Common Guinea Pig Health Problems
If you have a guinea pig then you probably already know that they are extremely fragile and as well more prone to illnesses than other pets. Listed are a few of the common symptoms your guinea pig could experience.
Watery Discharge from the Nose and Sneezing
At times your guinea pig could become allergic to his own bedding. If this happens it is best to change your pets bedding and then see if this makes a difference. Better yet remove your guinea pig from the area completely.
If you guinea pig has any type of a watery discharge from his nose or around his nose, and is rubbing it, you need to take him/her to be checked out at your vet.
Coughing
Coughing is a sign of a respiratory infection of some kind. If your pet is coughing continuously this could be quite serious. If it’s accompanied by laboured breathing or wheezing, you need to make sure to contact your vet about this. Your vet in all likely hood will recommend that you bring your guinea pig in for an exam.
Wheezing & Labored Breathing
As said this is a sign of a respiratory infection, and your guinea pig needs prompt attention. It is best to take him to the vet sooner rather than later if this is the case. If he/she is wheezing this could be from congestion in the lungs and could easily turn into pneumonia if it’s left untreated.
Scratching
If your guinea pig is excessively scratching this is a sign of parasites or a fungal infection.
You should be able to tell if your pet has a parasite when you brush them. Notice their skin for any signs of Lice. Lice are a light brown color and very small. If your guinea pig has lice, you need to get a medicated shampoo from the vet. If it’s parasites, then you need to clean and disinfect the cage for this.
White or Milky Urine
It is normal for your guinea pigs urine to be slightly milky in color and this is completely normal for a guinea pig. However if the urine is extremely white or clear, or his/her urine is cloudy this could mean that he/she has high content of calcium in his diet.
Red or Pink Urine Color
Urine of this color is serious. It is an indication of blood being in the urine and is often a huge sign of bladder stones. If your guinea pigs urine is this color you should immediately take him/her to the vet.
Extremely Soft Stool or Diarrhea
In only a matter of hours, if suffering from diarrhea, your guinea pig could very well die. Again, take your pet to the vet.
Many times however it could mean that your pet has been fed to many wet vegetables or foods in general. If you believe it might be food related then increase his intake of hay. The hay will promote a good digestive system and help keep it in balance.
Hair Loss
This could be caused from several reasons including but not limited to mites.
If your pet has been bitten or acquired a cut, the hair will fall out in that particular area until the skin has healed. This is quite normal.
A huge loss of hair over the body could be caused by ringworm, as well as ovarian cysts.
If the hair loss is not due to a cut or bite, then you need to contact your vet and see what they recommend.
Watery Eyes
If your pet suffers from watery eyes this is often caused by some sort of irritant in the eye. It could very well be dust or something more. However allergies can also be a cause. I recommend calling your vet and asking for directions on how to rinse the irritation out of your pets eyes.
If your guinea pig has any sores around his/her eyes this could be caused from cysts on their eyelids that can irritate the eyes. These would need to be removed by a trained vet, as they can be quite serious and painful.
Stiff Joints
Many times this is a sign of scurvy. Scurvy is a severe lack of Vitamin C and would need to be seen about immediately. Give your vet a call and schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
It is an excellent idea to make sure your guinea pig receives at least 10 mg of calcium a day.
Signs of ear infection
If you notice your guinea pig tilting his head to one side or having any issues walking this is probably a sign of a middle ear infection.
Take your pet to the veterinarian as quickly as you can, because this could cause permanent hearing loss and more. Do not put this off.
Seizures
Your guinea pig could have two types of seizures. If you notice that he has his/her head straight up in the air, without a tilt, then he’s more than likely developed ear mites. These mites do affect their nervous system as they burrow under the skin. Get him/her to the veterinarian to receive treatment and then they will be fine once again.
If you notice your guinea pig tilts his head to one side or if he/she curls his body while having a seizure, then this could be any number of various things. Take your pet to the veterinarian as quickly as you can to get the proper blood tests performed.
These are just suggestion and certainly not meant to replace your Vet’s care.
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Do Guinea Pigs Make Good Pets?
There are many wonderful benefits that can come with owning a guinea pig as a pet. If you have not thought about them then maybe you should take time to read the following article.
Guinea Pigs Don’t Require A Lot Of Space
A lone guinea pig only needs a cage the size of 8.0 square feet and this obviously doesn’t take up to much room. This is only one of the many reasons of benefits of guinea pig ownership. Even if you reside in an apartment you should still be able to find an appropriate place for having a guinea pig. Most apartments do not allow for dogs or cats but a guinea pig, that is small and doesn’t make messes, would be perfect under these limitations.
