Sick guinea pig HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gaited horse]

She has a runny nose and a goopy eye what should I do?
She is eating drinking and going potty she has been taking away from my other guinea pigs.

 

[horsejody]

I would keep her separate from the others until she recovers. Wipe her eyes to keep them goop free. Keep her bedding clean. Don't use cedar. If you have recently changed bedding types, it may be allergies. Keep her in a warm draft free area. Watch her closely. If she worsens, you may need a vet.

 

[cutiepieacres]

If she's still acting normal just give her some extra attention get her away from the other pigs makes sure she's warm and maybe and orange slice for some extra but C. Take her temp if it's high I would get her on some guinea pig safe antibiotics. Make sure she continues to drink. Green leaf lettuce soaked in water is good for some extra hydration.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
Lettuce can cause digestive problems. Only feed it in small amounts and do NOT give them any iceburg lettuce.

 

[redhen]

Has anyone had a cold in your house? THey can catch human colds/germs....
Are you giving her Vitamin C?
Seperate her from the other ones...
Good luck!

 

[gaited horse]

Yes I gave her a carrot no one in my house has had a cold lately she is eating normal and drinking normal. She is all by herself in anoher room. How do I take her temp?

 

[PineappleMama]

Some great info is available about Cavies...

Housing is a major thing... at least 7.5 sqft per pig, 10.5 is better...
More info at http://www.guineapigcages.com/

Lots of great info on everything from basic care, to breeding (not a good idea) to well, just tons at http://www.cavyspirit.com/

For info specifically about health you can't beat http://www.guinealynx.info/

Eye wise, cavies excrete a white-ish fluid all the time, then sort of wash it with a paw... that's normal.
But if it's crusty, watery, cloudy or basically just looks weird it could be anything from a URI to tooth trouble.
More info on Eye Discharge here - http://www.guinealynx.info/eyes.html#discharge

But, when you also mention a runny nose I immediately think Upper Resp. Infection... but she's eating and active so I don't know. Best to visit the vet, and of course quarantine just to protect the others. Check out the next link before going though as some vets prescribe meds that really aren't all that great for piggies *sigh* http://www.guinealynx.info/dangerous_medications.html Sadly Vet Medicine doesn't do a super thorough course on Cavy Health... basics yes, but not hard core. Guinea Lynx has a lot off great info that can help your piggies lead long and healthy lives... well worth a read... especially the food section, awesome info on what To feed and what Not To feed. Using the charts can be a big help in preventing bladder stones!! Veggie Chart http://www.guinealynx.info/diet_vegs.html you can also get to the Fruit chart, Calcium Chart, Calc/Phos Chart and Oxalic Acid Chart... ALL of which are printable FREE!

Sorry for rambling there... cavies are SOOO cute, but we just do not have the space to give them a good home... maybe some day.

 

[chinbunny]

Guinea pigs do not require that much space. It would have nothing to do with why the pig is sick in the first place. A lot of people keep them in mediumed sized rubber maid storage containers, and pet shop cages, and they are fine. A lot of cavy breeders use whats called a condo( stackable cage unti), that have only a few feet for cage space. They are fine.

There is some decent info on the links provided above once you get done sifting through the antibreeder propaganda(think cavy spirit has most of it). However, beware that if you join them and ask a vet related question, you may get jumped for not taking it to the vet first.

I would make sure she is getting water soluable vitamins in his feed and water. The pellets should be enriched with vitamin c. You can buy Vitamin c drops to add to the water too. I would also try to seek out the advice of a knowledgeable cavy breeder, or vet. If she's old, then his immune system may also be weakening.

 

[PineappleMama]

True enough. But have you seen the size of GP babies, they're HUGE and born with teeth and nails... so I can sorta understand some of those stats. *shrug* As to vitamins in the water some folks claim to have trouble with that... supposedly it makes the water look like pee, and the piggies don't like that... I don't know if they can see color or not so I can't testify, but if I had yellow water I wouldn't care for it. Spacewise, didn't think it caused an illness, just stating a fact. There are minimum space recommendations for chickens, but not everyone bothers. Likewise for piggies. Sure they can survive in 2 square feet, but do they have any room to stretch their legs? *shrug* To each his own. Just another two cents.

Hopefully it's just something simple and some good food will do wonders.

 

[cutiepieacres]

lettuce wont actually cause any issues if not fed in excess, there isnt much to it(green leaf has a little more nutrition to it then iceberg making it the 1st choice) which is why its not always choice when compared to everything else. I do offer green leaf/romaine, or a spring mix as part of their veggie diet and it does provide a small amount of vitamins and calcium(check guinea lynx veggie chart for more info). Its great for hydration and even a stressed guinea pig will usually eat some. When going to shows most breeders offer a type of lettuce to their pigs throughout the show in case they don't drink for any reason. Its also great for sick guinea pigs who may not be drinking and even if they are the increased hydration can help.

As long as your pig is getting a quality food and a balanced veggies & fruits supplements are not necessary and in the case of adding anything in the water as mentioned it might make it taste funny and they will actually drink less and a loss of hydration can be really dangerous. If you want to offer a bottle of water with any type of vitamins always use a second bottle in case they wont drink it then at least they have plain water available as well.

For temperature you can either use a pet ear type if you have one or a the most accurate is to take rectal temp. Obviously you will want a dedicated thermometer for the purpose. Disinfect with either rubbing alcohol or if you have like a veterinary disinfectant(Nolvasan, etc.). Lubricate it and only insert until the tip is gone, you may need a second person to help you handle the pig so she doesn't move. I like to use an instant so its quick.