Your guinea pig has stopped grooming themselves, 6. He will display hostile behavior such as fidgeting, head-tossing, or teeth-baring. In severely affected animals, the affected areas may become infected, which can cause the animals to lose weight, have low energy, or run around the cage. Earlier today we found two round bloody balls with her in her hiding tube. ANSWERS: 2. onzanzabarsands. As always with guinea pigs, carefully watch your pets reactions to the medication. Take your guinea pigs to a vet and consult them about the issues which make you worried about your pets. The size of the first birth is usually less than successive litters. Your guinea pigs have a hard time catching a breath, 8. Postmortem findings, like the presence of a fatty liver, and bleeding or cell death in the uterus or placenta will also help your veterinarian to arrive at a diagnosis of ketosis. How to prevent it: Its not always easy to understand why guinea pigs are chattering their teeth, but if youre holding it, try putting it back into its cage. Mental and physical factors can be the cause of decreased hunger in guinea pigs. Whether you give him a bit of a treat or a trail of treats, he won't eat it if he doesn't trust you. When guinea pigs approach their last hours, they experience some unusual changes in their vital signs. It's best to have more than one guinea pig. This condition usually occurs in the last 2 to 3 weeks of pregnancy or in the first week after birth. There are many causes of pregnancy toxemia in guinea pigs. In guinea pigs, conjunctivitis is usually caused by infection by bacteria, such as Bordetella or Streptococcus species, that cause general upper respiratory disease ( see Lung and Airway Disorders Lung and Airway Disorders Health problems among guinea pigs that live alone are usually related to aging, dental disease, reproductive disorders, injury, or improper care. Affected lymph nodes may need to be surgically removed. Signs of respiratory illness in guinea pigs include sneezing, wheezing, and rapid, shallow, or raspy breathing. Infection can cause infertility, stillbirth, or sudden death of guinea pig fetuses in the uterus. Your email address will not be published. Theres really no other way to gain an understanding for your guinea pigs, than to observe them carefully and take note of their behavior. Health problems among guinea pigs that live alone are usually related to aging, dental disease, reproductive disorders, injury, or improper care. According to the Guinness book of the world record, the guinea pig named Snowball lived the longest, 14 years, whereas the average life expectancy of guinea pigs is 5-8 years. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Hello everyone. The female guinea pig I adopted just two weeks ago, Charlotte, is 11.5 weeks old. Subscribe to our FREE guinea pig newsletter. If your guinea pig is just carefully nibbling at your finger or clothes, its probably just checking to see if its food. Guinea pigs are very sensitive to the effects of many antibiotics. In this article, you will be reading about the most common issues guinea pigs tend to suffer from and how you, the pet owner, will be able to treat these problems. If you want to learn more about guinea pigs, GuineaHub is the best place to be! Help!! JavaScript is disabled. When your guinea pigs do not pass out waste discharge, they have gastrointestinal stasis issues. Several underlying problems can lead to hair loss, including infestations of fur mites or lice, ringworm, or fighting between incompatible animals. Guinea Pig Feeding Mistakes To Avoid. In some cases, the condition does not respond to therapy. Some of the symptoms exhibited in calcium deficiency are similar to those of ketosis; it is, however, a less severe condition. Ear infections are rare in guinea pigs. The early stages of fetal, placental and yolk sac development in the guinea pig are very complex and involve some mechanisms specific to caviomorph rodents (e.g. Hay is necessary because of its high-fiber content, which helps maintain the guinea pig digestive tract and also wears down constantly growing teeth. These include obesity, large litter size, loss of appetite during the late stages of pregnancy, insufficient exercise, environmental stress, and underdeveloped blood vessels in the uterus (an inherited condition). Guinea pigs that are infested with lice do not usually have signs, but in severe cases lice can cause itching, hair loss, and inflammation of the skin around the neck and ears. I am very sorry for your quandary, but I guess that you will take your chances in order to save mum. Part of that responsibility includes learning to recognize the common signs of illness in your small pet. Other sources of . (Causes, Signs & Remedy), Why Is My Guinea Pig Coughing? To prevent this condition, keep the guinea pigs cage clean. In other cases, a sick guinea pig has worsening signs that can include loss of energy, lack of appetite, lack of desire to drink, muscle spasms, lack of coordination or clumsiness, coma, and death within 5 days. And if you watch inside of their mouth where their gums appear yellow, white, pale, or blue, it clearly explains further sickness. Each were a little bigger than a marble. No skimping on plentiful grass hay, fresh water, and vitamin C. The guinea pig diet is mainly hay; we're talking about 80% hay. And to observe the capillary refill time of guinea pigs, what you can do is open their mouth and gently press it against gums around teeth; as you press it with slight force, you will notice the light color. Signs of illness are