5 Simple Health Checks for Your Guinea Pig | MediCavy Monday
Like 3 Dislike 0 Published on 17 Apr 2016
These are some really easy ways to keep an eye on your guinea pigs' health.
Guinea Pigs are prone to a variety of illnesses and often do a very good job of hiding the fact they’re sick. Here are 5 simple ways you can keep an eye on their health and hopefully catch issues before they become serious.
1: Regular Weight Checks
It’s a good idea to weigh your pigs at least once a week. Use a set of kitchen scales on a flat, hard surface with something to stand the piggies on. We used a bowl, some people suggest a tube, others just put a plastic container on top. Make sure you account for the weight of whatever you put the pigs in by either setting the weight to zero before putting the pigs in, or weighing the container and removing that number from the results. Slight changes in weight are fine, but drastic weight loss is generally a bad sign.
2. Check their pee
This is a lot easier if you use fleece bedding. Check around their cage, or wherever they have floor time, to see if there are any chalky white stains — this is usually bladder sludge. It’s often a good indication they’ve got too much calcium in their diet, so be sure to assess what you’re feeding them and change accordingly. Bladder sludge can be an early warning sign of bladder stones, so this is best addressed as soon as you notice it.
3. Physical exams
Every now and then when you pick up your pigs for hugs, or just to take them out of the cage, it’s a good idea to give them a quick once-over. Check their fur for mites, lice, or sudden fur loss, which can be symptom of a wide variety of issues and should be examined by a vet ASAP. Check their noses for crusty buildups, which are a good sign of infection, and while you’re there check their teeth to make sure they’re not overgrown. Lastly make sure their nails are kept reasonably short to prevent in-growing.
4. Listen out
Changes in a piggy’s sounds can sometimes indicate respiratory problems — however our Elsa pig was unable to wheek properly when we got her, which had us worried, but the vet said she was healthy and it was likely a birth defect. Also listen out for pigs squeaking when going to the toilet — it shouldn’t hurt, and if the pig is audibly having difficulty it’s a good sign that something’s wrong and they need a checkup.
5. Watch their Behaviour
Any major, unexplained change in piggy behaviour is worth checking out. If your pig is less active, or eating less, or sleeping more, it can be a good sign your pig is either depressed or very unwell, and you should see a vet. You also need to be aware if your pigs are starting to fight a lot; this isn’t necessarily a health issue, but can quickly lead to one if they injure each other.
Make a habit of performing these five simple checks and you’ll hopefully end up with much happier, healthy pigs!