Guinea pigs are prone to several health problems so it is important to check them over daily.

Guinea pigs are classed as exotics so it is important to visit a qualified exotics vet when your guinea pig is unwell.  Guinea pigs are prey animals so they will hide any sign of illness for as long as possible, so by the time an illness becomes apparent it will be necessary to take them to the vets quickly.  It is therefore advisable to find and register with a suitable vet long before you actually need one.  I always recommend you weigh your guinea pig once a week, if they continually lose weight it is a heads up that something is not right.

The vets we recommend are:

Rebecca
Anton Vets in Andover 01264 729165
www.antonvets.co.uk

Jenny Brown
Active Vetcare Bracknell 01344 304238
www.activevetcare.co.uk/practices/bracknell.asp

Agata
Small World Animal Vets Liphook 01428 788659
www.smallworldvets.co.uk

GUINEA PIG HEALTH

I am not a vet but obviously have had years of experience dealing with a wide range of illnesses, operations and hand rearing baby guinea pigs.  The information below is to help you recognise when there is a health problem and make sure you contact your vet immediately..

ABCESS

Guinea pigs are quite prone to abscesses especially around the head.  Generally they will need to be lanced by a vet but they can sometimes burst on their own.  Often teeth can cause abscesses so this will need to checked over by your vet.  

The abscess will need to be flushed out at least twice a day.  If this is not done the wound will heal over and will be impossible to to continue flushing out.

ADMINISTERING MEDICINE

For liquid oral medication you will need to measure the medication into the syringe making sure you remove the air bubbles by flicking your thumb and forefinger on the syringe to make the bubbles rise to the top.  Place the syringe to the side of the mouth and slowly dribble the medicine onto the tongue.  Do not administer all the medication at once or put the syringe between the guinea pigs front teeth, as this can cause the medication to shoot to the back of the mouth and go into their lungs.

If your guinea pig will not stay still for you, you may need to wrap your guinea pig in a towel to restrain him.

In the case of tablets it is best to crush them with a pestle and mortar and mix with a very small amount of water and administer with a 1ml size syringe.

Never put medications in their water bottle for several reasons.  They will never drink all the water in the bottle and if their is another guinea pig in the same hutch they will be drinking from that bottle too.

BLADDER PROBLEMS

Bladder problems seem to be a very common complaint amongst guinea pigs.

The first signs are often that the guinea pig is very wet underneath, there is blood in the urine, lifting their rear end and squeaking when they wee.

The most common cause is cystitis and I would usually use the Sulfatrim (antibiotic) (which now goes under a different name now) and Metacam (anti-inflammatory).  The guinea pig does need to be diagnosed by a vet and these medications are prescription only.

These symptoms can also indicate a bladder stone which will show up on an x-ay.  In the case of a sow this can be treated easier than with a boar.  The stone will need to be removed surgically.

Once the bladder stone has been removed it is important that a low calcium diet is maintained to reduce the chance of more bladder stones, especially being careful not to give alfalfa in their food treats.

In cases where guinea pigs have been given antibiotics which have not been successful and x-rays have shown no stones, but the guinea pig continues to squeak when urinating, there has been considerable success with Cystease (for cats) or Nutracys and Nutracalm (for dogs and cats).  But please discuss this with your vet first.

BLOAT

If you suspect bloat, take your guinea pig to the vet immediately as this is a life threatening condition.

Bloat is very serious and painful condition for any animal.  The most common causes are blockages in the intestine or build up of gas.

The guinea pig will be off its food and look very uncomfortable and will stop passing poops.  The stomach will feel tight like a blown up football with no give in it.

To have any chance of recovering from this, the guinea pig must be taken to the vet immediately.

BUMBLEFOOT

Bumblefoot or Pododermatitis is a very painful condition in the foot which makes it swell with a large scab underneath.

Im not sure anyone really knows what causes this but seems more common in older pigs.

What is important that it is treated immediately by a vet, if left untreated the guinea pig can die.  The guinea pig will need to be give medication from the vet, bathed daily and kept on clean soft bedding.

CATARACTS

Cataracts are quite common in guinea pigs.  The eye starts to look a bit smoky and usually both eyes are affected.  There is no treatment or cure, but guinea pigs seem to cope with this quite easily.

COLDS

No one is really sure whether guinea pigs can catch colds from humans but I always play safe.  If your guinea pig has a runny nose, sneezing or its lungs sound congested (the guinea pig's breathing will sound rattely) then it is wise to take them to the vet for a course of antibiotics.  If ignored it can develop into a more serious illness.

