Comments on: Tips When Buying Exotic Pets

By: leener

leener — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:36:59 +0000

Vet or death is the reality with pigs
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By: Betty

Betty — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:34:59 +0000

Keep him warm and give him vitamin C everyday. If he still has the crusty stuff on his nose in the next two days, take him to the vet. I had to pay $85 for the visit and some medicine for mine when she had a cold
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By: Ashleigh

Ashleigh — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:32:59 +0000

URI’s are deadly bacterial infections that can result in death if untreated. Bacterial respiratory infections are a common problem among pet store guinea pigs (a good reason to adopt your guinea pig instead of purchasing one from a pet store). New guinea pig owners are often unaware of how quickly guinea pigs can go downhill and how vital prompt vet care is to the health of your new guinea pig. Untreated URI’s are almost always fatal. Guinea pigs do not get cold viruses, and allergies/asthma is very rare. Although, they may show similar symptoms.

Symptoms:

* Not eating or drinking
* Not pooing
* Laboured breathing, wheezing
* Sneezing, coughing
* Crusty eyes, eyes that are almost sealed shut
* Discharge from eyes and/or nose
* Dull and/or receding eyes
* Rough and/or puffed up coat
* Lethargy, hunched posture, weakness, unwillingness to move

See a vet immediately if you see any of these signs, because URI’s are so deadly and fast moving, that it is important that the vet rules out a URI before considering the possibility of an allergy.

Treatment:

A vet will prescribe a safe antibiotic like Bactrim or Doxycycline to treat these bacterial infections. If your guinea pig is not eating, make sure you hand feed them to keep your guinea pig alive while the antibiotic works. Make sure you ask your vet how long it will take for the antibiotics to work, and call them if you see no improvement in a day or two.

Try giving them a nice warm bath, and give them a good clean. Make sure their cage is nice and clean, and separate them from their cage mate, because URI’s are contagious. Once they have been washed, and put back in their clean cage, put a warm water bottle with a towel over it, in the place they usually sleep. Make sure they get lots of fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C such as:

* Spinach
* Parsley
* Orange
* Strawberries
* Lettuce
* Cucumber

Recurrent URI’s may be a sign of heart problems.

–

Best of luck.
References :
Loving guinea pig mother for over seven years

Owner of a guinea pig information website.

By: Oceanlvr

Oceanlvr — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:30:59 +0000

You’re feeding your guinea pig entirely wrong. This is the correct diet: Guinea pigs need to be fed a high-quality pellet like Oxbow or Kleenmama’s. I recommend Oxbow’s pellets. Adult pigs (over 1 year in age) should be fed Oxbow’s Cavy Cuisine http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/type/detail?object=1622 and young guinea pigs (under 1 year) should be fed Oxbow’s Cavy Performance http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/type/detail?object=1546
In addition, hay should be available at all times. I recommend Kleemama’s hay: http://www.kmshayloft.com/hay.html. Bluegrass or Timothy hay (3rd cut) are the best hays for adult guinea pigs. I feed a mixture of both but either are great. Young guinea pigs should eat a bluegrass/alfalfa mix: http://www.kmshayloft.com/hay.html#abmix
Fresh water in a water bottle such as this one http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752722&utm_source=googleproduct&utm_campaign=1852004&utm_medium=cse&mr:trackingCode=70C32C64-C881-DE11-B712-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA can be hooked to the side of the cage.
Guinea pigs cannot manufacture their own Vitamin C, so they should have about a cup of mixed veggies per pig daily, from this list: http://www.guineapigcages.com/food/Veggie-and-Fruit-Charts.pdf
Here’s some sample menus of veggies you can feed: http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet-nutrition/24770-sample-veggie-menus.html
Fruit should be fed once or twice a week and in small amounts as they are high in sugar.
Vitamin C should be provided through their diet, not through tablets or drops – those are just unnecessary. Vegetables and pellets are the best way to go.

Please email me with any more questions about guinea pig care and feeding: cass234@live.com

take your guinea pig to a guinea pig experienced vet right away to make sure your GP doesn’t have anything serious.

