Supreme Pet Foods : Is my guinea pig well?

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	welcome \| facts \| choosing \| feeding \| looking after \| care \| links \| leaflets Is My Guinea Pig Well? To be able to make a decision whether or not your guinea pig is well, you need to know what is “normal” for them. Like children, behaviour in guinea pigs can be inherited or learnt. Some behaviour is instinctive, such as suckling their mother as soon as they are born. The rest of a guinea pig’s behaviour is learnt from parents and by observation, and then becomes instinctive. Animals continually learn throughout their lives. They rely heavily on sight, sound and smell. Verbal signals are avoided as they could result in detection by a predator. The functions of behaviour are to eat, to avoid being eaten, and to reproduce. Click on a link below to find out more: Normal Behaviour Guinea Pig Noises Body Language Health Care Dental Problems Mouth Scabs Eye Injuries Abscesses Skin Complaints Flystrike Dangerous Plants
	Normal Behaviour In guinea pigs, alertness is their first line of defence; they will spend the majority of the day looking out for predators and dangers. Guinea pigs rely heavily on smell and constantly sniff the air looking for an indication of who or what is around them – and whether they are friend or foe. back to top
	Guinea Pig Noises Guinea pigs are very vocal and much of their language can be easily translated: Grunts, murmurs and gurgles - contact, contentment, comfort and joy Squeals and squeaks - begging for food from humans, warning, fear, pain Cooing - comfort and reassurance Rattles, hissing and chattering teeth - aggression, threat and warning Growls, grunts and rattling - male arousal sounds back to top
	Body Language Touching noses and nudging - recognition by smell and initiating contact Rising with stiffened knees - feels threatened Head at right angle - strength, dominance over another Exposed teeth, mouth open - female warning sign to a male Stretching - relaxation and comfort Leaping and jumping - enjoyment, energy and play Lying motionless on back - defence, fear response (freeze) Standing on hind legs - reaching for food, sniffing Head stretched forward - watchful, lookout Legs drawn in, against wall - fearful and threatened, for protection back to top
	Health Care If you provide the correct care, diet, environment, exercise and attention to your guinea pig it will normally stay fit and healthy, and will be bright, alert and eating and drinking normally. Younger and older pets are often more susceptible to illness due to lowered resistance. Handling and grooming your pet every day gives you the opportunity to examine him for signs that may indicate illness. Guinea pigs are especially prone to mites, so always check their skin for signs of irritation and scratching. Any change in normal behaviour may indicate an underlying problem. Watch out for: eating or drinking less than normal restless or lethargic – or a crouched, huddled appearance coat that looks dull or is soiled or itchy discharge from the eyes, ears or nose soiling around the vent with urine or faeces faeces abnormal in colour or texture more or less urine being produced – or unusual in colour offensive odour from the ears, mouth or vent loud teeth grinding difficulty in eating, drinking or moving difficulty in breathing – or raspy noises from the chest Common illnesses Guinea pigs are generally hardy animals, but there are some ailments that can befall them: back to top
	Dental Problems Regular clipping of the teeth may be necessary to prevent any problems associated with overgrown teeth; you vet will be able to do this for you. Trimming of teeth is not painful for the guinea pig, although they may wriggle a lot! Indication of dental problems may be saliva around the mouth or on the chest or front paws, an inability to eat or teeth grinding. Seek veterinary advice if you are at all concerned. back to top
	Mouth Scabs Guinea pigs can cut their lips and mouths on sharp food and, if germs enter the cut, it may cause a sore. Generally these are nothing to worry about, but you may wish to talk to you vet to obtain some cream to help the sore heal faster. back to top
	Eye Injuries Sometimes guinea pigs can be poked in the eye by stalks of hay or grass and this may cause the eye to go opaque. Normally this will clear on its own, but a trip to the vet may be called for to ensure there is nothing else in the eye causing irritation or infection. back to top
	Abscesses Abscesses can be caused during knocks or fights, or even by food that is sharp and has scratched the guinea pig. You will be able to feel a hard lump. It is best to move the guinea pig into an area of its own and take him to the vet so the abscess can be treated. back to top
	Skin Complaints Guinea pigs seem to be prone to skin conditions. Perhaps the most common is mange. Mange is caused by a little mite which burrows into the skin surface. You will notice little raised spots on the skin that can become “scurfy”. Your guinea pig will scratch these itchy areas which will develop scabs and cause its hair to fall out. It is important that you take your guinea pig to the vet for treatment. back to top
	Flystrike Flies are attracted to guinea pig droppings, either in the hutch or around the rear end of the guinea pig. Fly eggs will hatch into maggots and will initially feed on the droppings and will then burrow into the guinea pig and eat its flesh. This will result in discomfort, pain and often, death. Avoid flystrike by regularly removing droppings from the hutch, grooming your guinea pig daily and ensuring good ventilation to the hutch as this will prevent flies becoming attracted and then trapped in the hutch. Spray a safe disinfectant (add link to Keep It Clean pages) in the hutch and on bedding to deter flies and eliminate bacteria. Seek veterinary attention immediately if you suspect flystrike. back to top
	Dangerous Plants Feeding plants to your guinea pig can add variety and interest to its diet as plants provide essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. However, some plants can be very harmful to guinea pigs if eaten, causing illness, distress, discomfort and, possibly, death. The following are examples of plants that are harmful to your guinea pig. Ensure that they are not fed to them and that your guinea pig cannot come into contact with them: Ivy Elder Iris Woody Nightshade Holly Buttercups Foxglove Clematis Click on the link to download the PDF to your browser. To download the actual PDF file right click on the link, select 'Save Link As...' and save to the desired location: Dangerous Plants leaflet PDF (154k) back to top \| previous page