• General Signs of Illness
• Choosing A Veterinarian
• Drugs - Which ones are okay?
• Specific Symptoms
• What To Do When Waiting For A Veterinarian
• A Rural Guide To Emergencies
• National Animal Poison Control Center
• Syringe Feeding

• How many cavies do you see and treat each month?
• What is the extent of your training with treating cavies?
• Who would you recommend for an after hours emergency that couldn't wait?

Any penicillin based drug is toxic to guinea pigs! Amoxicillin (Clavamox) is one that is frequently, and mistakenly prescribed by unknowledgeable veterinarians. Please ensure your guinea pig is not being prescribed any penicillin based drugs.

Baytril should only be used on adult guinea pigs as it may interfere with proper growth. Bactrim (Tribrissen) and Doxycycline (Vibraveterinarian) are safe alternatives for young guinea pigs.

The following list includes some of the drugs toxic to guinea pigs, but not all of them.

• Amoxicillin
• Bacitracin
• Clindamycin
• Cephalexin
• Chlortetracycline
• Erythromycin
• Lincomycin
• Oxytetracycline
• Penicillin
• Streptomycin

Not eating is extremely serious, as your pets' system will shut down with dire consequences. After as little as 16 to 20 hours of anorexia, liver cells begin to break down and from then on, your guinea pig will only get worse. If your guinea pig is not eating, get to a veterinarian immediately.

Crusty eyes, eyes that are almost sealed shut, discharge from the eyes and/or the nose, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, labored breathing or a crackling sound from the lungs can all be symptomatic of an upper respiratory infection (URI). Get to a veterinarian immediately if you see any of these symptoms. Untreated URIs are almost always fatal. Occasionally allergies can produce the same symptoms - but because URIs are so deadly and fast moving, it is imperative that the veterinarian rules out a URI before considering the possibility of an allergy.

Blood in the pee, or squeaking while peeing; a serious and painful condition, a veterinarian should check your pet for a possible urinary tract infection (UTI) or problem with the bladder or kidneys. A sour smell could indicate a cyst, bladder or urinary tract infection, or stones.

Diarrhea especially if accompanied by the pig looking ill and sitting with its coat puffed up; get to a veterinarian. Diarrhea may be caused by a bacterial infection and will result in dehydration. Peter Gurney's page and The Cavy Care Site mention possible causes.

Listlessness, swollen joints, diarrhea, difficulty walking, weight loss, discharge from eyes and nose, and/or dehydration, get to a veterinarian. These are signs of scurvy. See Eva's site.

Blue tinge to the lips and snout (only visible in pink skinned pigs) and labored breathing, get to a veterinarian.These are all signs of heart problems. See Peter Gurneys' site.

Drooling, weight loss, interest in food, but can't or won't seem to eat; get to a veterinarian. The molars could be overgrown, which will result in the guinea pig slowly starving to death if they aren't trimmed. Can be misdiagnosed as vitamin C deficiency (scurvy).

Bloated, (a light tap on the side sounds hollow), guinea pig in discomfort; get to a veterinarian. Could be an intestinal blockage.

Pig holding it's head tilted to one side, difficulty walking; get to a veterinarian. These are symptoms of Torticollis (Wry Neck)-- an inner ear infection. Evas' site has pictures of Torticollis.

Hair loss; scratching; open sores; dry, scaly skin; pain when touched; get to a veterinarian. If it's Sellnick Mange (a parasitic infection) it can even be fatal and usually warrants two ivomectrin treatments 10 days or so apart. May also be fungal. See Eva's site for more information. Don't forget to check Peter Gurney's page, and read this great description of mites and treatment.

Give him as much hay and pellets as he wants, but also his favorite fruit or veggies. If he is not eating by himself, you need to force feed him 3 to 4 times a day. Use wet pellets mixed with baby foods. Feed him with a spoon or syringe. Don't feed your guinea pig any medication that hasn't been cleared by your veterinarian.

The first thing a rural guinea pig owner should do is locate a veterinarian before the pig gets sick. It is better to hunt one out when you aren't in a state of panic. The best choice is an exotics veterinarian. Unfortunately, in some areas that is a physical impossibility. If you can't find an exotics veterinarian - find a veterinarian willing to consult by phone or email with an exotics specialist, or reference the literature. (See books listed at the bottom)

If the nearest veterinarian is a major distance away - make a special introductory trip. This will give the veterinarian a chance to familiarise themselves with your guinea pig and give you a chance to ask questions. For example, your veterinarian can show you how to trim nails and inform you as to what symptoms of infection you should be on the alert for. Explain that you are in a situation where you are unable to get to the veterinarian immediately in the case of an emergency.