It is important to keep guinea pigs on dry bedding and away from our damp weather.  Failure to do this can be one of the causes for chest infections and other ailments.

HEALTH CHECKS

Guinea pigs are very clever at hiding their illnesses so it is important to give them a check over at least once a week.  I do this every time I pick a guinea pig up.  Usually by the time you notice this is something wrong the illness has advanced so early detection will give your guinea pig a far greater chance of recovery.

1.  Check their coat.  Make sure it is clean and free from dandruff.  Can you see any lice wriggling around, are there scratch wounds, are there any sore patches.  If the skin does not look healthy, has sores, scratch marks or dandruff they need to be taken to a vet for diagnosis and correct treatment..

2.  Their eyes should be clear and bright.  Make sure there are no pieces of hay caught under the eyelid or any scarring on the eyes.  Some guineas do have cataracts which looks like a soft mist inside the eye.  There is no treatment for cataracts.   They can get hay poke or a foreign body in the eye, they should be taken to the vet to check the eye and probably will prescribe eye drops.

3. Ears can get very waxy.  They need to be cleaned with a damp cotton wool pad, do not poke right inside the ear.

4.  Nose should be clean if runny he may have  cold or chest infection.

5.  Check that your pigs teeth, top and bottom front teeth are level and not wearing down to one side.

6.  Check the whole body for lumps.  Guinea pigs are prone to fatty lumps, which do not always need to be removed but they should be monitored for any increase in size.  If the lump looks sore or feels attached to something then the guinea pig should be taken immediately to a guinea pig experienced vet.

7.  Check the length of their nails, do they need trimming?

8.  With boars, check their penis is clean or debris and that they are not impacted.

9.  They should be weighed weekly.  Their body weight should remain the same, if it starts to drop then this could be an early warning something is wrong.

10.  It is also important to check that their droppings are solid.  Diarrhoea is very dangerous for a guinea pig so they should be taken to the vet immediately.  Do not leave it for another day, it could mean life or death.  If the droppings are just a little soft and the guinea pigs seems well in itself you could for the next 24 hours just give them hay.  If the droppings do not return to normal then a check up with the vet is advisable.

11.  Put your ear against the side of the guinea pig and listen to their breathing.  If they sound congested or rattlley they could have a chest infection or possibly a heart condition.  In either case your guinea pig should be taken to the vet for diagnosis and medication.

12.  If your guinea pig has stopped eating, pooping or listless then as said many times before please take them to the vets immediately.

DIARRHOEA

Diarrhoea should be taken very seriously.

If the diarrhoea is liquid then the guinea pig should be taken to the vets immediately for medication.  Vets with usually give them antibiotics which should also be followed up with probiotics to help with good bacteria in the gut.  Also they will be dehydrated so I also give them dioralyte from the chemist.  Water alone is  not enough.

If the poops are just a bit soft then I would removed all the dried food and vegetables for 24 hours and just feed good quality hay.  Feeding them blackberry leaves and shepherds purse will also help recovery.  If their poops are still soft after 24 hours a trip to the vet will be necessary.

I would add that if their poops are a bit soft but they are off their food and fluffed up in the corner than they should go straight to the vet.

EARS

Ears should be checked on a regular basis.  They can get inner ear infections but I have to say that I have found this quite rare.  Obviously if they hold their head to one side or seem in some discomfort then a trip to the vet is necessary.

Ears do get very waxy and will need regular cleaning.  See Guinea Pig Care page.  Never insert anything right into their ears as this can be dangerous.

Behind the ears is a bald patch, which is quite normal.  Many people having seen this bald patch have contacted me thing their guinea pig has a skin problem.  Rest assured this is quite normal.

EYES

Guinea pigs produce a milky liquid around their eyes which is quite normal and is usually wiped away with cleaning either by the guinea pig itself or their cage mate.

Cataracts are mentioned above.

Guinea pigs do get eye injuries either from having straw or very course hay as bedding, hence why these should not be used for bedding.  When there is an eye injury there is usually a cloudy patch in part of the eye, I would recommend a trip to the vet to make sure there is no foreign bodies left in the eye and eye drops is given to stop any infection.

Sometimes a piece of hay can get into the back of the eye.  I pull back the eyelid to see if I can see any foreign objects, if a small piece of hay can be seen as long as you are very gentle a cotton bud can be laid against the eye and it will stick to the bud.  DO NOT STICK THE BUD INTO THE EYE,  If you are not confident with this then please take it to the vet to be removed.

Any other signs of infection, crustiness or discharge should checked by a vet.

Some guinea pigs have what is called fatty or pea eye.   This is when the bottom eyelid droops (like a bloodhound).  This normally quite harmless and can be genetic, it is also often found in overweight pigs.  No treatment is needed unless the eye becomes infected which is quite rare.

