Photo courtesy of Brandy O’Brien

CARING FOR YOUR GUINEA PIG

Mark Burgess DVM
                                                          Katrina Ramsell Ph.D, DVM
Murray Crossing Mall
6139 SW Murray Blvd
Beaverton, OR 97008
(503) 643-2137

CARING FOR YOUR GUINEA PIG

HOUSING

Guinea pigs, also called cavies, need a dry draft-free environment. Temperatures of 60-800F are tolerable with 700F being ideal. They may be housed in wood or wire cages with solid floors. Avoid wire floors as feet may become caught and bones broken as the pet tries to free itself. Wire floors also tend to cause sores on the feet. Provide a thick layer of good bedding such as recycled paper, hardwood shavings (not cedar or pine), or straw. Cavies may be housed in groups or singly. Mature males should not be housed together to prevent fighting. Guinea pigs can be sociable and enjoyable pets, and often live to be 5-6 years old.

FEEDING

The bulk of the diet should be guinea pig pellets (not a seed & fruit mix), and grass hay such as timothy. Avoid alfalfa hay except with pregnant or nursing females who need the extra protein and calcium that alfalfa provides. Pellets may be fed free choice unless obesity occurs; hay is always fed free choice. Pellets provide balanced nutrition; hay provides roughage essential for intestinal health in cavies. In general fresh green leafy vegies and a little fruit may be offered daily, but should be limited to less than 20% (1/5) of the diet. Items high in sugars (fruit, baby carrots, tomatoes, corn, etc) or high in protein (seeds, oats, alfalfa) should be especially limited as they easily cause bloat or diarrhea which can be deadly. Avoid broccoli, cabbage, potatoes and onions as these may also upset the bowel. Guinea pigs also need Vitamin C in their diet daily. Pelleted food should not be relied on for Vitamin C needs because this vitamin deteriorates rapidly with time and exposure to heat, light and air. The daily MINIMUM Vitamin C requirement is 10 mg per day; pregnant or ill cavies may need 30+ mg daily.  Vitamin C additives for water bottles tend to not provide enough vitamin. Fresh food sources provide some Vit C, but fruit has too much sugar and tends to cause bowel upsets if fed in enough quantity to meet a cavy’s vitamin needs. Parsley is safer and has good Vitamin C content. But the most reliable way is to use chewable Vitamin C tablets; Oxbow makes 50 mg once a day tablets for cavies. A human Vitamin C tablet can be used also (break off a piece roughly equivalent to 50 mg; giving more than necessary isn’t a problem unless the dose is extreme). Fresh water should always be available. Ball bearing bottles are cleaner and not as easily spilled as bowls. Clean the cage, food and water sources regularly.

COMMON DISEASES

Vitamin C Deficiency (Scurvy): Signs of scurvy include drooling, weight loss, hair loss or reluctance to move due to painful joints. Therapy is mainly Vitamin C supplementation. Correction of the diet to include daily Vitamin C sources is necessary. Supportive care (fluids, antibiotics, etc) may be needed in very ill patients. This is a common and preventable disease in this species.

Dental Diseases: Guinea pigs have constantly growing teeth, and may develop overgrown front teeth (incisors) or back teeth (molars) for a variety of reasons. Incisor overgrowth may be visible as long tusk-like projections from the mouth. Molar overgrowth (or molar infections) may cause drooling, chin staining, foul odor, and difficulty eating. Treatment of tooth problems often involves trimming the overgrown teeth back to normal length, extracting any infected teeth, correcting any other illness which may be contributing to the problem, and forcefeeding if the patient cannot eat. Many cases are curable, but some dental problems can be persistent and life threatening. Fasting guinea pigs need immediate care, as they can die from bowel upsets with inadequate roughage intake.

Coccidia: Coccidia are microscopic parasites living in the bowel, and are mostly seen in young cavies. If diarrhea is seen (especially in a young pet) a fecal analysis should be performed. Treatment involves giving sulfa drugs and cleaning up feces to prevent reinfection.