Guinea pigs spend the majority of their time in their own space other than when you take them out for play time. Remember though that this time should be supervised. The small amount of space required should not present a problem under any type condition.
Low Cost Of Ownership
Getting started with ownership of a guinea pig involves very little expense and also the purchase of a cage, food, accessories and bedding. Rest assured these items will not bust your bank account. Once you have completed the purchase of the cage then food and bedding will be the principal cost of their care from here on out. This is also rather inexpensive as well. Guinea pigs are small and they do not need to consume that much. Especially when compared to dogs or cats. Bedding is also cheap if you remember to buy in bulk. Buying this in bulk also assures that you have a ready supply on hand and it will not spoil either.
If you are giving your guinea pig the care they require, your veterinarian bills will be next to nothing. Again, especially when you consider those of a cat or dog that requires routine shots.
They Make Great Companions For Older Adults Living Alone
Guinea pigs make marvelous companions for older adults who might be living alone. They make excellent pets for any age but older adults find that they are easy to care for since they are small and quite inexpensive to keep. Properly treated and handled, little pigs will bond well with people of all ages, but especially that of an older adult. You will find yourself amazed at how much a small animal such as the guinea pig can lift the lives and spirits of the elderly.
They Teach Young Children A Sense Of Responsibility
Guinea pigs are also a wonderful pet to teach young children a appreciation of responsibility. However I would not recommend a child under the age of six to have one for a pet. Six would be a good age for your child to become the proud little owner of a guinea pig. Little piggies would be very easy for them to be able to care for, since the little pigs are very meek and non assertive.
Do remember though that small children still need supervising while looking after their new pet and especially during playtime. It would be very hard to place a price on the benefits of teaching a child duty at this young age. This is experience that they will continue to carry into their adult life. You, as a parent, will be thrilled at the lessons they will learn.
They Are So Amusing to Watch Them At Play
Number five is my favorite reason of them all and could possibly end up being yours as well. You cannot imagine how entertaining your guinea pig would be to watch and to interact with, most especially true during playtime with you. Simply place some toys out onto your floor, in a restricted area, and watch them scamper around doing silly things while they play.
You should never restrict your guinea pig all the time. They need time to play and interact with you outside of the scope of their cage. Once you start doing this you will see that they have distinct personalities and you will be able to watch them develop. Guinea pigs are not different from any other pet, they all have their own unique personality traits. Plus you will find that they interact with you in many comical ways.
You will form a bond with your little cavy and in turn they will bond with you. Your new pet will provide you with many hours of entertainment and pleasure, are just some of the reasons guinea pigs make good pets.
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Cute And Funny Guinea Pig Pictures
Thanks for Flickr and morgueFile for photos.
Guinea Pig Pets
Guinea pigs owners who enjoy showing off their pets and how cute they are! Remember Guinea Pigs are pets and require proper care. Be a responsible guinea pig pet owner!!
Learn more about guinea pig care and tips.
More guinea pig pictures
Baby Guinea pig pictures and info on baby guinea pigs care
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Guinea Pig Toys
Guinea Pig Toys – Make Them or Buy Them Either Way variety is the spice of your guinea pigs life and they will appreciate them!
Providing your guinea pig with toys will help to keep him alert and active. In addition to exercise they stimulate and prevent boredom..
A Few of the Types of Toys That are Best!
This might very well surprise you but the best toys you can use are also the simplest and often the home made ones. You’ll also probably already have these around your house as well. You don’t need to go out and purchase any new toys at all. A fun toy of your little piggy is anything that they can chew on and that would involve fun for them. They also love toys that will give them something to explore.
A guinea pigs teeth never really stop maturing and growing and therefore they need to chew to help keep this growth in control. They love to chew and it’s good for them. It’s best to keep something around fro them to chew on all the time. You can purchase unstained and untreated chew block from the pet store. Also could be something as simple as a cardboard tube from toilet paper roll or even paper towels. If it’s big enough they can also crawl into it and hide. Which is also another thing guinea pigs love doing.
You might even take a small cardboard box and notch a couple of openings on the sides and this will give them something to chew on as well as hide in. They adore hiding and slipping around this way. Even a brown paper lunch bag will provide them hours of entertainment.
