Buying a Guinea Pig – Health Care

It is most important to know a good vet who knows a lot about guineas. Some ailments are not easily cured alone.

Be aware of your cavvy’s normal behaviors. It’s easier to tell when they are ill when you know these things.

Normally cavvies are excited, playful, and energetic. Be aware when they acting abnormally quiet or lethargic. Loss of appetite is a good sign as well, cavvies love to eat and if your’s is not, then something is deffinately wrong.

If your cavvy is ill and has diarrhea, be very careful, diarrhea can dehydrate the piggy very quickly, and if not treated right away, can lead to death.

Some illnesses are harder to see. The symptoms may start at very few and progress slowly into more advanced stages. Some symptoms include wheezing, runny eyes and nose, even hair loss. Things like cysts and bladder stones may not be related to any particular ailment, they heave their own symptoms which can be harder to see.

If you suspect that your Guinea could be ill, and you have other piggies in the cage with it, isolate him/her right away to guard the others from potential infection. Give him/her their own water bottle and feed dish, not to be shared with any other animals. Always wash your hands with antibacterial soap after handling a sick guinea. You do not want yourself or your other cavvies to get sick. Keep the sick cavvy in a room where the temperature is constant and decently warm. Keep their cage insulated with lots of hay and protect them from drafts. If your piggy is having respiratory problems, trouble breathing, most owners line the cage with eucalyptus oil, this will not cure the infection, but it will relieve the symptoms somewhat. Try applying on the tip of their nose, just a tiny dab, and there fore-paws, which the tend to rub their nose with. Do not put it in their fur, it will make the fur sticky, piggies hate sticky fur. Do not make any big changes in their diet when your cavvy is sick. Keeping the normal routine will help keep the guinea’s stress level down. If you cannot get your piggy to eat at all, call a vet right away, lack of nutrition can cause rapid deterioration in the cavvy’s health.

Here are some symptoms you should watch out for:

Sneezing
Some sneezing is natural for piggies, but excessive sneezing can be a sign of a respiratory problem. Pay careful attention to whether or not your piggy’s nose is runny. Guinea Pigs do not catch colds or the flu, most respiratory problems in guineas are caused by bacteria. Fungal infections are rare but also possible.

Coughing
Coughing, like sneezing, is normal to an extent. Most of the time it is simply caused by minor windpipe irritation, possibly inhaling something dusty. Constant coughing is more serious. It can be a sign of infection or illness. Kennel Cough, particularly, is a serious illness in guineas. It can be transmitted between species, including dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs. If coughing is followed or accompanied by other respiratory problems, usually wheezing, it is a likely sign of respiratory infection.

Wheezing
Wheezing, labored breathing as well, are usual symptoms of respiratory infection. This should be taken very seriously. They can be indicators of fluids in the respiratory system that could turn into pneumonia. If your piggy has these symptoms, go to a vet immediately.

Scratching
This is also normal for guinea pigs, but like the other symptoms listed, excessive scratching can be an indicator of something worse. A lot of scratching could mean your piggy has lice or mites. Some fungal infections can cause it as  well, but it is rare. To treat lice, a bath in pyrethrin shampoo should suffice. Please note that the eggs do not go away so easily. Usually, more than one bath in the shampoo is needed to completely rid them of the lice, however, the baths must be at least one, if not two, weeks apart from each other. Pyrethrin shampoo can be obtained via a vet, who will tell you how to use it. Lice resemble tiny, brown worms that crawl through the hair on the surface of the skin. Mites are harder to get rid of. They are hard to spot because you cannot see them with a naked eye. There are home remedies for this type of thing, bt most prefer vet care tobe sure. Fleas are not a big problem with guineas. They seem not to care much for the species and do not stay long if they are there. If you are dealing with a parasite, always clean and disinfect the hutches(hidey houses) and cages.

Milky-white urine
Typically a cavvy’s urine is milky in appearance, but if the urine is noticeably white, and leaves residue after it dries, it can indicate too much calcium in his/her diet. This can cause bladder stones.

Pink Urine(Blood in urine)
Can be an indicator of uroliths. Also called bladder stones. This is a very serious condition. Take your cavvy to the vet immediately and reduce the calcium in his/her diet. Give them lots of water to try and prevent the stones from forming, cranberry juice can do wonders to help break down already-forming stones.

Hair Loss
This can be caused by a wide variety of problems. Mites, for one, burrow under the skin and cause the hair to fall out around the sores as the cavvy scratches. Another thing is if your guinea has gotten in a fight, been bitten, or scratched. The resulting scab can prevent the growth of hair, it should return once the wound is healed. Pregnant sows may lose hair during the period of gestation. More serious matters are ovarian cysts in sows, and fungal infections like ringworm, which are both very serious and cause massive amounts of hair loss.

Stiff Joints
If your cavvy is having trouble walking, a vitamin C deficiency may be the culprit. Make sure you get your cavvy 10mg of vitamin C every day to prevent scurvy. If his/her condition develops, a trip to the vet is in order.

Watery eyes
Usually caused by allergies. Ask a vet for proper instructions on how to bath your piggy’s eye. More serious eye sores can appear on the eyelids, usually caused by cysts, should be removed by a veterinary surgeon.

Tilted head
If your cavvy has a tilted head, this could be a sign of an inner ear infection. It is a serious condition, consult a vet right away.

Seizures
There are two types of guinea pig seizures. If your guinea’s seizures involve lifting their head straight up, the seizures may b caused by mites. If the Seizures involve the piggy tilting his/her head to the side, it is probably parasites. These can be caused by a wide variety of problems such as, dietary problems, to genetic disorders. Take your piggy to a vet and have a blood test done. Strange levels of sugar, calcium, phosphorus or potassium can all be responsible, as can other blood-related factors. Some guinea pigs, however, do have seizure disorders, and they can be genetic or idiopathic(meaning there is no cause). Brain tumors are also a possible cause, though these are very rare. The frequency and severity of the seizures will determine whether or not they will need to be treated with anti-seizure medication.If you are unsure what a seizure looks like, most involve twitching of muscles and eyes. Twitching of the eyes can last several minutes after the seizure is over.

Who Else Wants To Learn Top Secret Underground Guinea Pig Secrets that the pet stores and vets aren’t telling  you?

Sign up for my FREE Guinea Pig Guides!

Just Fill In Your Name And Email In The Box Below To Get My FREE Guinea Pig Guides Crash Course On How To Raise A Healthy Happy Sweet Smelling Guinea Pig!