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This information is not intended in any way to replace veterinary advice. If you are in any doubt as to the health of your animal, please locate an exotic specialist vet.
Guinea pigs are by nature a colony animal and you should therefore endeavour to pair up your guinea pig with a guinea pig that is a compatible match.
DO NOT house guinea pigs with rabbits. Rabbits can carry a bacterial called Bordetella without showing symptoms. This can be fatal if passed to your guinea pigs. In addition they speak a different language, their diets are entirely different and one hind leg kick is enough to kill a guinea pig.
Some guinea pigs are what can only be described as extremely “upset” at losing their friend; in some cases not eating, facing the corner of the hutch and appearing to be depressed (reminder – illness nearly always comes across as ‘depression’). However, matching up guinea pigs is not always as simple as it sounds and owners should be prepared to monitor new friendships.
Whilst it is always preferable to move Guinea pigs indoors over the winter months, realistically for many this might not be possible.
Guinea pigs are extremely intolerant of excessive cold and damp. As responsible owners it is absolutely essential that we do everything we can to ensure they are kept warm and cosy, so they stay happy and healthy.
Hutches must be weatherproof. This is where spending that little bit extra upfront for better quality wood will be most noticeable. Try to situate it in a well sheltered part of the garden, remember hutches can blow over in harsh winds!
If you have the option move the hutch into a shed or unused garage. Even moving the hutch nearer to your house will make it easier for you to clean, feed and check on your piggies when it’s pouring down.
There are lots of waterproof and insulating hutch covers on the market, but you don’t have to spend a for-tune. Silver thermal loft insulation and tarpaulins can easily be bought from your local DIY shop, and old blankets are great at adding extra defence against those draughts.
Save those empty cardboard boxes. Turned upside down in their usual bed area with extra hay piled on top will create a lovely cosy bed for them to retreat to if they are feeling the chill.
Think about your bedding. Fleece and Vet bed is going to be a lot harder to keep dry in the poor weather conditions, so you might want to switch to something more absorbent such as auboise, megazorb,carefresh or a good quality kiln dried dust extracted shaving. Don’t forget that all important hay and lots of it! Whilst straw is a better insulator, we really don’t recommend this for guinea pigs. It tends to be quite harsh/sharp and piggies are notorious for poking their eyes with it.
Some piggies will appreciate a fleece snuggle sack to hide in.
Invest in a couple of Snuggle Safes. These microwavable heat pads are bite and scratch resistant and can stay warm up to 10 hours. Pop them inside a fleece cover and your piggies will really appreciate snuggling up to these if they are feeling the chill. Please note that whilst cheaper versions are available they do not appear to stay warm quite as long as the originals.
If you have access to electricity then you might consider a Flexiguard Heat pad made by Petnap. Made from aluminium plate with an armoured cable to deter chewing these have proved extremely popular with one of our fosterer’s own piggies.
Water bottles can freeze! Covering in bubble wrap and an old sock will really help but don’t forget to check the metal spout regularly as its essential your piggies have access to water.
Consider using a min/max temperature gauge so you can monitor whether the measures you have put in place are working.
Guinea pigs are very susceptible to temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit/27 Celsius and you need to ensure your guinea pigs are kept at a comfortable temperature during the summer (May to September). If you do not ensure that your guinea pigs are kept cool enough he may suffer from heat exhaustion, and death may occur in extreme cases.
Make sure outdoor hutches and runs are well shaded. Many manufacturers sell silver foil type covers to reflect heat away. You can also do this yourself using silver loft insulation. For runs you can use white sheets or towels.
Avoid plastic hides – these heat up excessively when compared to wooden options.
Fill empty plastic bottles with cold water and freeze. These can be wrapped in a tea towel and offered for your guinea pigs to lean against to keep cool. Scratch and Newton do reusable versions called ice pods. Their new version doesn’t even need freezing.
Check water bottles and bowels regularly. You should do this anyway but it is especially important when it is hot as your guinea pigs can dehydrate very quickly.
Bum check your piggies regularly. Longhaired and elderly guinea pigs are especially susceptible to blowfly strike during the summer. Keep long tail hair trimmed and bottoms clean. If your guinea pigs are
particularly high risk you can buy a product to guard against flystrike from any good vet.
If it is too late and your guinea pig is already suffering from heat exhaustion, he/she will not be able to stand. He/she will be lying on his/her side, panting. Act quickly now.
