Guinea pigs make wonderful pets. Unlike other rodents they make quite a lot of noise and may chatter to you once they get to know you. Guinea pigs are social animals and are best kept in same sex pairs or small groups. Once tamed guinea pigs can form close bonds with their owners, but how do you know when your pet is unwell?
As guinea pigs are a prey species signs of ill health might be subtle at first.
In the early stages of an illness a guinea pig might hide that they are unwell. Getting to know what is normal for your guinea pig is vital for spotting any signs of a problem. Daily handling will give you the chance not only to check over the guinea pig but also to bond with it.
Signs that you might spot which could indicate a guinea pig is unwell include:
- Reduced appetite
- Drooling
- Discharge from the eyes or nose
- Change in activity level or lethargy
- Diarrhoea
- Blood in the urine
- Scratching or hair loss
- Changes to breathing
- Lumps or bumps
How hungry are they?
One of the first changes you might notice if your guinea pig is unwell is a reduced appetite. Keep an eye on the amounts of food being eaten. It might be a subtle change and can indicate a range of problems. Anything from an infection to dental problems could impact the guinea pig’s appetite. It is important that the guinea pig’s diet is predominately quality hay based, with a specific guinea pig pellet offered as well as fresh vegetables daily. Vegetables high in vitamin C such as kale and spinach are important as guinea pigs cannot make this vitamin and must get it entirely from their diet. A lack of vitamin C can result in scurvy with signs such as joint pain or lethargy being seen.
Are they eating their fibre?
Hay provides vital dietary fibre for the guinea pig, chewing it is also vital to ensure dental wear. Guinea pigs have open rooted teeth, meaning they continuously grow. If the cheek teeth are not worn down it may lead to sharp spurs which make eating painful. You may suspect a dental problem if the guinea pig has a reduced appetite or appears to be drooling.
Lazy or lethargic?
Taking note of your guinea pigs activity level is also important when checking for signs of ill health. Reduced activity or lethargy might indicate a problem. Although guinea pigs will spend time resting in hides in their home, they should have access to an exercise area daily, and often they have short bursts of activity. Exercise can be encouraged, and movement monitored by putting food in different areas of the guinea pig’s enclosure.
Toilet checks
It is important to keep the guinea pigs cage hygienic and clean, when doing so you can check that faeces are normal and there is no diarrhoea or abnormal urine. Guinea pigs are caecotrophic, meaning they consume some of their own faeces in order to gain nutrients which couldn’t be absorbed the first time around. Caecotrophs are softer than normal faeces, but not liquid as in the case of diarrhoea. You may never see the caecotrophs as they are often consumed as soon as they are passed. Urinary tract infections or problems are relatively common in guinea pigs, the first sign of a problem can be blood in the urine or difficulty passing urine. If you believe your guinea pig is having difficulty urinating contact your vet urgently.
Watch out for parasites!
Guinea pigs like other animals can pick up parasites, these can be internal in the case of worms or external in the skin or coat such as mites and lice. The first sign of external parasites might be an itching or patches of hair loss, or what looks like scale or dandruff in the coat. When treating a parasitic infection all guinea pigs in the group will need to be treated at the same time. The enclosure will also need thorough cleaning to help eliminate the problem.
Difficulty breathing
Changes to the guinea pigs breathing may occur when ill and can be noticed during handling. The respiration rate might be increased or breathing noisy, this might be due to an infection or other problem. If the guinea pig is having difficulty breathing contact your veterinary practice straight away.
Lumps and Bumps
Occasionally lumps or swellings might be found when handling your pet. It is always a worry when discovering a lump, however causes can range from infections (such as abscesses) to growths (such as tumours). Lumps are often very treatable and can be investigated by your vet.
Sorely eyes
Eye infections are also reasonably common and often occur due to trauma from hay or straw. The guinea pig might have the eye partially closed, or you might spot some discharge or crusting around the eye. Straw should be avoided as a bedding material for guinea pigs as it has virtually no nutritional value if consumed and does often lead to trauma of the eyes when the guinea pig rummages through it.
Stay friends!
In all cases daily handling and observation of your guinea pig will help you to establish what is normal and spot the early signs of a problem. If you notice any of these symptoms or are concerned there could be something wrong, it is important to contact your veterinary practice to arrange a check-up for your guinea pig.
