Guinea pigs love to talk, and any pawrent will be familiar with the persistent wheeking around lunchtime! But our furry chatterboxes are unlikely to let us know when they need something more than their daily meals. So it’s up to us piggy parents to learn how to spot signs of illness and follow proper guinea pig care to prevent them from getting sick.
Here at Kavee, we’re lucky to have a guinea pig expert who can provide us with priceless advice on guinea pig health: Tara from the Kavee Rescue. Founded in 2020, Tara has spent the past years looking after guinea pigs in need alongside her husband Ian. They’ve been helping bring sick guinea pigs back to health, facing difficult situations where the piggy’s health had been neglected for months.
So here’s their pig-expert advice on how to achieve great guinea pig care, from treatment of common health conditions to prevention!
How do you take care of a guinea pig?
When it comes to guinea pig health, prevention is key. So besides looking out for symptoms of common health issues, there are a few things you should learn how to do to keep your piggies’ health in check.
First of all, get yourself a guinea pig medical kit, great for everyday care and emergencies. Then, watch the following video by Tara to learn how to clean your guinea pig’s ears, how to remove hay from their paws, how to weigh a guinea pig, and how to syringe feed your piggy.
How do you clear a guinea pig impaction?
As you may already know, guinea pigs poop up to 100 times a day. Since this plays such a big part in their lives, you can imagine the problems that come when a guinea pig is constipated. Guinea pig impaction happens when a blockage somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract stops your piggy from pooping.
What can make a guinea pig impacted can be as simple as a piece of plastic getting stuck in their tummy, to a more serious problem like a tumour. But it’s important to know that guinea pig impaction is quite common in older male guinea pigs, as their muscles weaken and make pooping more difficult.
We recommend piggy parents of old boars learn how to clear a guinea pig impaction. Watch the following video by Tara to find out how, and check out this blog to learn more about impaction in guinea pigs.
How do you clean guinea pigs’ grease glands?
One of the less talked about tasks that come with guinea pig parenthood, is the cleaning of a guinea pigs’ grease glands. Piggies use grease glands to mark with their scent, producing an oily substance that eventually dries up on their fur and skin.
As you can imagine, this can leave your piggy in discomfort if not cleaned properly, and potentially lead to infections. But do all piggies require grease gland cleaning? No, some guinea pigs have more active grease glands than others, especially boars. But since it’s all related to hormone production, sows can also have similarly active glands!
The frequency of cleaning will vary depending on activity, but here’s a video from Tara on how to clean a guinea pigs’ grease glands.
What do you do when a guinea pig has an extra toe?
Guinea pigs are born with four toes at their front paws and three toes at their back. However, some piggies are different and may be born with an extra toe, a condition called 'polydactyly'. While this is quite rare, it’s not necessarily something to worry about!
The extra toe won’t always impact a guinea pig’s quality of life. But in some cases, it could cause discomfort and impair the way they walk. Like with most things guinea pig health-related, talk to your vet if you spot anything unusual. If the extra toe is causing them problems, the vet might consider amputation.
Here’s a video by Tara on more information about guinea pigs born with an extra toe.
How do you treat bumblefoot in guinea pigs?
Bumblefoot is a common infection that happens to guinea pigs’ paws. It can be caused by uncomfortable flooring (like wire grids) or laying on wet & dirty bedding. So the best way to prevent bumblefoot in guinea pigs is to cover their cage’s floor with a soft and clean fleece liner!
However, even with the best intentions, guinea pigs may still end up developing this infection. Here’s a video of Tara explaining the best way to treat bumblefoot in guinea pigs.
How do you treat conjunctivitis in guinea pigs?
Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is a common eye condition in guinea pigs. This is often caused by an infection, hay in the eyes, or a lack of Vitamin C. The latter is one of the most common causes, as guinea pigs don’t produce Vitamin C and if their diet lacks this nutrient, it can lead to health issues like scurvy and, in this case, pink eye.
These are the symptoms of pink eye in guinea pigs that you should be looking out for: reddening, white discharge, difficulty keeping the eyes open, and swelling. Our pig-expert Tara is here to show you how to treat conjunctivitis in guinea pigs (but if symptoms persist, please contact your cavy-savvy vet for help).
How do you get rid of guinea pig lice?
Unfortunately, it’s quite common for guinea pigs to get lice. These small insects can be passed on to your piggies when they come into contact with furry friends or objects that are infested. Two types of lice could affect your guinea pigs: running lice or static lice (also known as ‘mites’). Running lice, as the name suggests, move about your piggy’s fur while mites bury into the skin.
The common symptoms of lice in guinea pigs are itching, restlessness, and inflammation of the skin. But, similarly to how you would check for lice in hoomans, you can have a look at their fur to spot any of these small parasites. Unless they’re static lice, as mites bury into a guinea pig’s skin and appear more like brown dusting or dandruff on the fur.
Once you have confirmed that your poor piggy has caught lice, you can follow Tara’s suggestion to treat this infestation.
Conclusion
When you’re a piggy parent, there are quite a few common health issues you need to become familiar with to help your furry friend stay healthy. While this might not be easy, we’re lucky to have access to a world of resources to help us care for guinea pigs.
Especially when there are experts like Tara who provide us with great video guides on how to tackle such important tasks. If you’d like to thank her, consider donating to the Kavee Rescue - every little helps in supporting the lives of the many piggies in need currently under the Rescue’s care. You can also donate whenever you order piggy products from our site by simply selecting your chosen donation amount at checkout!