Enterotoxemia (Bowel upsets): Intestinal upsets are a major cause of death in pet cavies. Signs may include loss of appetite, diarrhea, and lethargy, but some cavies only show one of these signs. Cavies have sensitive intestines, and almost any stress can cause this disease. Sudden diet changes, sugary treats, parasites, and some antibiotics (especially penicillins) can cause a sudden and often fatal diarrhea or bloat. This is probably due to an upset of the normal bowel bacteria, with overgrowth of toxic Clostridium bacteria. Bowel disease is unpredictable; mild cases may have slightly soft stool for days and still survive, but severe cases may develop depression and shock within hours and die before diarrhea develops. Prevention is via feeding a high roughage diet with minimal use of sweet items such as fruit; also minimize high protein items (oats, seeds, nuts, alfalfa). Avoid sudden changes in diet, and restrict vegies to less than 20% of the diet. Avoid vegies in the cabbage family. Treatment of bowel upsets varies with severity but may include bacterial supplements such as milk free acidophilus, feeding roughage (forcefeeding if necessary), intestinal stimulants such as Reglan or Propulsid, antidiarrheals such as Kaopectate or blackberry leaves, and IV fluids with therapy for shock in severe cases. Prompt medical care is essential whenever a cavy is lethargic, or is not eating, or has diarrhea, or feels cold to the touch. Many cases of bowel upset are curable if caught in time.

Pregnancy toxemia: This disease occurs when pregnant or nursing females are burning excessive body fat due to losing more nutrients than they are eating. Energy needs are very high during pregnancy and nursing. If the female is stressed, eating less than normal or not at all, she may begin using body fat too rapidly. Obese or older females are at higher risk, especially in the last two weeks of pregnancy and the first week after delivery. Signs include depression, incoordination, convulsions and death. Treatment is difficult, but includes fluids, glucose, calcium, cortisone, and propylene glycol. Prevention is easier; avoid periods without food but also prevent obesity, minimize stress during pregnancy, and increase food intake in late pregnancy.  Use a high quality cavy pellet diet. Adding alfalfa hay to the timothy hay helps provide extra calcium & protein during late prenancy and nursing. 

Lice and Mites:  These are common skin parasites. Mites are microscopic, burrow deep in the skin, and when numerous cause intense itching, flaking, and hair loss. Severe cases may develop large scabs or sores due to intense scratching and biting at the skin. Lice are larger than mites, barely visible to the naked eye, and live on the surface, causing mild itching and some hair loss when numerous. Both mites and lice may be present for months or years with minimal signs until their numbers are large. Lice are easily killed with topical products such as bird mite & lice spray, kitten flea powder, or lyme sulfur dip; treat weekly for 6-8 weeks as the eggs persist for long periods. Mites are harder to kill but respond to treatment with ivermectin (oral or injectable) weekly for 6-8 weeks. Lyme sulfur dip also works when applied weekly for 6-8 weeks but is more labor- intensive and must be applied thoroughly to be fully effective.  Severe cases of mange (mites) may warrant use of ivermectin plus lyme dip for a few weeks, followed by ivermectin alone for the remaining weeks of therapy. Cleaning the cage weekly when treating the mites or lice will help reduce reinfestation, but long term environmental treatment is unnecessary as the parasites die if they are off their host for long. These parasites are species specific but highly contagious between cavies; use caution when introducing new cavies to an existing group.

Respiratory infection: Signs include sneezing, wheezing, lethargy, nasal or eye discharge, or difficulty breathing. Various bacteria may cause this, including Strep and Bordetella. Dogs, cats and rabbits may carry Bordetella and ideally should not be housed in contact with cavies. Cavies at risk of exposure may be vaccinated twice yearly for Bordetella to prevent infection; the vaccine must be a killed product, as live vaccines may cause illness in cavies. 

Head tilt (wry neck, torticollis): This is usually due to internal ear infection, sometimes secondary to a respiratory infection. The cavy usually tilts the head to one side and has a loss of balance, often falling when trying to walk. Strep bacteria are a common cause. Treatment is with antibiotics.

Foot infections (bumblefoot): These are usually caused by improper housing such as wire floors or soiled bedding. Diarrhea or urinary incontinence may increase soiling and risk of foot problems. Obesity puts more pressure on the feet and may contribute to abrasion of the foot pads. Mild cases have superficial ulcers on the bottoms of one or more feet; a scab may cover the ulcer. Severe cases develop deep swelling and infection of the feet which can be very difficult to cure, requiring multiple surgeries and long term antibiotics. This disease can be life threatening. Prevention is easier than treatment; provide a clean, dry cage with a solid floor and plenty of straw or paper bedding to pad the floor and absorb urine.

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