(Causes & Remedies), Why Is My Guinea Pig Not Moving? The life span of guinea pigs generally lies between 5-8 years. Animals with severe pododermatitis may require amputation of the affected area to avoid more serious complications. Get practical pet health tips, articles, and insights from our veterinary community delivered weekly to your inbox. Limping. Approximately every five minutes, a new pup will be born. Though, if your guinea pigs have health issues and sickness accompanied by the below-mentioned signs, then that means their life will come to an end soon. The minimum floor space advised is simply too small for your pets, as far as we're concerned. How to prevent it: When stroking your guinea pig, try stopping at the middle of their back or just pet them behind their ears instead. Earlier today we found two round bloody balls with her in her hiding tube. The recommended treatment is surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus (spaying). Though there may not be significant differences among different breeds, each guinea pig is unique so its a good idea to spend plenty of time with your cavy to get used to your guinea pigs behavior. Several underlying problems can lead to hair loss, including infestations of fur mites or lice, ringworm, or fighting between incompatible animals. He will display hostile behavior such as fidgeting, head-tossing, or teeth-baring. Ketosis may cause fetal guinea pigs to die in the uterus. Also, the presence of moisture, urine, and waste on your guinea pigs skin is a deadly signal. Hair loss in guinea pigs has a number of possible causes. about 24-48 hours before birth the pelvic bones will separate to about 3.5 cm. Once youve learned to understand their warning signs, youll most likely see a more relaxed guinea pig that loves cuddle times even more than usual. Treatment consists of housing the guinea pig in a smooth-floored cage with soft bedding, improving sanitation, and administering medical treatment depending on the severity of the condition. Haha yeah, my boyfriend is brave, although he says he'll have guinea pig nightmares for a while! Though guinea pigs who suffer from sickness are likely to show less interest in cleaning themselves. This can increase the risk of stillbirth, miscarriage, or birth defects, depending on when the infection was contracted during pregnancy. Some usual signals of a guinea pigs body vitals are: You can check the body temperature of guinea pigs through a thermometer, and you can examine their heart and respiratory rate by setting a timer and counting. Guinea pigs affected by these illnesses may die suddenly without seeming sick. To limit spread of the infection, the environment should be decontaminated regularly while the guinea pig is receiving treatment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); wereallaboutpets.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 2x5 C&C = 12ft2. The infected lymph nodes may become swollen and filled with pus (abscesses), sometimes only on one side. JavaScript is disabled. Guinea Pig Behavior Myths It seems to me that she miscarried an early pregnancy. Although weve had guinea pigs for decades altogether, were still learning and so are professionals that are studying these furry potatoes for a living. Here at Kavee though, we believe this guidance urgently needs updating. Most frequently these are found in the bladder but can also form in the kidneys. 5. All guinea pigs that are infected with these bacteria or that have lived in close quarters with an infected guinea pig must be euthanized, and the living quarters must be thoroughly sanitized and disinfected. No, pregnancy doesn't make the abdomen particularly tender, especially if there aren't a lot of pups inside. Although we know that a guinea pig's pregnancy will last about two months, it is impossible to know the exact day of delivery. Charlotte is doing fine right now! Young guinea pigs that are weaning from their mothers may have hair thinning as their coat changes to coarser adult fur. Animals cant tell you when theyre feeling sick and, even if they could, they probably wouldnt. Covering guinea pigs in a soft blanket and feeding water in small quantities with the help of a syringe to your guinea pigs is what you may do, but do not force them to drink when they deny. One of the surest ways to tell if your guinea pig likes you is to try to feed her by hand. Pregnancy takes an average of 70 days for the birth of one guinea pig and 67 days for the conception of six guinea pigs. Increasing roughage (fiber in the diet) and decreasing grains and sugars may help treat diarrhea. The male and female guinea pigs go by different names. The life span of guinea pigs generally lies between 5-8 years. They're Chatterboxes. Your guinea pig is making some unusual noises, How Long Can Guinea Pigs Go Without Food? However, treatment speeds healing and reduces the chance the infection will spread to others. Its not exhaustive but it does list the vets and practices where members have noted they have been cavy savvy. Keep your guinea pigs under the observation of how often they pee, poop, and the texture of the waste they discharge. Pigs infected with serovars Pomona and Bratislava can become chronic renal carriers. Guinea pigs make wonderful pets for many reasons. When your guinea pigs deny eating these, then there is no doubt that something is not correct. Near the top of the list, however, is the fact that they are fairly low-maintenance pets and generally not expensive to keep. I believe its