Do Guinea Pigs Blink | Have you seen them do it?

Most guinea pig owners will never see their furry little family members with closed eyelids, even though they see their furry little family members do a lot of crazy things every day.

Do Guinea Pigs Blink | Have you seen them do it?

Even when they sleep, guinea pigs spend the majority of their time with their eyelids wide open. Many people have wondered whether guinea pigs have eyelids at all, and if they do, how often (if ever) they blink.

We go over all you need to know about guinea pigs blinking, from whether or not they do it to how to detect their eyelid abnormalities, as well as a few other things you should know as a responsible pet owner, in the sections below.

Let’s get this conversation going!

Do Guinea Pigs Blink?

Guinea pigs do blink, even if they don’t blink very much, which is why most people believe they don’t blink at all. A guinea pig, unlike humans (and many other mammals, including dogs and cats), does not need to blink numerous times per minute to keep its eyes healthy and moist.

Instead, They only need to blink when something is truly within their eyeball, producing irritation or damage.
Guinea pigs, you see, are at the very bottom of the food chain. They have limited vision, and merely blinking in the wild could be the difference between life and death.

This is why guinea pigs’ eyelids are always open, and how they’ve learned to sleep with their eyes open as well!

The Eyelids of Guinea Pigs and How They Work

Guinea pigs, like many other rodents, have evolved one of the most complex oculomotor systems in the mammal world.
This system is in charge of controlling how our eyes move, how we blink, and whether we can take “manual control” of our blinking or let it run on autopilot.

Guinea pigs have a system that permits them to stop blinking for hours at a time, especially when they believe they are in danger. Domesticated guinea pigs and those raised as pets, on the other hand, gradually learn to blink far more frequently than wild guinea pigs.

This is because they are at ease, relaxed, and do not feel frightened as they would if they were out in nature with wild predators all around them.

What Should I Do If My Guinea Pig Is Constantly Blinking?

If your guinea pig is blinking a lot, one of two things is likely:

Either your guinea pig is completely at ease with you and their environment, to the point where they are unconcerned about predators, or

That they have an injury, an illness, or that dust or debris has gotten into their eyes and needs to be removed.

If you see your guinea pig blinking a lot more than usual, it’s good to take a closer look.

If you notice any irritants, you should take your guinea pig to the vet rather than attempting to resolve the problem yourself. Guinea pig vision is already poor, as we mentioned previously. You don’t want to risk injuring yourself and adding to the problem.

Do Guinea Pigs Have Excellent Vision?

Guinea pigs are prey animals, therefore they must be on the watch for predators at all times. That is why, as previously said, they keep their eyes open the majority of the time.

They do, however, have an unusual vision, which, when combined with their facial anatomy, allows them to see around them without moving their eyes. Guinea pigs have a 340-degree field of vision, which means they can see everything that is going on around them.

Guinea pigs do blink, even if they don’t do it very often, which is why most people believe they don’t blink at all! A guinea pig, unlike humans (and many other mammals, including dogs and cats), does not need to blink numerous times per minute to keep its eyes healthy and moist.

That’s all there is to it. Guinea Pigs blink, but not as frequently as people and certain other pets. Blinking and eye movement, as well as the color and clarity of your eyes, can all be signs of stress or sickness. So, remember to check on them from time to time to make sure they’re in good health.

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