Taking care of a guinea pig is not as simple as you think. It needs a bit of work, however, if you succeed to keep your guinea pig healthy, then you will get many rewards in return. A guinea pig may not be as vocal as other animals when he is sick, so you will need to pay extra attention to him.
Starting from your daily care routine, you can observe both the physical condition and behavior for some signs of illnesses. There are some common illnesses a guinea pig may get, such as ileus, uroliths, ectoparasites, respiratory disease and others.
Make sure you know these common diseases of guinea pig. Each disease has its own specific signs every owner should be aware of.
That’s why
it is very important for a guinea pig’s parent to know the common signs telling
that the piggy is sick. Early notice of the signs may save your guinea pig’s
life. Let’s see the common signs of a sick guinea pig.
The first sign of almost all animals have when they are sick is having some changes in behavior. There are some types of behavior you can observe while your guinea pig is sick. The first one is the eating pattern. A healthy guinea pig will eat its food constantly, so if you notice any changes in the eating pattern, you should be aware of it.
Guinea pigs normally cannot go more than a few hours without eating, so if yours has not eaten at all for more than 10 hours, then you should seek immediate veterinary attention.
Another behavior you need to observe is the activity. A normal guinea pig tends to be normal and friendly. However, when it begins to be agitated, anxious or afraid, then there might be a medical problem.
You are the one who know the best about your pet’s personality and activities than any one, so you can judge whether something is suspicious. The list of the changes could be endless, but here are the most common signs of trouble: avoiding favorite food, hiding all the time, lethargy, changing posture and walking style.
If you concern about your guinea pig’s health, you can read essential nutrients guinea pigs need. Make sure all these nutrients are present in the food you feed them.
After monitoring the behavior, now it is time to check the body and fur. A sick guinea pig will show some changes on its body and fur. The first thing you need to do is weigh your guinea pig weekly.
As guinea pigs eat constantly, then they are supposed to keep a fairly consistent weight. However, when there’s a rapid weight gain or loss, then it may be a concern. Loss of appetite in guinea pigs will also tell you more about it.
Watch for hair loss and irritation. A healthy guinea pig shouldn’t have bald patches or raw, cracked or inflamed skin. Make sure you pay attention to the daily changes in hair coverage or skin condition.
Beware of mice or lice infestation and ring worm (a skin infection). Contact your vet immediately if you notice abnormal or unusual hair loss or skin irritation or inflammation.
Make sure you also read skin diseases a guinea pig may have and ringworms in guinea pigs.
- Check the Ears, Nose and Eyes Area
Guinea pigs
are also possible to get eye infections. Check the changes in the condition or
appearance of the eyes. Conjunctivitis (pink eye), for example, is an eye
infection caused by bacteria and it causes redness and inflammation on the
eyelid and its surrounding. It can also cause oozing or dripping of fluid from
the eye.
Guinea pig’s teeth are normally kept worn down to the proper length by the roughage it eats. Improper diet, heredity or other causes can lead some guinea pigs to have teeth that are too long or misaligned.
The condition of misaligned teeth is called malocclusion. This condition may also create a problem as it makes the eating difficult or even impossible, causes bleeding and even infections.
Let’s move to the nose area. Pneumonia is known to be the most common death in guinea pigs. It is mostly caused by bacterial infections. Watch out for unusual oozing or discharge from the nose, sneezing, breathing difficulty, fever, weight loss, loss of appetite, dull or sunken eyes, lethargy and depression. They are the common signs of pneumonia in guinea pig.
- Watch out for the Droppings
A guinea pig’s dropping or waste can tell you if it is in a good condition. A lack of frequent urine or stool production can indicate a concern in its health.
On the other hand, excessive urination or diarrhea can also indicate a problem and should be addressed immediately. While cleaning out your guinea pig’s cage, you can get familiar with the typical appearance of the dropping.