Vitamin C assists in wound healing, protects against free radicals, assists in heart health, and helps a guinea pig maintain skin, joints, and mucosal surfaces such as gums. Guinea pigs need at least mg of vitamin C per day. They usually get this through their pellets and the supplemental greens you feed them.
Lethargy, lameness and stiffness, diarrhea, bruising or bleeding, decreased appetite, weight loss, and a change in the texture of hair may be symptoms of a vitamin C deficiency.
More vitamin C is needed to solve this problem, but see your vet first! Your vet may recommend injections, restricted activity, and syringe-feeding. Firstly, if your female guinea pig is pregnant, she may suffer hair loss during the late stages of her pregnancy.
While this may be typical, do talk with your vet about this, as nutritional supplementation may help.
Some hair loss is normal as the new, adult hair pattern begins to grow in and often coincides with weaning. Thirdly, guinea pigs can suffer from ectoparasites called mites that can cause hair loss. These can either pose no problem at all for your guinea pig, or they can be extremely irritating.
Symptoms of mites also include itchy and dry skin. Your vet will be able to prescribe a suitable mite medicine. Check out our article on Guinea pig mites for more information. This is sometimes called barbering. If the hair around the neck and head are intact, you can assume that the guinea pig may have bitten his own hair.
If not, a companion is to blame. Talk to your vet for advice. Guinea pigs are very prone to kidney and bladder stones. This situation can be life-threatening if the stones block the ureter, where urine passes through. Symptoms of this condition include blood in the urine, straining to urinate, and being unable to urinate.
Spaying your female guinea pig is definitely recommended. Besides preventing babies, females often develop uterine and ovarian issues , including various cancers, and having your female spayed can prevent these issues.
Sometimes the uterus and ovaries can be removed even after the problem has been discovered but other times cancer has already spread to other parts of the body, rendering it untreatable. A complete ovariohysterectomy can be performed by your exotics vet on your guinea pig to prevent uterine and ovarian diseases, just as it would in a dog or cat. This can be done after the guinea pig is 6 months old. While some guinea pig owners are not able to justify the cost of the procedure, others see the great benefit to having their guinea pigs longer and not having to pay for emergency treatment when they notice their pig is sick.
Guinea pigs are sensitive to cold air drafts and can easily develop an upper respiratory infection—or worse, pneumonia. Take notice of your guinea pig's cage location and be sure to keep them away from drafts, open doors, and open windows.
This simple act will help decrease the likelihood of them getting a respiratory infection. Wash your hands after handling other animals, including guinea pigs at pet stores, your dog or cat if they are coughing or sneezing, and even your rabbit.
If you or your family are feeling ill, it's best to keep your germs to yourself. More commonly referred to as bladder stones , uroliths often form in the bladder of pet guinea pigs. If you notice infrequent urination or bloody urine, call your veterinarian right away and they will do some tests to determine the cause.
Bladder stones are often found on radiographs being taken for a diagnosis of ileus and must be surgically removed. Guinea pig ailments can be hard to diagnose. The best way to keep your guinea pig healthy is to keep a close watch on your pet. Make sure it is eating and defecating, wash your hands before and after handling, freeze your pet's bedding and food before use, and keep it away from drafts.
These actions will help you prevent the bulk of the most commonly seen diseases, though there are of course numerous other diseases that affect guinea pigs. Signs of respiratory illness in guinea pigs include sneezing, wheezing, and rapid, shallow, or raspy breathing. Parasite infestations. External parasites like fleas and mites can cause itchiness, hair loss, and other issues in guinea pigs. Fortunately, these issues are fairly easy to treat.
Urinary tract issues. Bladder stones, inflammation, and urinary tract infections are fairly common in guinea pigs and are usually related to poor diet and hygiene. It may also be caused by a diet too high in calcium. Ovarian diseases. Female guinea pigs can develop uterine and ovarian diseases including various forms of cancer. Spaying female guinea pigs is the best prevention. They can occur on the skin, muscles, teeth, bones, and even internal organs.
Frequently Asked Questions How long do guinea pigs live? Do guinea pigs need supplements? Treatment may be aggressive and costly and include hospitalisation and medications. Illness can be avoided by feeding appropriate diets which include commercial guinea pig pellets these are supplemented with vitamin C and varied fruits and vegetables.
It is important to store your guinea pig food correctly and replace it regularly ideally monthly as vitamin content drops after production and even faster once opened. You should aim to buy smaller bags regularly rather than one that will last months. Respiratory infections are fairly common in guinea pigs. Most are caused by bacteria which are commonly found in normal, healthy guinea pigs. Young guinea pigs and old guinea pigs are also more at risk. Making sure housing is dry, clean, and not too dusty can reduce the risk of pneumonia in guinea pigs.
The signs of pneumonia in guinea pigs include discharge from the eyes or nostrils, reduced appetite, trouble breathing, sneezing, and acting quieter than normal.
Medications to treat the condition will be prescribed and in some severe cases hospitalisation may be needed for oxygen therapy. In cases where pneumonia develops, treatment may not always be successful.
Ovarian cysts form within the ovaries of female guinea pigs and cause increased levels of hormones.
0コメント