Guinea Pig Health: What You Need To Know

Although you may take excellent care of your pet cavies, they will still become ill from time to time. Cavies tend to be fragile creatureswhen they are sick, so it is very important to identify and get treatment for your sick guinea pig as soon as possible. A successful recuperation may well be determined by getting your pet quick treatment. This article is meant as a guinea pig health reference resource, offering you information and facts that will hopefully assist you in recognizing the signs and/or symptoms of an illness or disease that your cavy is suffering from. If you identify signs or symptoms of illness or disease then get your pet to your small pet veterinary hospital at the earliest opportunity for diagnosis and treatment.

Frequently Seen Health Problems in Guinea pigs

Cavies can suffer from many different infections, and by parasites, which often can create problems with their eyes, ears, as well as their gastrointestinal system. You ought to create a everyday routine whereby you give your pet cavy a daily "examination" to check for indications of sickness. This doesn't have to done apart from a regular daily play or cuddle routine; actually it may be a part of the ritual and really just entails careful observation. It is important to remember is that this is something that should be carried out almost every day, for the reason that cavies, after they become ill, can worsen quickly and without quick treatment they might die from their illnesses. Below are a few frequently seen health issues:

• Respiratory Problems: Cavies are very susceptible to respiratory complications. When you hear your cavy sneezing, coughing, or just having difficulty breathing, you need to pay attention to these signs and symptoms as they may be a result of bacterial infection and your pet could develop pneumonia, the most frequent cause of death in guinea pigs.
• Skin and Hair Problems: Watch out for these signs of skin issues: dry itchy skin, loss of hair, and oozing sores. There might be several different causes for these symptoms that may include allergic reactions, skin parasites, anxiety, and disease. Don't attempt to diagnose and treat these on your own, the vet will have to diagnose the exact cause and prescribe a treatment.
• Digestive Problems: Gastrointestinal bacterial infections, not wanting to eat a proper diet, suffering from stress, or living in a dirty cage may all be causes of your cavy having diarrhea. In case your guinea pig has diarrhea, or is constipated, he needs to be treated immediately, or else it can rapidly result in dehydration, and perhaps death.
• Eye Problems: Eye problems usually are caused by injury, infection, or an irritating object in the eye. Check to see if your pet's eyes look dull, have a discharge, or if he or she keeps them closed. If that's the case then you should immediately put him inside a darkened room as the problem might be painful and make their eyes hypersensitive to light.
• Ear Problems: Ear problems may be caused by infection, parasites, or injury. The signs that your cavy might be suffering from ear problems include scratching, shaking their heads, tilting the head to one side, and loss of equilibrium.
• Dental Problems: Your guinea pigs teeth carry on growing throughout their lives. Chewing on rough hay, hard food pellets, and perhaps small branches or sticks will help keep the teeth trimmed. If you see that your guinea pig's teeth don't seem to be growing in correct alignment you'll want to seek out treatment from your vet. If not dealt with this can be very painful leading to your cavy's refusal to eat, and may actually result in starvation and death.
• Heatstroke: Guinea pigs can overheat very easily when exposed to high temperatures. It will rapidly become weak, unresponsive, and eventually comatose. Without prompt treatment it will die.
• Dehydration: This can be a result of your cavy not drinking enough water, lengthy periods of exposure to a hot environment, or from diarrhea caused by illness.

Preventative Care is Best For Guinea Pig Wellness

Good guinea pig health starts by you providing your guinea pig with preventative health care. You can prevent numerous common guinea pig illnesses, which will be a lot less complicated, and much less costly, that the treatment of illnesses. Guinea pigs are hardy little animals and with routine preventative health care they are able to enjoy a long and healthy life.

Here are some basic levels of care which you can provide your guinea pig to keep him healthy:

• If at all possible have two cavies - they really like companionship and it really is best for them
• Supply wholesome, nourishing food, augment with vitamin c, and provide them plenty of clean, fresh water
• Make certain they've got a lot of room in their cage or hutch to run around, play, and get their physical exercise.
• Make certain they have a "hideaway" inside their cage where they can be by themselves when they need to
• Make certain their cage or hutch closes safely and securely, is clean, dry, and away from cold drafts
• Be sure that their cage location is not subject to extreme heat or humidity
• Keep them in a quiet environment, but not isolated away from the family - they like your company
• Provide them with entertaining toys, and especially chew toys, to keep their teeth good and healthy and trimmed
• Cavies are extremely social animals; provide them with lots of your attention.

Summary

Guinea pigs are usually robust little animals. Even though you take excellent care of them they could nonetheless get sick sometimes. A daily routine that includes handling your pet guinea pig so that you can give it an "examination" is a good idea. Don't disregard indications of an illness in your pet - seek veterinary treatment without delay for a better chance of a quick recovery. Your pet guinea pig needs you - take excellent care of him!