Another excellent toy would be a paper roll tube stuffed with hay. Even an old sock works well for this. This will provide your little piggy with lots of joy.
Give your pet a small ball. They love to push them around or play tricks with them.
I can catch the ball with my head!
Wooden Thread spools are a lot of fun for them too. They are getting harder to find, I found some at a second hand store, in a cheap bagged lot. They are also great because they are untreated wood and a chew toy for your cavy.
Give them paper, as they like to chew and shred it. Try to use paper that has no ink on it.
Now where did I leave the highlighter....
There are two things you should not allow your guinea pig to use or play with:
- exercise wheels
- exercise balls
Your guinea pig could suffer physical damage and life time limiting health problems.
All guinea pigs love tunnels because this provides them with being able to hide, explore and racing around. This can be accomplished by using PVC pipes and fittings. Just construct something that has lots of twists and turns for them to get into and explore. Even add a few ramps for enjoyment as well.
I also recommend using bricks to not only give them something to climb on but also it helps wear their nails down. This will keep you from having to trim them or taking to the vet for trimming.
As well as giving your little guinea pigs toys inside their cage you will still also need to give them their floor time outside the cage. Just make sure it is a confined area and provide them some of the same toys for enjoyment. It’s also a great way to interact with your guinea pig and also gives you loads of enjoyment by watching them. It’s also best if you can give them the same time each day for this time together.
The best way to keep your guinea pig thriving and happy is to give him/her lots of one on one time, exercise and happy times. You should easily be able to provide this for your little piggy and it will in turn make you happy as well. Remember it doesn’t have to be expensive Guinea Pig Toys.
Ahhh, I think it's my turn now!
Guinea Pig Info
Guinea Pig Info: Common Health Problems
Guinea pigs are more prone to illness as they are extremely fragile. Listed here are some of the most common symptoms your guinea pig may experience.
Discharge of the Nose, sneezing
Sometimes guinea pigs can become allergic to their bedding. Change the bedding and see if that makes a difference for them or remove them completely from the area. Try to avoid using bedding that is dusty as this can irritate them and avoid pine and cedar bedding.
It’s time to get in contact with your Vet if your guinea pig is experiences discharge around the nose and is rubbing his nose excessively.
Coughing
If your guinea pig is has a constant cough it can be serious. If you find that their are coughing and wheezing, or have labored breathing, contact your Vet. It might be a respiratory infection of some sort.
Labored Breathing, or Wheezing of Any Sort
This is often a sign of a respiratory infection, and needs to be treated sooner rather than later. It’s usually because of congestion in the lungs, and can easily become pneumonia if left untreated.
Scratching
Excessive scratching is normally a sign of parasites or a fungal infection.
You can examine your pet for parasites by brushing their hair and examining the skin. Lice are normally small and brown in color. If you find your pet has lice, your Vet will have a medicated shampoo. If you find your pet has parasites, you will need to also clean and disinfect their cage.
Milky-White Urine or Sludge-y Bladder
Normally, the urine a guinea pig produces has a slightly milky color to it, and this is completely normal. However, if your guinea pig has extremely clear/white urine, or his urine is overly sludge-y, this could mean that he has a higher-then-normal calcium level in his diet.
Pink or Red Urine
This is serious. This indicates blood in the urine and is often an indicator of bladder stones. If your guinea pig has blood in his urine, make managements to take him to the Vets as soon as possible.
Diarrhea or Extremely Soft Stool
Within hours of suffering from diarrhea, your guinea pig can die if it persists.
Often times, you’ve simply fed your pet too many wet foods or vegetables in general. If you think its food related you can increase your pets intake of hay, which promotes a good digestive balance.
Hair Loss
There can be many different reasons why your guinea pig is loosing hair, including mites.
If your guinea pig is cut or bitten, the hair will fall out in that area until the skin is completely healed. This is normal.
Massive hair loss across the body can be caused by ringworm, and sometimes ovarian cysts. Unless it’s because of a cut, you should call your vet for advice and care.
Watery Eyes
Watery eyes are often caused by irritants in the eye, like excessive dust or something more. Allergies can also cause this – call your vet and ask for directions on how to rinse the irritants out of the eye.
Sometimes eye sores are caused by cysts on the eyelid that irritate the eyes, and these need to be removed by a trained veterinarian, as they can be painful and serious.
Stiff Joints
Most times, this is caused by scurvy. This is basically a sever lack of Vitamin C, and needs to be treated immediately. Call your vet to schedule an appointment.
