Introduction
To start off, I would like to dedicate this page to Claire Margerison. Her Guinea Pig Poppy is fighting a nasty infection in her eye, possibly cataracts, where she goes blind in one eye. :( We hope she all does well to fight this problem...
A note from Claire:
Hey Everyone!
Some of you may know that Popcorn had a nasty eye problem yesterday! We went to the vets today and she said that it was either an eye infection from hay, saw dust or another pig or it was cataract! I’m hoping it was the eye infection because it has a chance of healing! We are going tomorrow night and I’ve got some eye drops for her! The future is looking bright!
Claire xxxx
Thanks Claire :) You've been a big help to the forming of this site, being Guinea Pig of The Month, entering every contest we've had so far, and even letting us use one of her Guinea Pig's pic to use for Guinea Pig of The Month when we needed another. :) Thank-you Claire, for being such a big part of this site.
This page is deticated to Poppy and Claire Margerison. Get well soon Poppy!
Update...
After a tough week or two, Poppy improved and recovered almost completlybecause she had people who cared for her, helping her throught it. Now, she's a happy Guinea Pig doing everything she's supposed to =)
So is my Guinea sick?
| Symptoms | Treat At Home | Consult a Vetrinarian If... |
|---|---|---|
| Sits around listlessly, no sqeaky greeting. | Boredom, nedds more affection or companionship. Needs more exercise. | Weight loss, diarrhea, apathy, and loss of appetite. |
| Caked secretion by the lower jaw. | Not enough use of teeth, needs more chewing materials. | Irratation of the skin, hair loss, scabs by or on the mouth, refuses food. |
| Dosn't want to eat. | Wrong kinds or spoiled foods, not enough fresh water, soaked beddding, room is the wrong temperture. | Diarrhea aometimes with blood, hunched-up posture, apathy and dry nasal secretions. |
| Diarrhea | Diet has changed, food or water is to cold, habitat is too humid or cold. | Dosn't want food, sunken eyes, weakness, apathy and emaciation. |
| Constipation or trouble urinating. | Not enough exercise, defective drinkin bottle, sudden change from greens to dry foods. | Fever, dragging hind limbs, spasms and difficulties breathing. |
| Sneezing and coughing. | Drafts, reaction to bedding or cleaning agents, dusty or spoiled hay. | Apathy, lack of breath, nasal backup, weight loss. |
| Watery eyes, red or swollen lids. | Dust or other particles in eye, injury from scratching, irratation from hairs entering the eye. | Sensitive to bright light, conjunctivitis with swelling and reddening, bulging eyes. |
| Accelerated breathing. | Overheating, fear, stress. | Inflating of the cheeks, flank breathing, bluish gums. |
| Lots of scrathing. | Lack of sanitation, bad grooming habits | Skabs, ulcerations, cramping, head tilting. |
| Lameness, unwillingness to move. | Nails to long, wrong bedding. | Dragging hind feet, can't bear weight on back legs, can't balance very well. |
| Minor bleeding. | Superficial skin lesions | Spasms, bite injuries. |
| Areas of hair loss. | Not enough vitatmins, hair biting because of not enough fiber. | Round hairless spots, bilateral symmetrical hair loss. |
Give your Guinea Pigs a Health Check
You have got to give your piggy(s) a health check daily! When doing this, here are the steps you can just memorize! :
~ Hold them. They should feel firm and solid.
~ Check their teeth. They need to be evenly on top of eachother, and overall look like the are correctly in place, and they can eat correctly.
~ Check their ears. Make sure nothing nasty is in there, and that their are no obvious cuts on them.
~ Check their eyes. Check to make sure their eyes aren't crusty, and look clear and bright, not cloudy
~ Check their nose. Again, check to make sure it isn't crusty, and they can breath easily through it, and their is no discharge from it.
~ Check their nails. Make sure they are not overgrown, and walk on them easily with no pain or limping.
~ Check pads under paws. See if they are red or swollen. This could mean they are walking on somthing they shouln't be!
*NOTICE THE BALD SPOT BEDHIND THEIR EARS. THIS IS COMPLETLY NORMAL!*
What do I do?
When you realize something is wrong with your Guinea Pig, I know this sounds a bit odd, but...
~ Go on internet and search the symptoms. That is actually how I figured out what my Guinea Pig, Annie, had.
~ Next, after you find what the problem MAY be, consult a vet.
~ Talk with them over the phone, tell them about the symptoms, and what the probem may be. Take their suggestioins to mind.
~ If it is serious, go to the vet! Sometimes their are life or death situations.
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