You’ve been staring at your guinea pig for five minutes straight and haven’t seen it blink once. That’s completely normal.
Guinea pigs blink only about once every two minutes. Their eyes don’t dry out the way ours do, so they simply don’t need to blink often.
They even sleep with their eyes wide open most of the time.
Do Guinea Pigs Blink?
Guinea pigs do blink, even if they don’t do so very often. That’s exactly why most people believe they don’t blink at all.
Many guinea pig owners believe that guinea pigs only blink about once every two minutes. This lack of blinking is due to the structure of their eyes.
A guinea pig doesn’t have to wipe its eyes every minute to keep them healthy and moist, the way humans and many other animals need to. Instead, guinea pigs only blink when there’s something inside their eye, something irritating, or something that has caused an injury.
Guinea pigs do have eyelids, but they don’t use them the same way humans do. They leave their eyes open when sleeping instead of shutting them.
If you see your pet sleeping with eyes closed, you’re a lucky guinea pig owner because it means this small animal feels safe with you. Because their eyes are almost always open, it can look like they don’t have eyelids at all.
If dirty or sharp pieces of bedding irritate a guinea pig’s eyelids, they may become inflamed. Contact your veterinarian if your guinea pig’s eyelid is red, puffy, or painful.
What Is the Importance of Eyelids?
The primary function of eyelids is to protect the eyes. Eyes are remarkable organs that are both sophisticated and helpful, yet also delicate.
Have you ever had a tiny grain of sand in your eye? You can’t see it but you feel it, and it bothers you so much.
By using our eyelids to blink, we accomplish two main things:
- Keep our eyes moist
- Remove debris or foreign objects like dust or dirt
Guinea pigs use the same mechanism for the same reasons. Yet they blink far less often than we do.
Can a Guinea Pig Close Its Eyes?
Guinea pigs constantly have their eyelids open and have adapted to sleep with their eyes open too. Even when sleeping, you’ll notice that your guinea pigs are always vigilant and rarely close their eyes.
You’re more likely to find your guinea pigs sleeping with eyes closed if you’ve given them a comfort zone in their enclosure, like a guinea pig hideout. And since guinea pigs blink, they can close their eyes.
However, a guinea pig blinks rapidly and, according to estimates, just once every two minutes. You won’t be able to catch your guinea pigs blinking if you engage in a staring competition with your pet.
You’ll blink first and lose.
How Often Do Guinea Pigs Close Their Eyes?
Guinea pigs rarely close their eyes. Usually, they just blink and continue keeping their eyes open.
Most of these small pets sleep with their eyes wide open. Guinea pigs are prey animals, so having their eyes open is in their nature.
It’s considerably quicker to notice potential predators lurking around if their eyes are already open.
They will close their eyes when completely comfortable and feeling safe. If you notice your guinea pig closing its eyes, be happy that your small animal feels safe and protected.
Why Do Guinea Pigs Have Red Eyes?
Normally, guinea pigs don’t have red eyes unless they’ve lost the pigment from the iris and retina. That’s usually the case with albino guinea pigs.
Otherwise, your guinea pig might be suffering from conjunctivitis. Bacterial or viral infections and allergies are the most frequent causes of conjunctivitis.
A sore red-looking eye and ocular discharge (ranging from white to yellow/green) are typical symptoms. If you notice anything abnormal with your guinea pig’s eyes, take your pet to a vet immediately.
Why Do Guinea Pigs Blink So Much?
Your guinea pig may blink its eyes frequently when you’re not looking. Possibly some dust is in its eyes or the weather is too dry.
However, if your guinea pigs are closing and opening their eyes frequently, that’s a bad sign. Maybe they can’t remove dust from their eyes or have some eyelid issues.
Large debris can cause redness and swelling in the eyes. Other reasons for frequent blinking may include overgrown teeth or corneal ulcers.
Excessive blinking points to an eye infection, so the best solution is to take your guinea pig to the nearest vet immediately. Don’t apply any type of eye drops to your guinea pig’s eyes without a vet’s guidance, as this could result in permanent blindness.
Do Guinea Pigs Have Good Eyesight?
Guinea pigs have very sharp hearing and can detect high-pitched noises that we can’t hear. They also have a keen sense of smell, which they use to find food and recognize their owners.
Your guinea pig can’t see well, but it uses hearing and smell to compensate. When your guinea pig hears a sound, it perks up and tries to figure out what caused it.
Listening and smelling are how they determine if a friend or foe is approaching.
Guinea pigs have poor eyesight, but they make up for it in other ways. While they may not be able to see you coming, they’ll hear and smell you.
You might enjoy reading more about whether guinea pigs can see color.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Guinea Pig Eyesight
The eyes of a guinea pig are located on the sides of the face, allowing a 340-degree view in all directions. Guinea pigs are prey animals at the bottom of the food chain, so they must keep an eye on their surroundings.
Another benefit is that they can see more images per second. Unlike human beings, a guinea pig sees at least 33 images per second, which prevents their vision from becoming blurry when they quickly turn their heads.
We can only see about 22 images each second.
They have excellent smell and hearing, so they use a combination of senses to navigate and move around, even at night.
Advantages of Guinea Pig Vision
- 340-degree view
- 33 images per second
- Color detection
Weaknesses of Guinea Pig Vision
- Clarity limited to 3 to 5 feet
- Poor depth perception
Are Guinea Pigs Colorblind?
Guinea pigs aren’t colorblind. In fact, they can detect color, so they know when things are red, green, or blue.
Your guinea pig can see moving images on your phone and is attracted to them, especially bright colors and light. Although your piggy is attracted to motion and lights, it doesn’t understand what’s going on on the screen.
Do Guinea Pigs Have Night Vision?
Although guinea pigs have 340-degree vision, don’t forget that their eyesight is very poor. These small pets don’t need light during the night to move around, as they rely on hearing, smell, and touch to navigate perfectly within their habitats.
Guinea pigs also have excellent spatial memory, which lets them move in their cages without bumping into objects. They can’t see in the dark and don’t have true night vision, but that doesn’t stop them from staying active throughout the night.
Final Thoughts
Guinea pigs have eyelids and they do blink, just roughly once every two minutes. Their eyes don’t require frequent blinking to stay moist and clean, which is why you’ll rarely catch them in the act.
Frequent blinking or keeping their eyes closed isn’t normal and signals something is wrong. If your guinea pig’s eye is swollen, red, or producing discharge, take your pet to a vet immediately.
Their poor eyesight is compensated by excellent hearing, smell, and spatial memory that keeps them navigating just fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Guinea pigs blink so rarely and quickly that most owners never witness it happening. Blinking roughly once every two minutes is perfectly normal. As long as their eyes look clear, bright, and free of discharge, there's no reason for concern about infrequent blinking.
Guinea pigs can only see clearly within three to five feet, so they rely heavily on hearing and smell to recognize you. They'll know you're approaching by your voice and scent long before seeing you clearly. Talking to your piggy regularly helps strengthen your bond.
Most guinea pigs sleep with their eyes wide open because they're prey animals wired for constant vigilance. A guinea pig that closes its eyes while resting feels extremely safe in its environment. Seeing your piggy nap with closed eyes is actually a wonderful compliment.
A cloudy eye can indicate a corneal ulcer, injury, or infection needing immediate veterinary attention. Don't try home remedies or apply eye drops without professional guidance, as incorrect treatment could cause permanent blindness. Get your piggy to the vet as soon as you notice cloudiness.
