Hey guys! Today’s article covers the six most common guinea pig illnesses and how to avoid them. As guinea pigs are prey animals, they tend to hide their illnesses. The reason for this is that they need the protection of the herd, and a sick guinea pig is often left behind. So, they try to pretend that everything is fine until the illness has progressed significantly, and sometimes, unfortunately, it’s simply too late. It’s important to be aware of the most common illnesses in order to take your guinea pig to the vet as soon as possible, preferably before they show the worst symptoms, which include not eating at all, isolating themselves, and not moving.
Let’s get into the article.
1. Teeth Problems
Like most rodents, a guinea pig’s teeth grow continually and are worn down by the amount of hay they eat. They consume 60 to 80 portions of food a day, so they really need their teeth. Teeth problems, including an abscess on the outside of their jaw, are among the most common illnesses. You can spot teeth problems early if you watch your guinea pigs closely when you feed them. As soon as one of them has trouble chewing, is constantly tilting their head while chewing, has veggies falling out of their mouth, or spits out most of the food, check in with the vet. The only way to prevent teeth problems is to feed good quality hay and provide unlimited access to it. Many teeth problems are genetic or simply accidental, so they’re not always preventable, but if you spot them early, they can be curable.
An example of an accident would be something relatively harmless, like one of the front teeth breaking off. You can cut your guinea pig’s veggies into little strips, and they can eat just fine. An accident with a more complicated outcome happened to my guinea pig, he bit his cheek, which caused inflammation and a lot of pain, leading him to stop eating. Similar to humans, once you bite your cheek, you tend to keep biting it because it’s swollen. Little One stopped eating, and we had to get his teeth shortened every six to eight weeks to prevent them from growing too long. Although he was technically able to eat, the pain required us to give him antibiotics and pain medication. He underwent surgery every six to eight weeks, and it took about six to eight months for it to fully heal. During that time, we had to use syringe to feed him every two hours, even at night. This is an example of an accident that had long-lasting consequences, but fortunately, Little One was completely fine afterward, although it was a lot of stress for everyone involved.
2. Mites or a Fungal Infection
Mites are always found on a guinea pig’s body. This doesn’t mean that a guinea pig will get sick, though. A compromised immune system, or poor cage hygiene can cause your guinea pig to become ill. Stress can arise from fighting within the group, introducing a new guinea pig, being taken out of the cage frequently without feeling comfortable, or receiving weekly baths. A fungal infection is relatively easy to spot. Your guinea pig may scratch or bite itself, and there will be at least one spot where fur is missing, along with visible scratches on the skin. A fungal infection can be annoying to treat, and your poor guinea pig may look a bit disheveled for the coming weeks unless you’re Frida, who looks like a rock star. However, it’s very treatable. The vet will provide you with medicine to apply to the itchy spot, and you need to constantly clean the cage to eliminate the bacteria. You should also wash your hands after touching your guinea pigs, as a fungal infection can spread to humans. The same symptoms could also indicate mites, so it’s essential to see a vet to determine what exactly is affecting your guinea pig.
3. Bloat
Bloat is one of the sneakiest and deadliest illnesses. It can develop quickly, and within hours, it may already be too late. Signs include a guinea pig appearing slower than usual, showing less interest in food, and sleeping more—very nonspecific symptoms. Next, you may notice a hurt and swollen stomach. This is soon followed by not moving, isolating themselves, and completely refusing to eat anything, including syringe-fed food. Nothing good follows after that. To prevent bloat, avoid feeding large amounts of new food, introduce new foods slowly, go easy on watery veggies, do not feed poisonous vegetables, keep your guinea pig from eating plastic, and be cautious with cabbage. However, bloat can also occur after surgeries, after giving antibiotics, and can be caused by other illnesses. Always be alert to changes in your guinea pig’s behavior, and if you suspect bloat, see a vet immediately. While preparing for the vet visit, give your guinea pig an emergency medication called Simethicone, often sold as tummy relief drops for human babies. You can find it in any pharmacy, and it can save your guinea pig’s life on the way to the vet.
4. Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)
An upper respiratory infection requires immediate vet attention, as medication is necessary. Constant sneezing, coughing, or a runny nose can be signs of it. To prevent this, avoid cold drafts near your guinea pig’s cage, minimize stress, always clean their cage to prevent them from sitting on wet bedding or fleas, do not introduce sick guinea pigs into your herd, and always provide a balanced diet. If you’re sick yourself and unsure whether it’s viral or bacterial, be cautious around your guinea pigs. I believe bacterial infections, not viral ones, can be spread from humans to guinea pigs, but if anyone has a degree in biology, feel free to comment on this.
5. Diarrhea
Guinea pigs have very sensitive stomachs, and the best approach is to avoid messing with them. Unfortunately, many factors can disrupt their digestion, from giving antibiotics to introducing new food too quickly or not washing their veggies. The best tip to avoid diarrhea is to always wash veggies, provide probiotics if you give antibiotics, and introduce new veggies slowly. This also applies to grass; introduce it gradually before allowing your guinea pigs to spend hours in your garden if they haven’t had grass during the winter months.
6. Tumors
In most cases, tumors need to be removed, and surgery is required. There is no way to prevent this, and you need to see a vet immediately. Your vet will likely perform an x-ray to check for tumors, but sometimes the true size of the tumor only becomes apparent during surgery.
These were a few common guinea pig illnesses, and I want to stress that I know guinea pig vet visits can be very expensive. You never know what will happen, and sometimes you can’t estimate how much an illness will cost. However, I cannot emphasize enough that you should go to a vet if you suspect something might be wrong with your guinea pig. Paying for vet visits is just part of being a pet owner, whether it’s a guinea pig, hamster, or dog. It’s a reality that pets can get sick, and your guinea pig will need all the help they can get if they are unwell.
I understand that vet visits can be costly, but please remember that your guinea pig depends entirely on you. They cannot make a vet appointment, drive there, or pay the bill on their own. Your guinea pig relies on you for everything in their life, so please accept that responsibility and see a vet. I know most of you do this, but I still receive many messages asking what to do when a guinea pig stops moving or eating. If your guinea pig shows any signs of illness, go to a vet immediately; they are the only ones who can help you and your guinea pig.
To give you a price estimate, I have paid anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 Naira for vet visits. The 30,000 Naira was for a visit that included a clinic stay for my guinea pig, who was at the vet for two consecutive nights, receiving care throughout the night. This amount also included numerous x-rays. It’s challenging to predict how much a vet visit will cost, but if you can save some money each month and set it aside as an emergency fund, it will help if you need to take your guinea pig to the vet.
I hope you found this article informative. see you in my next article!
