Guinea Pig Health
Basic health checks should be done regularly so that you can spot any illness or injury quickly to give a better chance of recovery.
How To Do A Health Check
- Sit down and have your guinea pig on your lap
- Run your fingers through the coat to look for any unusually scruffy areas of skin or bald patches that may indicate a
fungal or parasitic skin condition
- Feel for lumps and bumps under the skin
- Check the teeth. They should not be broken or loose and should impinge evenly
- Check the nose is dry, the eyes are bright and the guinea pig is alert with urgent and vigorous movements
Health Care
Always check your guinea pigs droppings and demenour when you introduce a medicine, new food or new member of the group. If there is a bad reaction or a problem then the cause needs to be removed quickly.
Common medical conditions (Non serious)
- Fatty Eye: Seen in elderly pigs. The muscle of the lower, and sometimes upper, eyelid bulges outwards. No
treatment is necessary.
- Bald Patches Behind The Ears: All pigs have these to some degree although it is more noticeable in abysinnian
breeds
- Heaving Hiccups: Appear to be heaving from down below the diaphragm and they stop abruptly with a little cough.
Guinea pigs cannot vomit and so this is happens when they swallow food the wrong way!
- Anal Impaction: All guinea pigs reingest some of their pellets they excrete in normal digestion. These are the softer
pellets and when the animal gets older they may not be able to pass them properly and they may become impacted
and congeal into a ball. In this case the pellets will need to be expelled daily by the owner. Most common in boars.
- Alopecia: Seen in elderly pigs and pregnant sows and is caused by a hormonal imbalance. There is no treatment for
this however sometimes the hair will return naturally.
- Barbering: When guinea pigs chew their own or each others hair. They do not seem to suffer from hairballs.
- Cataracts: These affect the guinea pigs vision in the same way they do in humans. The cause is unknown and there
is no cure.
Remember, not all vets know about guinea pig care and therefore great care needs to be taken when choosing a suitable vet. The Cambridge Cavy Trust in Cambridge is a good source for health care advise and help on any aspect of piggy care.
How To Do A Health Check
- Sit down and have your guinea pig on your lap
- Run your fingers through the coat to look for any unusually scruffy areas of skin or bald patches that may indicate a
fungal or parasitic skin condition
- Feel for lumps and bumps under the skin
- Check the teeth. They should not be broken or loose and should impinge evenly
- Check the nose is dry, the eyes are bright and the guinea pig is alert with urgent and vigorous movements
Health Care
Always check your guinea pigs droppings and demenour when you introduce a medicine, new food or new member of the group. If there is a bad reaction or a problem then the cause needs to be removed quickly.
Common medical conditions (Non serious)
- Fatty Eye: Seen in elderly pigs. The muscle of the lower, and sometimes upper, eyelid bulges outwards. No
treatment is necessary.
- Bald Patches Behind The Ears: All pigs have these to some degree although it is more noticeable in abysinnian
breeds
- Heaving Hiccups: Appear to be heaving from down below the diaphragm and they stop abruptly with a little cough.
Guinea pigs cannot vomit and so this is happens when they swallow food the wrong way!
- Anal Impaction: All guinea pigs reingest some of their pellets they excrete in normal digestion. These are the softer
pellets and when the animal gets older they may not be able to pass them properly and they may become impacted
and congeal into a ball. In this case the pellets will need to be expelled daily by the owner. Most common in boars.
- Alopecia: Seen in elderly pigs and pregnant sows and is caused by a hormonal imbalance. There is no treatment for
this however sometimes the hair will return naturally.
- Barbering: When guinea pigs chew their own or each others hair. They do not seem to suffer from hairballs.
- Cataracts: These affect the guinea pigs vision in the same way they do in humans. The cause is unknown and there
is no cure.
Remember, not all vets know about guinea pig care and therefore great care needs to be taken when choosing a suitable vet. The Cambridge Cavy Trust in Cambridge is a good source for health care advise and help on any aspect of piggy care.