guinea pig health

Guinea Pig Health Problems That Are Common

Guinea pigs are extremely fragile animals. They can be prone to illness more than other pets. Some of the most common symptoms your guinea pig can experience, are listed here.

Nose (Sneezing & Discharge)

Guinea pigs can become allergic to there bedding material. Change the bedding material and see if that makes a difference. You can remove him from the area completely, to see how he reacts.

If your guinea has any sort of discharge around the nose or is rubbing his nose, you may need to see a vet.

Coughing Of Any Kind

Constant coughing can be serious in guinea pigs. If your guinea is coughing and you notice he is wheezing also you need to contact your vet. Wheezing is most likely a respiratory infection of some sort and only a Vet can treat properly.

Wheezing of Any Sort or Difficult Breathing

This is often a sign of a respiratory infection. This needs to be treated sooner rather than later. Because of congestion in the lungs, this can easily become pneumonia, which you Vet. Can treat properly. (Do not leave untreated)

Slow Bladder or Milky Urine

Normally, the urine of a guinea pig produces is a slightly milky color. This is completely normal for your guinea. However, if your guinea pig has extremely clear/white urine, or his urine is overly thick here is what to think about. This could mean that he has a higher than normal calcium level in his diet, and you should adjust it.

Scratching

Excessive scratching can be a sign of parasites or possibly a fungal infection.

Brushing through their hair and looking at the skin, is the best way. You can tell if your pet has a parasite like Lice, which are normally a small brown color. If you think your pet has lice, you can get a medicated shampoo from your Vet office. With parasites, you should always take care to clean and disinfect the cage completely.

Red Urine or Dark Color

This is very serious. This indicates some type of blood in the urine and is often an indicator of a bladder infection. Possibly stones.

If your pet has blood in his urine. Do not wait, get to him to the vet as soon as possible.

Extremely Soft Stool or Diarrhea

Sometimes within hours of suffering from diarrhea, (that is excessive) your guinea pig could die. If it persists, this is serious and you should contact your vet.

More than often, you have simply fed your pet too many wet foods or vegetables in his diet. If you think its food related you can increase your guinea pigs intake of hay, which promotes a good digestive balance.

You can go to a pharmacy or health food store for help. Grab some lactobacillus acidophilus in capsule form you don’t need a prescription. Sprinkle some on there food, which will help.

Hair Loss or Bad Patches

There are many different reasons for hair loss on a guinea pig. Some include mites.

If your guinea pig is cut or bitten, the hair will fall out in that area until the skin is completely healed. That is normal. You should not worry.

Ringworm, and also ovarian cysts cause large areas or massive hair loss across the body sometimes. Unless it’s because of a cut or bit, you should call your vet and see how he would like to treat or proceed.

Watery Eyes (running eyes)

Irritants getting into the eye often cause watery eyes. Like excessive dust or something else around him. Allergies can also cause this to happen. You may need to call your vet and ask for directions on how to clean the irritants out of the eyes of your pet.

Sometimes eyesores are caused by cysts on the eyelids. They can irritate the eyes of your pet and these need to be removed by a trained veterinarian. This is can be painful and serious, so please have treated.

Stiff Joints or Slow Movements

Most times, this is caused by scurvy. This can be a sever lack of Vitamin C in your pets diet. This needs to be treated immediately. Schedule an appointment with your Veterinarian to discuss.

Make sure that your guinea pig is getting at least 10 mg of calcium a day!

This is a must.

Staggering or Tilting Head

If your pet is tilting his head to one side, and having issues walking. This is probably a middle-ear infection.

Get him to the veterinarian as soon as you possible. If left untreated this can damage his hearing and more. You need to get this treated properly.

Seizures

There are two different “types” of seizures. If his head is straight up in the air this is a sign. If it is without a tilt at all, then he’s probably got mites. Mites can burrow under the skin and cause problems. Sometimes they affect the nervous system. Get him to your vet for treatment. This is treatable and he’ll be just fine.

If your guinea pig is tilting his head to one side or curling his body during the seizure, this can be a great number of any problems.

Head to the veterinarian as soon as possible. He may have to do some blood tests to see what is going on with your pet.

In Closing: If there is any doubt what is going on with your guinea pig, it is always better to see your Vet or at least call for their opinion.

Author: Lee Martin

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