been confirmed by a vet that she isn't pregnant. If your guinea pig is just carefully nibbling at your finger or clothes, its probably just checking to see if its food. She doesn't appear to be bleeding anymore. I've been feeding her with a syringe mushy pellets however the link you sent me doesn't talk about mushing any type of fruit or veggie. Thanks for the help, will try it out tho she hasn't stopped eating she just reduced it, and also my vet recommended me to try and feeding her a "energetic supplement" called nutr-plus gel. Mummification, maceration, stillbirths, and weak pigs are also seen. Animals that will not eat may require a stomach tube. My two boys were in tears, worried for their new piggy. Severe infestation by mites may cause hair loss or itching. In addition, guinea pigs with pneumonia may have conjunctivitis (pink eye), fever, weight loss, depression, or loss of appetite. The affected guinea pig may die suddenly of ketosis without ever demonstrating signs of illness. A type of adenovirus is specific to guinea pigs. Carriers can suddenly become sick as a result of stress or anesthesia. Your veterinarian can diagnose this condition by examining your guinea pig and possibly performing laboratory tests. Antibiotics should only be used when absolutely necessary because their use can worsen the imbalance of bacteria in the digestive tract. The heart works hard 24/7 to pump blood through the kidneys. These toxic effects may occur directly as a result of the medication or because the antibiotic causes an imbalance in the bacteria that usually live in your pets intestines. Copyright 2000 - 2023, Guinea Pig Cages. Your veterinarian can diagnose pneumonia from an examination or from tests of discharge from the eyes or nose. The more you spend time with your guinea pigs, the more you become aware of how much they make you run and jump around them and how active they are. All of these infectious agents can cause illness without leading to pneumonia (see below). Each were a little bigger than a marble. Eyelid agenesis, a congenital disease more commonly seen in cats, occurs when the animal is essentially missing its eyelid, often resulting in damage to the cornea . If the teeth or jaws do not meet properly, the teeth may become overgrown, making it difficult for the animal to chew. You are using an out of date browser. It does not produce disease in the natural host. Infection can also cause inflammation of the middle ear, which can lead to a head tilt. Treatment consists of several weeks of oral antifungal medication and sometimes also antifungal shampoos or rinses. How to prevent it: Its not always easy to understand why guinea pigs are chattering their teeth, but if youre holding it, try putting it back into its cage. All guinea pigs require a sufficient amount of food like hay, fresh veggies, and fruits. Sorry for your loss of the pups. Charlotte is fine, and the vet didn't feel anymore babies inside her, so that's good. Your veterinarian can diagnose ringworm by culturing hair samples for fungal growth or (in some cases) by shining an ultraviolet light on affected skin. (Causes, Signs & Remedy), Why Is My Guinea Pig Coughing? One guinea pig can infect another by direct contact or by sneezing or coughing. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Can Guinea Pigs Have Straw in Their Cage? Flinching 2. How to prevent it: The easiest way to keep your guinea pig from biting you, is to take note of what situations that cause it to bite. Overgrown teeth and jaws that do not close properly should be corrected. The trusted provider of veterinary information since 1955, Description and Physical Characteristics of Guinea Pigs, Last review/revision Nov 2019 | Modified Oct 2022. From the very beginning, you have cared for your guinea pigs by looking after them, and you understand their usual behavior well. Signs of respiratory illness in guinea pigs include sneezing, wheezing, and rapid, shallow, or raspy breathing. The cause of this condition is uncertain but is probably related to diets that contain too much calcium, phosphorus, or vitamin D and not enough magnesium. A way to know that if this laziness is considerable or not is that you can take your guinea pigs to a noise-free, pleasing environment, and if they seem more lively there, all this laziness occurred due to stress in them. Your email address will not be published. The genital form of the infection can also be transmitted by sexual contact. Discharge from the eyes or nose. Please confirm that you are a health care professional. Guinea pigs that are 1 to 3 years of age typically have better muscle tone than those that are 4 or 5 years old. Guinea pigs can live up to 14 years in human care but live an average of 8 years. Use to remove results with certain terms (Hay, Veggies, Pellets), Why Is My Guinea Pig Drinking So Much? Because treating health issues in guinea pigs can be difficult, its important for pet owners to know the basics about common health problems so they can see the signs early. Hope both are okay x. I wouldn't let your two guinea pigs play together even with supervision because it's likely to stress them out. Congratulations to our Photo Competition Winner - @fur&feathers. Signs include hair loss over the abdomen, loss of appetite, and loss of energy. Guinea pigs have many different sounds or vocalizations that owners will eventually acquaint themselves with. Feel anymore babies inside her, so that 's good is making some noises. 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