Ask if you can set up a charge card account with the clinic to pay for consultations. (It would be unfair to expect the veterinarian to give free consultation and offering to do this will establish your credibility to them) If the veterinarian is inexperienced in guinea pigs, explain to them that by the time guinea pigs show symptoms - they are very sick and a 3 or 4 day delay in treatment may prove fatal.

Ask your veterinarian for a prescription of Baytril, Doxycycline (vibravet - powdered form), a sulfa drug, and bactrim. These are drugs that have a fairly long shelf life if stored properly. (Once you add water to the doxycycline, it is only stable for 14 days). The idea is that if you can't get to the veterinarian for 3 or 4 days, you will have the medications on hand so that in the event of an emergency - you will be able to start treatment under your veterinarian's direction.

Do not treat with these drugs without first discussing treatment with the veterinarian. You will need to consult with your veterinarian for dosage, and you will need to give them a detailed description of symptoms in order to know which medications to use and to ensure you don't overdose your guinea pig.

PLEASE NOTE: Having medications on hand is not meant to replace a visit to your veterinarian. As soon as you are able, you MUST take the guinea pig in. Having these medications on hand is only to prevent losing precious treatment time.

Don't be disappointed if your veterinarian refuses to give you these prescriptions. Most veterinarians will be extremely reluctant to hand out prescriptions to an owner with a healthy animal. This is a reasonable and responsible position to take. If your veterinarian knows you well, however, he or she may feel confident that there is no danger of the medications being abused and provide you with the prescriptions.

Supplies you will need:
Stocking a Cavy Medicine Cabinet.

Additional supplies:

• Hot water bottle to keep the guinea pig warm (wrap in towel).
• Kitchen scales to weigh the guinea pig for dosages.
• A collection of 1cc and 3cc syringes(needle less).
• A probiotic gel to put "good" bacteria back into the gut while on antibiotics. - BeneBac, LactoBac, Probios, Fastrack are some brands. (All you need is .10cc once daily.)
• Antibiotic ointment (like Neosporin).
• Betadine Solution.

• A stethoscope.
• A hemostat (perfect for dosing guinea pigs with pills).
• Oxbow Critical Care Formula. This must be ordered through your veterinarian, but if you can get your veterinarian to order it, it would be excellent to have on hand for emergencies. This product should only be used under a veterinarian's supervision.

These books have been recommended for veterinarians (especially those unfamiliar with cavies.) and serious owners by Vicki of Jack Pine Guinea Pig Rescue.

• Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents - Clinical Medicine and Surgery by E.Hillyer DVM and K. Quesenberry DVM (publisher W.B. Saunders Company)
• The Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents by J.Harkness DVM and J.Wagner DVM (publisher Williams & Wilkins - a Lea and Febiger Book
• Diseases of Domestic Guinea Pigs by V.C.G. Richardson (publisherBlackwell Science Ltd.)

If your guinea pig stops eating you need to take them to a veterinarian. After scheduling an appointment they need to be hand fed to keep food moving through their system. If food isn't moving through, the organs will begin to shut down, and start deteriorating.

You can learn to recognize when your guinea pig is not eating when your guinea pig hasn't shown interest in food for 6 to 12 hours, there's an obvious drop in pooping and peeing, and the poops are smaller and less shiny. You need to start hand feeding food and water as soon as you recognize these symptoms.

The best way to hand feed is through a 3cc syringe with the end cut off to allow an easy flow of food. You can feed your guinea pig by wrapping them in a towel and holding them at a 45 degree angle. Only squeeze a little food in at a time to allow your guinea pig to chew and swallow. You don't want to choke them.

Fill the syringe with crushed pellets, water, baby food, or a combination of the foods. Mix and match foods, even microwaving them, until you find a mix that your guinea pig will eat. The goal of syringe feeding is to keep food moving through the system until the veterinarian can take a look.

You should syringe feed five to six times a day. The more the better, guinea pigs like to eat a little bit at a time during the entire day. Guinea pigs eat about 6 grams of food for every 100 grams of weight.

Syringe feeding is meant as a short term fix for a larger problem. If you need to syringe feed for an extended period of time, don't use baby foods as they don't provide enough roughage, and mix in vitamin C rich vegetables. You should slowly change the watery mixture to more a more dry one to get your guinea pig used to eating dry food.
Back to top.