FEEDING A SICK GUINEA PIG

When a guinea pig becomes ill and is off its food or has had teeth problems and you are trying to get them to eat again you will need to syringe feed them.

Firstly, the sick guinea pig should be treated by a vet and then it will be down to you to make sure they eat.  Guinea pigs quite easily just give up eating when they are ill so it is imperative that you syringe feed them until they are eating on their own.

I have read many websites and books about this but I have found the most successful way for me is to soak guinea pig pellets cooled boiled water.  When the mixture has cooled it should be watery enough that is will syringe easily.  Critical is very good for sick guinea pigs but mind have never liked the taste so I add this to the dried food mix.

I usually wrap them in a towel and syringe a small amount at a time into the side of their mouth.  This can be quite messy so when you have finished you will need to clean them up and make sure they are dry to save them getting sores under the chin area.

On many websites and books it tells you the amount they need to eat to maintain or even gain weight, I personally find it very difficult to give them that amount at one time.  I tend to syringe feed them hourly with a couple of mls or so every time.  This seems to keep them stimulated and does not pump them full of food and make them more uncomfortable.

They will also need vitamin C, so after each feed I finish off by syringe feeding them vitamin C.

You will usually find as they get used to being syringe fed and they feel better they start taking the food from the syringe by themselves

Hopefully they will start eating on their own.  I do continue syringe feeding for a while making sure they are eating enough.

HAND REATING BABY GUINEA PIGS

Sadly, sometimes the mother passes away after having babies, so they need to be hand reared.

We mix one part evaporated milk with one part water and offer this to the guinea pig on a teaspoon, warning, never syringe feed them as the milk will go into their lungs.

Once the babies get the idea they will lap the milk up with enthusiasm.  You can ever try soaking a piece of brown bread in the milk and they will such the milk through the bread.

It is important that after they have been fed that you clean their bottom.  Baby guinea pigs cannot pass urine so you will need a cotton wool paid and wipe their genitals so they can pass urine and motions.  After around 3 days they should be okay on their own.

GREASE GLAND

The grease gland on guinea pigs is where a tail would be, if he had one.  It is quite normal and more noticeable in boars than sows.  although it does no harm it can look unsightly so I would recommend bathing this area regularly.  We use Swarfega Orange.

HEATSTROKE

Guinea pigs do not like heat and anything over 20 degrees an cause heatstroke.

Avoiding Heatstroke:

Every effort should be made that they do not suffer with heatstroke, by keeping the hutch or cage out of direct sunlight, removing any plastic tunnels or houses, when putting them in their run made sure there is suitable shade (remember the sun moves round very quickly so make sure they are well covered).  Also if travelling make sure they are in a suitable carrier which is well ventilated and out of direct sunlight in your car.

On very hot days you can place a frozen bottle of water or cool box blocks wrapped in a towel, either in their hutch or run.  It is essential that the guinea pig does not come in contact with the frozen block.  Also space blankets are very good at reflecting the heat from their run or hutch.

Make sure there is always fresh water available for them to drink.

Symptoms

Collapse
Rapid breathing and drooling
Eyes can be sunken
Skin can have a blue tinge

Treatment

Take guinea pig out of hot environment.

Soak towel in cool water (not freezing) wring out excess water and then wrap around guinea pig.  Replace with another soaked towel and keep doing this until the guinea pig shows signs of recovery.  Do not overcool your guinea pig as this can be harmful causing respiratory problems.

Never immerse your guinea pig in cold water or put cold shower over him as this can be fatal.

Never give fluids.

Once your guinea pig seems over the worse he should be taken directly to a vet for further treatment.

Last, but certainly not lease, find out why your guinea pig had heatstroke in the first place and make sure it never happens again.

IMPACTION

Impaction is a condition that only males suffer from and in most cases elderly ones.  It is when the muscles in the anal sac become slack.

The softer faeces in the anal sac cannot be expelled due to the slackening of the muscles and so collect there forming a hard lump.  You ca actually feel this lump behind the testicles.  Some guinea pigs that have come into rescue have a lump the size of a golf ball.

They pass the harder faeces with no problem, so a regular check on your boar is essential.  Failure to treat this problem can make your guinea pig very uncomfortable and distressed.

Treatment

If the lump is quite hard then I smear a small amount of lubricant  just inside the opening of the sac and with my thump and forefinger I massage the lump out.  If the lump is fairly soft then a lubricant need not be used.  It is very smelly and messy so I always wear gloves.

