teeth and nails. Both guinea pigs’ teeth and nails grow continuously. With a constant supply of hay, guinea
      pigs grind their teeth down to a comfortable length, but sometimes their teeth can become misaligned or snap and cause problems. Be sure to check your guinea pigs’ teeth for evenness regularly, and safely trim their nails every few weeks so they don’t overgrow, curl, and cause potential foot problems that can lead to even worse medical problems over time.
   5. Keep your guinea pigs comfy and cozy. Piggies are sensitive to temperature, so one of the easiest things you can do to help ensure their health is to provide them with shelter in a room that maintains a fairly stable temperature throughout the year. Ideally you don’t want your guinea pigs to be any colder than 65 degrees or any warmer than 75 degrees if you can help it. Otherwise they are at risk for heat stroke or other cold-related problems which can cause stress, lower immune function and bring on upper respiratory infections, which can be fatal.

There are of course many many more ways to help your guinea pigs live a long time, but these are just five to get you started! I hope you’ve found this list helpful and an approachable way to ensure your guinea pigs live a long time with you!

Guinea pig life expectancy tends to vary, depending on what source you’re consulting with. Some resources say guinea pigs live an average of 4-6 years. Others say the average lifespan of a guinea pig is 5-7, some say guinea pigs live to be 6-8. If we look at the middle range we’ll get a general consensus of 5-7 years.

Now, it’s entirely possible to have an otherwise healthy guinea pig suddenly fall ill and only live to be a few years old, and it’s also entirely possible, (and quite likely!) with proper care and a focus on preventive care, to have a guinea pig live to be 8 years old or more! So don’t lose heart and assume the worst for your guinea.

I lost my first guinea pig, Gus, when he was five years old. He was struggling with arthritis in his back, had a cyst in his neck that required routine draining and suffered from renal (kidney) problems for the last year and a half of his life or so. So he was quite sick at a young age. It was heartbreaking to go through that with him, but having him in my life and feeling the happiness he brought me far outweighed the pain of letting him go.

On the flip side of things, my other guinea pig, Max, who I got shortly after we adopted Gus, lived to be over 8 years old, sweet little guy. We were at the vet’s quite often with poor Gus, but Max passed the 5 year mark with ease and always had normal checkups at the vet until his health declined from old age a few years later. Sadly you just never know how things will go.

While it’s sad that some of the cutest, sweetest animals we humans have the joy of having as pets often are only with us for a few years, it gives us all the more reason to fall in love and cherish them while we have them. It’s heartbreaking to say goodbye to a best friend after only 5 or 7 years, but far worse to not have known that best friend in the first place! Don’t you think so?

Do you have a guinea pig who has surpassed the ‘average’ guinea pig life expectancy? How old is your guinea pig, or, if your piggie is no longer with us, how long did your guinea pig live?