guinea pig diseases
Preventable Guinea Pig Diseases
What exactly is a disease? Disease is simply any impairment of health or condition of abnormal functioning.
What guinea pig diseases should I be most concerned about?
- Scurvy – Also known as vitamin C deficiency. Guinea pigs cannot synthesize nor store reserves of vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for many of the guinea pigs bodily processes. Everything from teeth to bones to blood vessels and the immune system can be affected. If your guinea pig is experiencing a mild deficiency he or she may have vague symptoms of health problems such as low energy, pups may not grow the way you expect and pregnancies can become more difficult. In extreme deficiency, full blown scurvy can develop. This can cause permanent problems as permanently stunted growth, swollen joints, internal bleeding, stiff hips resulting in problems walking (and instead they hop like rabbits.) In a worst case scenario you may even see paralysis of the hind legs and immune systems so weak that any bug that comes along can become fatal. Make sure your guinea pig gets 10mg vitamin C per two pounds body weight – 30g for adolescents and nursing mothers. Look for food pellets containing vitamin C. Green leafy veggies like kale and parsley are also ideal. Keep in mind that once scurvy is diagnosed a minimum ten day course of vitamin C supplementation will be needed. Look for tablets of vitamin C. I believe Oxbow makes some.
- Pneumonia – A lung infection caused by bacteria or virus. Certain conditions can make a guinea pig more likely to develop pneumonia – this includes cages located in cold areas, drafts, not cleaning soiled bedding out of the cage (the ammonia), vitamin C deficiency, and stress. Look for signs of congestion and respiratory problems like noisy breathing, runny noses, cough, and lack of energy. This condition must be diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian. The most common treatment includes antibiotics and changes to the living environment if necessary.
Other Diseases:
Cervical Lymphadenitis
Contagious infection of the lymph nodes caused by streptococcal bacteria. Look for swollen abscess on the head or neck. Can resolve on its own without antibiotics but not always. See your vet.
Demodicosis
Skin disease where a guinea pig loses hair because he or she is hosting too many demodex mites. All guinea pigs have a certain number of demodex mites from birth and this is fine. It is only when allowed to grow out of control (such as due to a lower immune system) that this becomes a problem. Look for hair loss and scab around the front legs and head. Can be treated by ivermectin.
Diabetes
Guinea pigs as vulnerable to diabetes just like humans. Insulin is used to transport glucose throughout the body where it is used for energy. If the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin, glucose does not get transported and the body is forced to burn fat and protein for energy. For this reason diabetes used to be called “wasting disease” as you’ll see your guinea pig lose a lot of weight. Another common symptom is excessive thirst as all of the unused glucose in the body draws excessive amount of water out with it when finally excreted. Diabetes can only be diagnosed by a veterinarian.
more to come…