I leave this lump in the hutch so they have the chance of eating some of it as this is essential to a guinea pigs diet as it contains Vitamin B, eating their own faeces is called coprophagy.

How often this needs to be done depends on the individual guinea pig, it can be daily, every other day or weekly, but once the guinea pig has this condition it will have it for the rest of its life.  As long as you are emptying the ana sac no veterinary treatment is necessary.

LIP SORES

Lip sores are scabs usually around the corners of the mouth but if left untreated will spread further around the mouth.  It is usually caused by the acid in apples and/or tomatoes, but not always the case.

First this is to refrain from feeding these foods.

Treatment

The treatment I use is to dab diluted Hibiscrub with a cotton wool pad on and around the scabs until they become soft and peel off virtually on their own.  I then dab the area dry and rub in Daktarin Oral Gel (from chemists) on the sore area.  This should be done initially at least twice a day for about a week, depending on how had it is.  This should clear the sore area relatively quickly but if the condition persists then a trip to the vet is needed.

LUMPS

Guinea pigs are prone to lumps and there can be several different types.

There is the Abscess, as described above.

Fatty lumps which do not seem to be attached to anything and you can get your fingers around them.  Peter Gurney called them 'Jelly Beans'.  It is advisable to get them checked by a vet but unless they are making life uncomfortable for the guinea pig or growing rapidly I tend to leave them alone, they can have them for years with no ill effect.

Some lumps seem attached to a bone and these are usually more serious.  Again a trip to the vet is needed.

Sebaceous Cysts are usually found on the back area.  They are soft and you can often se a slight hole at the top of the cyst.  If this is the case you can gently squeeze it and a light grey discharge emerges from this small hole.  Continue to squeeze the contents out and when empty bathe with a saline solution.  This cyst should be checked regularly and if it refills treat again as above.  If the Cyst is irritating the guinea pig or looking sore then a discussion with your vet should be had to discuss its removal.

PARALYSIS

Guinea pigs can become paralysed for various reasons.  I have never seen a guinea pig completely paralysed, in general it is mainly their back legs.

Paralysis can be caused by a traumatic injury, most commonly when the guinea pig has been dropped.  If this is the case the guinea pig should be taken to the vet immediately.

There is a condition, which I have come across over the years, where the guinea pig seems perfectly okay, eating and drinking as normal, but seems to be dragging their back legs around.  They have not ben dropped or involved in an accident that could cause injury.

I first came across  this with one of my guinea pigs.  The vet I was seeing at the time had no idea what the condition was and had been advised that if the guinea pig was still paralysed after the weekend then it should be put to sleep.  I decided at that point to do my own research and I came across Peter Gurney's book 'Piggy Potions' and in it he described this condition to a T and recommended Osteocare (for people).  No one seems to know why it happens but the treatment was set out in his book.  He recommends liquid Osteocare, 1 ml day and night on the first day, then 0.5ml day and night for three days.  It was like a miracle cure in 24 hours the guinea pig was using his back feet again.

This is why it is so important to use a guinea pig experienced vet, I often wonder how many guinea pigs have been put to sleep unnecessarily.

PREGNANCY

We do not recommend breeding from guinea pigs because there is such a large number of unwanted guinea pigs in rescues that to breed indiscriminately and add to the thousands needing homes is very irresponsible.  Our rehoming policy is that guinea pigs adopted from us are not used for breeding.

Sows come into season about every 16 days and last between 24 to 48 hours but will only accept the boar for around 6 to 11 hours of that time.  

If sows are going to be used for breeding then they should have their first litter between 6 and 10 months of age.  Gestation is between 59 to 73 days.

At around week 5 of the pregnancy you can see and feel the babies moving.  Do not over handle her by keep picking her up.  You obviously need to check she is okay but try to do this without too much disturbance.  If she looks listless, stops eating, becomes unwell or seems to be having problems giving birth then she should be taken to the vets immediately.

Once the sow has given birth she will come straight back into season so if the boar has been left with her she will become pregnant again.

The babies will feed from mum but will eat hay, dried food and vegetables almost immediately.

The babies will become sexually active between 3 and 4 weeks.  So the baby boars will need to be separated from the sows, including their mother, by the time they are 4 weeks old.  Please get the babies sexed by a guinea pig expert ie guinea pig rescue, breeder or guinea pig experienced vet.  Failure to sex them correctly could mean all your sows, mum and any baby sows could all be pregnant, so in just over a couple of months you could be the owner of another 12 baby guinea pigs or more.  Sadly this happens all too often.