You should wrap your guinea pig in a cool (not cold) water-soaked towel for a short while, usually until he is able to stand again and respiration returns to normal.
Do not give him/her a drink at this stage as the heat may have caused a swallowing abnormality and he/she could drown.
Keep him/her in cool dark surroundings and when he/she has recovered, carefully and slowly syringe water in or offer a drip-feed bottle to his/her mouth.
If there are no further problems try to re-hydrate him as much as possible later.
If in any doubt, you should seek the advice of a vet.
There are a many dental issues possible in guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs have 20 teeth. They have upper and lower incisors, no canine teeth (there’s a small gap where these would be), upper and lower premolars, and three pairs of upper and lower molars. These grow continuously throughout the guinea pigs life.
Dental problems can be avoided by regular access to hay. The abrasive nature in which guinea pigs chew hay is the only action that will help. It is vital that your guinea pig munches as much hay as possible, especially good quality long strand hay. Guinea pigs will appreciate different types of hay, there are many reputable online companies selling fresh hay e.g. ‘Hop to Forage’, Nature’s Own.
Signs and Symptoms of Dental Abnormalities
Guinea pigs have four nails on each front foot and three on each back foot. Some also have an extra claw, often at the rear and often dangling. It could be caused through in-breeding and needs to be taken off by a vet.
Each nail has a blood supply, called the quick, just like human nails. On white nails, you can see the blood supply, which grows with the nail, so the longer the nails are left to grow, the longer the quick grows. When nail clipping, try to avoid cutting through the quick as it will be painful and will bleed.
Guinea pigs can develop spurs or calluses on the feet. This is a horny growth which can be clipped off, making sure you do not clip too close to the skin to avoid bleeding.
Check the underside of their feet on a regular basis, watching for signs of a condition called Pododermatitis/Bumblefoot. The front paws or the hind paws may show signs of cracking, bleeding, swelling and/or ulceration. It is a very painful infection, normally caused by the staph bacteria. The causes of this condition can be wire flooring, poor sanitation, wet bedding, inactivity and/or obesity.
Pododermatitis can also be a secondary problem to a heart condition. There are several remedies but no single remedy is renowned for being the cure. Recovery is usually a difficult and lengthy process.
Babies need to be handled from day one with lots of handling around the leg and foot area. However, you will not need to clip off the very end of those sharp nails until they are 8 weeks old.
It might be tempting to just clip off your guinea pig’s long nails to a short, manageable length but the chances of cutting through the quick is high, especially if the nails are black. On a weekly basis clipping the end of the nails is easier than cutting short.
If you are unsure some of our volunteers offer a nail clipping service in exchange for a donation to the rescue.
At four years and over, we would class guinea pigs as senior – the time when they need a little more care and attention. Just like us, they get stiff joints, dental issues, renal problems, dietary issues and more, as well as being more susceptible to the damp and cold.
First and foremost, it is important to make their lives a little more comfortable. This means keeping them inside in the warm, in a specially designed indoor cage.
Keeping a check on their weight is crucial to their well-being. Without this, it is sometimes hard to see if there is a problem. A set of kitchen scales will suffice!
Regular health checking is also of paramount importance as they get older. Senior guinea pigs also appear to be susceptible to lumps, bumblefoot (infected foot pad), cataracts and swollen lymph nodes.
It is essential to know a good vet who is knowledgeable about exotic animals, of which guinea pigs are, together with rabbits. If we feel poorly we don’t eat, but this is a life threatening situation for a guinea pig, they will die without eating for 12 hours. You must step in with hand feeding if this situation arises. It’s advisable to keep a sachet of critical care in your freezer, which will keep unopened for a year frozen.
All the information below is based on an adult guinea pig weighing around 1kg. Often, symptoms are hard to spot, so this information is to help you identify an illness early on and is not intended to replace the opinion of a veterinary surgeon.
If you have any concerns about the health of your guinea pig, take him to a vet as soon as you can.
If your piggy is not eating you must start hand feeding in order to save his life.
If you are looking to learn more about guinea pigs, we highly recommend you check out www.theguineapigforum.co.uk and www.guinealynx.com both excellent online sites for all things guinea pigs, a very interesting read.
Symptoms – life threating, seek vet assistance
The Little Wheekers is a Guinea Pig Rescue based in the Bristol area, helping to give piggies new loving homes.