Long-haired breeds have fur which easily becomes matted. The vitamin C in the food will degrade three months.
Introduce new foods to your guinea pigs slowly over a week any sudden changes to.
How long can a guinea pig go without drinking. How long can guinea pigs go without water. You should never leave your guinea pig without water as they need fluids in their body to keep them healthy and hydrated. Even if it doesnt seem like they drink much or if you think theyre getting all the fluids they need from their vegetables it is still important to give it to them.
If you do decide to have your guinea pig spayed or neutered seek out a veterinarian who has successfully done a large number of these surgeries. After the surgery keep your pet quiet and separated from other guinea pigs while recovering. A small clean cage with towels for bedding works well.
The towels should be changed at least twice a day. Check to see that the guinea pig is eating and drinking. Before owning guinea pigs investigate breedinghow theyve been cared forfed.
See if theyve hadprone to healthbehaviour problems. Some breeds have exaggerated physical features which can cause suffering and reduce their quality of life eg. Long-haired breeds have fur which easily becomes matted.
Ask a vet if unsure. The good news is that the disease can be temporary and insulin therapy is usually not necessary. A low-fat high-fiber diet is most important in treatingand preventingdiabetes.
Until your guinea pig is seen by a veterinarian pay close attention to what he is eating. Guinea pigs should always have access to high-quality grass hay such as timothy and water. Alfalfa hay and pellets shouldnt be fed to adult guinea pigs.
If youve never lived with a guinea pig test the waters by visiting a household that has one or spend time handling adoptable guinea pigs at your local humane society or rescue group foster homeyou might meet your new best friend in the process. More About Allergies to Pets. Guinea pigs live an average of five to seven years.
This lifespan is longer than many other small pets such as. People who want to protect themselves should get their guinea pigs treated by a vet if their pet appears ill especially if it is suffering from pink eye or respiratory illness Gordon said. Treatment includes giving your pet guinea pig daily vitamin C supplements for 1-2 weeks either by mouth as directed by your veterinarian or by injection at your veterinarians office.
Dracunculiasis also known as Guinea worm disease GWD is an infection caused by the parasite Dracunculus medinensis. A parasite is an organism that feeds off another organism to survive. GWD is spread by drinking water containing Guinea worm larvae.
Larvae are immature forms of the worm. GWD affects poor communities in remote parts of Africa that do not have safe water to drink. To make your guinea pig happy without a second guinea pig give it extra attention by playing with it for at least 2 hours every day.
You should also make sure it has plenty of fun things to do in its cage like balls it can roll around structures it can climb through and things for it to chew on. Taking your guinea pig outside with you and letting it run around a fenced yard is also a great way to keep it. Tippling animals arent unheard of one infamous Swedish elk got stuck in a tree after eating too many fermented apples an Australian wild boar was seen fighting a cow after drinking three six-packs and Pinky the beer-drinking pig is the main draw at a bar in Tasmania but Cate Dewey a pig expert and associate professor at the University of Guelphs veterinary college says this is the first and only time she has heard of a large group of pigs getting drunk.
Although ketosis occurs most often in pregnant guinea pigs it can also happen in obese guinea pigs male or female. A guinea pig may die suddenly of ketosis without ever demonstrating signs of illness. In other cases a sick guinea pig has worsening signs that can include loss of energy lack of appetite lack of desire to drink muscle spasms lack of coordination or clumsiness coma and death within 5 days.
Guinea pigs that are frightenedin pain may change their behaviourdevelop unwanted habits eg. Signs a guinea pig may be suffering from stressfear can include hiding most of the time chewing cage bars over-grooming altered feeding or toileting habits over-drinking or playing with the water bottle sitting hunched reluctance to move and repeated circling of their. Get to know your guinea pigs behaviour.
If they are behaving abnormally this may be a sign that something is wrong. If your guinea pig is displaying any of these signs please contact your veterinarian promptly. Guinea pigs should also have regular veterinary check-ups.
This can help to pick up problems such as overgrown teeth or parasites before these become a major health problem for your. Guinea pig health problems. Guinea pigs can get a lot of different health problems just like people and other pets.
If you see any symptoms of illness or youre worried about one of your guinea pigs its important to contact your vet for advice. Skin problems can be caused by a number of different things for example mites infections ringworm stress or over-grooming. Better source needed medical citation needed Allergy shots can successfully treat an allergy to guinea pigs although treatment can take up to 18 months.
A teacup sized amount of fresh greens per day. Fresh greens are a great source of vitamin C which is important for your pigs. Try to give your guinea pigs a different mix of fresh veg each day.
Introduce new foods to your guinea pigs slowly over a week any sudden changes to. Guinea pigs can tolerate up to 10 mgkg every 12 hours for those hard-to-treat infections. The doxycycline dose that works best for guinea pigs is the same thats often used for rats 5 mgkg twice daily.
This concentration is higher than whats usually given to. Young growing guinea pigs can have unlimited access to pelleted guinea pig food. Pellets need to be fresh warns Dr.
The vitamin C in the food will degrade three months. A guinea pig may have partial loss of appetite inappetence or refuse to eat altogether anorexia. And while anorexia is mostly due to various forms of infections inappetence is a common manifestation of several diseases and disorders including lack of fresh water an inability to chew properly or exposure to extreme temperatures.
Dietary changes and environmental changes may.