SKIN PROBLEMS

Guinea pigs are very prone to a wide variety of skin problems.  I have listed the most common ones below together with their treatment.  Your guinea pigs coats should be checked regularly and i you see baldness, dandruff or inflammation then the problem should be diagnosed and treated immediately.

RUNNING LICE

These are small lice which can be seen moving on the guinea pigs coats and skin, usually in the centre of their backs.  They feed on the dead skin and the guinea pig will usually scratch more than normal and scratch marks may be seen on the skin.

Treatment

I bathe them in Gorgeous Guineas Lice 'n' Easy shampoo (available online of Gorgeous Guineas website), and then again 1 week later and then again 1 week after that.   Shampoos do not kill the eggs so the following baths are essential.  The lice will also be living in their hutch so you will need to clean it out completely and stray with Johnson's Cage and Hutch spray, making sure you spray in the corners.  Once the guinea pig has been bathed he needs to go back into a clean and deloused hutch, if not he will pick up all the lice living in the hutch.

STATIC LICE

Static lice are not actually lice but mites.  They look like little bits stuck to the hair shaft.  On dark coated pigs they look white on what pigs the look a yellow colour.  These, like the Running Lice, feed off the dead skin.

Treatment

Bath as above for Running Lice.

FUNGAL INFECTION

Fungal infection looks like dandruff but when the hair is lightly touched it comes out easily and you can see a small amount of dry skin attached on the end.  This should be bathed with an antifungal shampoo.  We use Malaseb from the vet.

RINGWORM

Ringworm is also a type of fungal infection (nothing to do with worms) and is easily recognised by large round sore bald patches on the guinea pig (usually around the head area).  Make sure you wear gloves when handling as it is possible for you to catch this.  The guinea pig should be taken to the vet for diagnoses.  I bathe in Imaverol and then make sure that the guinea pig is returned to their hutch that has been thoroughly cleaned, including bowls, houses  with Virkon.

MANGE

Mange is  mite that burrows in the guinea pigs skin.  Most guinea pigs have these mites with no problems but some times, usually through stress, the mites become active.  The skin will look very sore with scabbing and dandruff and the guinea pig will scratch excessively and usually cause lesions.  The guinea pig will be very sensitive when touched and once the mange mites gets a real hold the guinea pig can go into a fit when touched which can lead to death.  Immediate diagnoses and treatment by a vet is essential.
NEVER BATHE A GUINEA PIG WITH MANGE.  Due to the sensitivity of the skin it can cause fitting.

Treatment

Ivomectin, preferably orally, but can be by injection or as a spot on every 7 days, until the mange has cleared, usually 3 treatments but can go on longer.  Once the guinea pig has recovered a gentle bath in Gorgeous Guineas Manuka and Neem shampoo will clear away all the dead skin and leave him with a lovely clean shiny coat.

TEETH

Teeth problems are quite common in guinea pigs.  For various reasons the teeth become too long and the guinea pig is unable to eat.  Some of the causes for overgrown teeth are, poor diet, genetic, abscess or a symptom of another illness.

It is therefore very important to check your guinea pigs teeth regularly.  It is virtually impossible for you to check the back teeth but usually when the back teeth have overgrown the front teeth will grow uneven at the front.  When the back teeth are overgrown they grow over like a church roof.  It is also very important to weigh your pig regularly.  Losing weight over the the weeks could be a sign he is not eating enough, if you have several pigs and the food is being eaten up you always assume they are all eating well.

The next stage is to take them to a vet.  Teeth grow very quickly and one trim will not be enough, at first they will need constant monitoring.

Once the teeth are trimmed you would assume the guinea pig would just start eating again.  Sadly this is not the case and you will need to syringe feed them until they start eating on their own.  I recommend that you syringe feed every couple of hours with soaked pellets and Critical Care plus Vitamin C.  This can sometimes take several weeks but it is important you stick with it and keep weighing them to check they are eating enough.  It is difficult for them to gain weight with syringe feeding but once they start to eat on their own their weight  should start going up.

WORMING

There is a lot of different views about worming guinea pigs and at the moment I do not feel I have had enough problems with worms to give advice on this.  

The symptoms of a guinea pig having worms is weight loss.  Treatment would be panacur from your vet.

Guinea pigs do not need regular worming like cats and dogs.

WOUNDS

Guinea pigs get wounds for various reasons.  They should be cleaned with salt water and I use Johnson's Anti-Bacterial Powder daily.  If the would looks particularly sore, is very deep, looks infected or you do not know how the guinea pig received this wound, then the guinea pig should be taken tot he vet for a course of antibiotics.

Guinea pigs are prone to abscesses and an untreated wound could very quickly lead to an abscess, so it is imperative to act quickly.