Medical
Weighing
Guinea pigs are generally very good at hiding their illnesses, therefore weighing them weekly is a must. Guinea pigs should be weighed in either ounces or grams. You should record your guinea pigs weights so you can keep track of them. If your guinea pig is losing 50 grams/2 ounces or more, there may be something wrong and you need to see a vet immediately. Weights can vary widely, but normally males tend to be heavier than females. You can weigh your guinea pig with a kitchen scale like shown on the bottom of the page.
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Veterinarians
Before you even get your guinea pig, you should have a veterinarian chosen. You want to make sure the veterinarian is an exotic vet, which means it treats more than just dogs and cats. Don't just choose a random vet because they are close to you.
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Annual visits to the vet are a great idea, but vet visits can get pricey, so some people prefer to save their money for when there's an emergency and it's absolutely necessary.
Never hesitate to take your guinea pig to the vet. Even if you're not sure something is wrong, it's always a good idea to check with your vet to be sure.
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Medical Kits
Medical kits are an absolute must for any guinea pig owner. However, they should never be a substitute for vet care. These are the things in a basic medical kit:
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Kitchen scale: to measure weight gains and losses
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Heating pad: to keep body temperature warm when the piggy is cold
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Simethicone infant gas relief drops: helps relieve gas buildup and bloating
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Syringes in various sizes: for feeding different medications
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Oxbow Critical Care: syringe feeding formula for when your pig is too sick to eat
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Towels -:to wrap your guinea pig in
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Vet's contact info: for emergencies
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Vitamin C supplement: for when your pig isn't strong enough to eat
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Probiotic : to reinoculate gut bacteria when your pig is on antibiotics
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Gauze: to bandage injuries
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Cotton balls: to apply topical medicines
These are some additional things to have:
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Diarrhea drops: to help stop diarrhea
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Oxbow Support Tablets: help with various things, including joint health, immune system health, and urinary tract health
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Plastic Gloves: to keep your hands protected when handling a sick piggy
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Measuring cups- just in case you need to measure a powder or other medicine.
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Signs of Illness
These are some signs of common illnesses. Click on the illness for more information on guinealynx.info:
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Refusal to eat or drink (anorexia) -- URI, Malocclusion, other
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Weight Loss -- Malocclusion, other
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Labored breathing, wheezing -- URI, Circulatory Problems, other
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Crusty eyes, sneezing -- URI, other
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Rough or puffed-up coat -- URI, other
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Swollen abdomen -- BLOAT, other
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Dull and/or receding eyes -- URI, other
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Lethargy, hunched posture -- URI, other
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Drooling -- Malocclusion, other
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Watery diarrhea -- Diarrhea, other
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Unable to urinate -- Bladder Stones, other
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Blood in urine -- UTI, Bladder Stones, Pyometra, other
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Bleeding from rectal area -- UTI, Bladder Stones, Pyometra, Retained Placenta, other
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Limping, hopping, severe injury -- Injury, Vitamin or Mineral Deficiency, Arthritis, other
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Hair loss, excessive scratching -- Mange Mites, Fungal Infection, other
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Loss of balance -- Ear Infection, Injury, Poisoning, other
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Head tilt -- Ear Infection, wry neck, other
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Delivery problems -- Dystocia, Retained Placenta, other
Health Checks
You should be doing heath checks at least once a week for you guinea pigs in which you should be checking their fur, weighing them, possibly cutting their nails, and checking their eyes, nose, mouth, and ears for fungus and discharge.