Good luck!

http://www.guineapigcages.com/
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/
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By: I ♥ Guinea Pigs!

I ♥ Guinea Pigs! — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:28:59 +0000

If he does in fact have a URI, you may want to learn more about them here:

http://www.guinealynx.info/uri.html

The above site I listed is very informative about URI’s and is reliable. Please note you can’t treat this infection on your own, you must take it to an exotic vet. Then again, he may not have a URI. The problem could be something as simple as, for example, an allergy to his bedding. What are you using for him? Bedding that is cedar or pine, despite common belief, is actually okay as long it has been kiln-dried (thus removing harmful oils and such).

I wish both you and Stevie luck.

EDIT: Oh,does the chitty noise you describe sound just a bit like an owl? Like he sounds a big congested in the throat? My guinea pig has made that noise before. He’s okay, though.
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By: Cassie

Cassie — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:26:59 +0000

Guinea Pigs do not get colds like us humans. IN replace of colds they get URI’s (Upper Respiratory Infection). URI’s are a deadly bacteria infection that usually run through pet store Guinea Pigs. As a new guinea pig owner, im sure you did not expect this. Most owners are not un aware how these small things can run into a big thing in just 1 day. You need to seek a vet ASAP.

Symptoms of URI

• Refusal to eat or drink
• Not eating
• Breathing heavy, Wheezing
• Sneezing, Coughing
• Crustiness of the eyes or nose
• Discharge from the eyes or nose
• Puffed up coat
• Lethargy

What you need to do is do not put water on its nose or up its nose. It may contribute to the URI or even suffer your piggy death. If the URI is not treated on time your piggy may result death. All the vet will do is prescribe your piggy a safe antibiotic to use to clear up this deadly infection.
References :
Guinea Pig Mum
guineapigmother@yahoo.com
Owner of a Guinea Pig information site:
http://www.hotelforguineapigs.webs.com

By: Guinea pig Tree

Guinea pig Tree — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:24:59 +0000

This website may have the answer: http://www.Guinea-pig-Tree.webs.com
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By: kaijawitch

kaijawitch — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:22:59 +0000

I agree with the second answer to a point.. it is very easy for a simple cold to become a serious URI.. so up the vitamin c (use food, as well as the supplement drops if at all possible)..

Is the guinea pig in a cage with good ventilation?.. (I ask because I work at a pet store and am amazed at how many people want to keep them in fish tanks) Make sure there is plenty of fresh air..

If the breathing starts to sound crackly.. or the pig seems to be acting really wierd.. take him to a vet.. (they will most likely give you baytril or ditrim).. it doesn’t sound too bad right now.. but I’d start calling around to find a vet that takes exotics.. (I know where I went a small exotic exam was $40 .. meds would add a little more but this will vary by vet) just in case. Pneumonia can kill guinea pigs quickly.. the minute you hear any sound from the lungs.. get it in..

Add on:
another answer says an exotic vet is not needed.. .but most vets that don’t have an exotic specialist don’t take ANY exotic pets.. they are dog/cat only, or in some places dog/cat/farm animal .. So call around and ask… (as I said… just in case)
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By: Jewel

Jewel — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:20:59 +0000

Take it to the vet or ask the pet store what medicine u should give it.
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By: Notherenow

Notherenow — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:18:59 +0000

Firstly, make sure your guinea pig drinks; fluids are the most important things. As long as he is eating and drinking fine then don’t worry too much. All animals get colds like us. You should take him to the vet however if the cold doesn’t clean up in a couple of weeks, or if his breathing becomes laboured or difficult. Any normal vet should be able to help you, there isn’t normally need for an exotic pet specialist unless your guinea pig has some unusual problem; some vets do have small animal specialists, so it pays to ask, just in case. If you don’t want to leave going to the vet, just go to whichever vet is best for you, and they will probably give him some kind of antibiotic to take in food or water.

As a kind of preventative measure in future; if your guinea pig lives outside all year, in cold weather try and move his pen and hutch to a greenhouse or shed during the night, and cover his cage in a plastic sheet if it’s raining as being wet can encourage a cold.
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