Discussion
My Guinea pig crouton had to be put down today around 3 months ago we found out she had really severe heart deasise last week she started acting lethargic,breathing really hard,was drooling,had stuff coming out of her eyes,had a giant bump behind her ear the size of a quarter,and stopped eating and I only had her 11 months
My guniea pig Gus(male) he is 3 years old, a very happy piggy and suddenly stopped eating and drinking, his eyes discharge, his poop is very smelly, i looked for vets, none are taking in new patients until after the new year. This is the second day and seems to be getting worse by each passing day. I also tried giving him smashed up pellets with water, putting it in a small syringe to gently putting it in his mouth, at times he would eat it. Any tips?
Any change in faecal consistency or quality in a guinea pig is potentially life threatening – I don’t know what the rules are where you are, but here, a vet is not permitted to refuse to provide emergency first aid, which it does sound like this pig needed – hope you manage to find someomne who can see him! In the meantime, I recommend a specific small mammal rescue diet that can be syringe fed. Good luck!
My Guinea (Dutchess) is a 5 yr old female, I took her to the vet because I saw red stains in her bedding. The dr said everthing looked fine, Said she was a little underweight. She eats fine (hay, pellets, dandelion, apple , blueberries, bell pepper, cucumber, occasional tangerine) She has always been by herself (no other piggys) She is out of her cage most of the day laying around on the sofa. Her stool is sometimes soft and moist other days shriveled and dry.
I don’t like that variation in faeces – I’d be suspicious of a diet, intestine, or dental issue. Did the vet check her teeth over carefully? Because that’s commonly an issue in older guinea pigs; moreover, that degree of lethargy really isn’t normal: she really does need another guinea pig as a friend, and that stress might be part of the issue here, if the vet couldn’t find anything wrong.
My 4 year old guinea pig is eating some treats and i gave her some apple which she took gently but she’s not eating her morning pellets which is unusual as she is normally all for them and she was less active than usual just trudging around, her fur was also puffed up behind her head, please any tips.
Hmmm, guinea pigs tend to look 100% fine until they’re really quite poorly, and if there is any change in eating habits, that’s a red flag. Not only does it suggest a more serious issue, but it can itself be fatal as they are prone to gut stasis. I would therefore definitely recommend a vet check – with luck, it’s something straightforward like a dental issue that can be easily sorted, but I do think that’s the best way forward from what you’ve said.
my guinea pig has none of these sympotoms thank goodness
My son’s guinea pig named Harley has suddenly stopped eating and looks like he is drooling . He did eat a bit of hay tonight but he’s very inactive as well. He is only 3 years old. We r very worried about him. Any suggestions?
Vet, ASAP: anything that stops a guinea pig eating can be rapidly fatal to them. The most likely explanation is some sort of dental issue, but the secondary effects are often very serious.
Our Guinea pig Gus is 4-5 years old and has suddenly started being very picky with what he eats. He still eats his food and hay, but won’t eat vegetables anymore.
He has also become lethargic, sitting in the same spot in his cage, which is unusual for him. On top of that, he has started pooping softer rather than hard pellets.
He just doesn’t seem himself. Any thoughts?
It sounds potentially serious – most likely it’s a dental issue, but definitely time for a vet check, as guinea pigs can go downhill really quickly!
My skinny pig has suddenly lost weight over the last 2 weeks, is eating and drinking normally and I have a vet appointment in 2 days but I’m worried
Weight loss in larger rodents, like guinea/skinny pigs, is most commonly due to dental disease – you’ve got a vet appointment which is great, so make sure s/he keeps eating and hopefully they’ll get to the bottom of it!
My guinie pig I got yesterday is just suddenly very drowsy and sounds like she kinda has the hiccups should I be concerned? Please awnser as soon as possible
I don’t like the sound of that – drowsiness plus almost any other symptom is a worry in a rodent. Personally, I’d be thinking about a vet check unless she improves rapidly and completely!
WHEN CAN I TAKE MY PET OUTSIDE?
Pet Guinea Pigs shouldn’t really be allowed outside except into a secure run or garden, as they are easy picking for any passing foxes or even sometimes cats. If they’re old enough to be separated from mum, they can go outside – but make sure you’ve plugged any gaps in their fences!