similar to those seen in other viral or bacterial infections and include breathing difficulties, discharge from the nose, and weight loss. But how will you know if its something serious? Joined Nov 13, 2012 Posts 26. The life span of guinea pigs generally lies between 5-8 years. The recommended treatment is surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus (spaying). Vitamin C is required for the production of collagen, a protein necessary for healthy skin, joints, and blood vessels. The blood sugar may be low because food is not available to maintain blood sugar levels, because the animal is being fed a diet that is lower in sugar levels than it is accustomed to, or because of intentional fasting. Please take a photo of your guinea pig from above and post it here. Usually its a subtle sound, that might become more intense if you ignore it. Your veterinarian can diagnose this condition by examining your guinea pig and possibly performing laboratory tests. Soecara, thank you for your advice. Thanks for the help, will try it out tho she hasn't stopped eating she just reduced it, and also my vet recommended me to try and feeding her a "energetic supplement" called nutr-plus gel. Aw best of luck to you and your piggies! Under certain conditions the level of ketone bodies produced may exceed the body's capacity to excrete them efficiently, resulting in excess ketone bodies in the blood, clinically referred to as ketosis or pregnancy toxemia. Females can be kept together, as can males without any issues. If the antibiotic causes diarrhea, the treatment should be stopped immediately and your veterinarian contacted. He said there were four of them and he could see some preformed legs, although they definitely weren't formed enough to live. You should take your guinea pig to see a veterinarian if you notice any signs of constipation because constipation is rare in guinea pigs. Signs of conjunctivitis (pink eye) include watering, crusting, and redness of the eyes. Treatment for pneumonia can include fluids (to ward off dehydration), syringe feeding if necessary, oxygen therapy to help with breathing, and vitamin C. If the pneumonia is caused by bacterial infection, your veterinarian will likely prescribe antibiotics. Younger guinea pigs may develop skin tumors or leukemia (a cancer of the blood), but most types of cancer are not common in guinea pigs until they are 4 to 5 years old. For this article well walk you through some of the most common warning signs, and what they usually mean. Signs of streptococcosis include difficulty breathing, wheezing, discharge from the nose, and coughing. Hair loss in guinea pigs has a number of possible causes. This page contains affiliate links. As much as you'd want to, you can't be with them all day. Multivitamins are not recommended because some of the other included vitamins could be dangerous for guinea pigs. Bleeding (or finding blood in their cage) Wounds. Treatment consists of housing the guinea pig in a smooth-floored cage with soft bedding, improving sanitation, and administering medical treatment depending on the severity of the condition. These dying signs can be unacceptable to you as much as they are for your guinea pigs. They drop this saliva in such amounts, which are far from your expectations, mostly when they are not drinking enough water. Provide a room and let them roam in it if they wish. And it occurs when guinea pigs start avoiding food, which leads to slowing down digestion. In addition, guinea pigs with pneumonia may have conjunctivitis (pink eye), fever, weight loss, depression, or loss of appetite. Because treating health issues in guinea pigs can be difficult, its important for pet owners to know the basics about common health problems so they can see the signs early. Abscesses can be surgically drained. So, you can help them feel safer by establishing a routine. Is it because of the way youre holding it? Your veterinarian can diagnose pneumonia from an examination or from tests of discharge from the eyes or nose. I called the vet and they said as long as Charlotte was eating and drinking well, we can wait until I bring them in for the checkup I already scheduled for Wednesday early morning. Symptoms and Types. They belong to the family Cavidae, which contains 14 species of animals commonly known as cavies and Patagonian hares (or maras). To help prevent infection of the lymph nodes, avoid using harsh or irritating bedding or food. Hello everyone. We love guinea pigs, and have years of experience caring for them. Affected areas can become inflamed and more severely infected. Please confirm that you are a health care professional. The male and female guinea pigs go by different names. Although it occurs most often in pregnant female guinea pigs, ketosis can also develop in obese guinea pigs, male or female. Antibiotics can be used, but antibiotics alone may not eliminate the infection. On the other hand, a depressed guinea pig will not display much energy. W hat can cause a female guinea pig to have a miscarriage? The span of symptoms is wide, ranging from none at all, to fully aggressive, restless, swollen mamas, mounting pen mates with visible discharge, ears popping up and down, vocalizing and locking their back legs to brace for the boar's heavy frame. Interesting fact - The largest numbers of pups a sow has given birth to was 14! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2. Laboratory tests the family Cavidae, which helps maintain the guinea pigs include sneezing, wheezing, and rapid shallow. 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