Tilting Head
If your piggy is tilting his head to one side, and having issues walking, it’s probably a middle-ear infection.
Get him to the vet as soon as you possibly can, because this can damage his hearing and more. You need to get it treated, and simply not put it off.
Seizures
There are two ‘types’ of seizures. If his head is straight up in the air, without a tilt at all, then he’s probably got mites. Mites burrow under the skin and can sometimes affect the nervous system. Get him to a vet for treatment, and he’ll be just fine.
If your guinea pig is tilting his head to one side or curling his body during the seizure, it can be a huge number of any things. Take your guinea pig to the vet as soon as possible.
Regularly Weighing Your Guinea Pig
Being in the habit of regularly weighing your guinea pig, gives you another indication of your guinea pigs health. As they can get sick quickly, monitoring and tracking their weight, will give you a heads up to intervene.
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Guinea Pig: Safe Proofing Your Home
Guinea Pig Safety: Tips to safe proofing your home
Guinea pigs are naturally curious and gnawing animals and if you let your pet loose in your home, it’s best for have it safe proof before hand.
- A great danger to guinea pigs are electrical cords as they can chew them. Remove all electrical cords as this is a primary threat for them. Cords that cannot be put out of reach, should be covered with a chew proof material. Ask for suggestions at the electrical store and also inquire about electrical cable wraps at the electronic store.
- Anything made out of wood that is within reach would also require to be covered with a chew proof protection. Some people try using store bought animal repellants, however this doesn’t stop some guinea pigs.
- Avoid uses of perfume and colognes as the guinea pig has a keen sense of smell and this will irrate them.
- Take a tour around your home and inspect for places that your guinea pig could potential hide or get caught in. This entails all nooks and crannies as they are very curious animals and love to explore. Block off access to these areas securly.
- Make sure that all poisons and toxic materials are carefully put out of your guinea pigs way.
- Ensure that trash bags are also out of your guinea pigs way and well hidden.
- When your guinea pig is out and you have other pets, ensure that they cannot come within reach.
Often people choose when they let their guinea pig out of their cage, to put them into a large enclosed area, where there is plenty of room to run around and ensures a safe environment for your guinea pig.
Fenced in Teddy Hamster enjoying out door time.
Guinea Pig Care Safe proof your home
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Guinea Pig Care
Tips for a healthy thriving Guinea pig
- Nourishing Diet – Provide a diet rich in nourishment that has a variety and proper balance, including a daily supply of fresh hay and water.
- Understanding that your guinea pig enjoys a calm and relaxed environment without sudden loud noises, loud voices or chaotic activity.
- Provide a safe environment. Guinea pig proof your home are they are curious creatures. Safe guard against poisons, hazards and unsafe objects and protection from other family pets and animals.
- Stress free environment. Guinea pigs can appear outwardly calm but can be extremely stressed on the inside. Avoid stress factors like loud noises, inappropriate cage mates, or exposure to unfamiliarity like other herds, too small of a cage without a hiding spot.
- Provide your guinea pig with opportunity for fitness, with out of the cage time in a safe interesting environment.
- Variety is the spice of your guinea pigs life. they are good students and enjoy a variety of playful activities and stimulate their curiosity and sense of adventure.
- Keep up grooming and checking on your guinea pigs health. Inspect their toenails and keep them trimmed and inspect their teeth as they are constantly growing. They require chew twigs to chew and different substrate to walk on to help ware down the length of the toenails.
- Avoid using Wheels and giant exercise balls and they are a heath hazard to your pet. They have been known to cause foot and ankle injuries, spinal injuries and can be life threatening to your pet.
- By weighting and watching for dramatic changes in your guinea pigs weight, can indicate a sign that something isn’t right with your guinea pig. Keeping an eye on your pet by Weighting a healthy guinea pig weekly, and if they are sick, best to weight them daily.
- Their weight will normally shift and fluctuate through out the day. Being aware of how much weight change is normal and what is not, is beneficial to your pet’s health.
- It is fairly normal for your pet to shift about one ounce in weight, but if you start noticing patterns, best to contact your Vet.
- If you discover a two ounce difference, this is a message of alert. Be extremely concerned If your pet has a three ounce difference in weight and get in Contact with your Vet if there is a four ounce difference in weight.
- When examining your guinea pig, be mindful and look for signs of illnesses.
You will find the benefits of your pet far outweigh the guinea pig care!
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Guinea Pig Food
Importance of good nourishment
Good food nourishment is very important to your guinea pigs health and can make the difference between a healthy thriving or a sick pet.
Guinea pigs strictly are herbivores
and have a unique digestive system that is geared to eating plant foods. Giving your guinea pig other types of foods can make them sick, cause them to gain weight or diarrhea.
Food Pellets especially made for Guinea Pigs
There are special food pellets made for guinea pigs that provide high amounts of nutrient and when complimented with fresh foods make a good diet. When purchasing pelleted food consider:
- Protein, 8 percent content or higher
Fiber, 16% content
Contains Vitamin C, preferable 1 gram per kilogram
Buy a smaller monthly supply to retain freshness & nutritional content of the pellets
Store in a sealed container to keep fresh
Timothy Hay is important
Part of guinea pigs diet is eating foods that contain roughage and Timothy hay provides fibrous roughage. By using a hay rack in your guinea pigs cage, allows your pet access to feed on. Give your guinea pig a fresh supply of daily hay When purchasing hay some tips to consider:
- hay is fresh, dry, smells sweet
Contains as little dust as possible
mold free
pet supplies stock timothy hay, best nutritional choice
avoid baled hay and hay cubes for horses
Fresh Green foods
A daily supply of a variety of fresh green foods are important for your guinea pigs health. Fresh and washed!
Dark green plants provide vitamin C, which your guinea pig cannot produce in their body and by giving your pet fresh dark greens daily helps meets their nutritional requirements. Some FRESH dark greens include:
- dandelions
carrot tops
broccoli
basil
spinach
artichokes
romaine lettuce
Make sure the green are fresh and preferably organically grown is ideal. Avoid picking greens from gardens and fields unless your know for sure that the greens have not been sprayed with pesticides and chemicals, as this can effect your guinea pig.
Giving your guinea pig Treats
Fresh fruits are a wonderfully healthy treat for your guinea pig, when offered in small amounts. Almost any fruit can be offered, just remember to keep in in small amounts. Here are some healthy fruit choices:
- apples – no seeds
orange
strawberry
pear
peach
tomato
carrot (not a fruit but they do love them as a treat)
Foods to avoid feeding your guinea pig
- Avoid treats that contain sugar or salt
Candy
chocolate
Processed foods of any kind
Iceberg lettuce
Cabbage
Califlower
Potato skins
Shelled nuts or seeds
Rubarb
Meat or fish
Alcohol
Beans- kidney, lime, any type of raw bean (not meaning green beans)
Corn kernals or popcorn
Ice cream or any dairy product
Hamster food, gerbil food or any other type of non guinea pig food
Access to Fresh water
Using a water bottle and sipper is a great way to provide your guinea pig with a fresh and clean water supply. Change the water supply daily and remember to wash out the bottle to avoid bacteria build up. Make sure the sipper is at an ideal height to provide easy access for your guinea pig.
The lowdown on the guinea pig self producing Cecotropes pellets
You might be asking, what the heck is Cecotropes pellets? Nature has provided a dietary supplement for the guinea pig in a soft form that is developed in their cecum. The cecum is part of their large intestines and it produces a soft pellet which has special nutrients that the guinea pig requires. This pellet is passed out the guinea pigs anus and often they will eat it right away.
This may seem shocking and very different to us, however this is a nutritional requirement for the guinea pig. Therefore if you see your guinea pig eating one, don’t be alarmed or try to stop them at this is quite natural and nutritional for your guinea pig.
Silkie Guinea Pig eating nutritional food
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Guinea Pig YouTube
Homecoming: Guinea Pig care
This video is about the first few days special care for you new guinea pig.
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Guinea Pig Pets Care Safe Proofing your home
Learn more about Guinea pig Info by clicking here
Guinea Pig Info: Weighing In
Weighing your guinea pig weekly – why is that important? This video explains the benefits of keeping track of your pets weight.
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Baby Guinea Pigs
Curious how cute they are, check out this video!
Want to explore more about baby guinea pigs care by clicking here
Cute and funny Guinea Pigs
Many different types of guinea pigs showing off how cute they are!
Guinea pigs are cute and adorbable but they are real pets that require care. Learn more about Guinea pig care by clicking here
Guinea Pig Pets Pictures
Check out how cute these guinea pigs are!
Guinea Pig Pets Journey
It had been rumored their was a guinea pig castle where they could eat and play all day, is it true?
