As with a majority of mammals, Guinea pig weight is an excellent indicator of overall health and well being. Guinea Pig Health Tracker. A graph provides an overview of weight gain and loss patterns. In this video of Everything about your pet, our veterinary Antonio explains us what to do when our guinea pig loses weight. In this case, because of … Mar 8, 2016 #1 One of my guinea pigs passed away saturday evening, I'm absolutely devastated. Katiedid Adult Guinea Pig. Firstly, if your female guinea pig is pregnant, she may suffer hair loss during the late stages of her pregnancy. Guinea pigs are susceptible to acute … Hair Loss A guinea pig with uroliths may have blood in the urine, reduced or painful urination (listen for excessive squeaking as they urinate), a hunched over appearance, teeth grinding, weight loss, lethargy, licking or biting around their back end, have a bad smell, dehydration, kidney disease or even death if severe. It's a good idea to weigh them regularly so any sudden weight loss is noted. One of the significant factors of stress can also be the fear of a predator. Reasons Why My Guinea Pig Drink A Lot Of Water. Joined Mar 20, 2014 Messages 1,263 Reaction score 1,644 Points … If your guinea pig has hair loss and is itching or scratching a lot, it may have lice or mites. The level of care needed for an Alpaca guinea pig is higher than many other guinea pig breeds. A height of around 18 inches is fine. Guinea pigs should be handled daily. The treatment of pinworms can be a challenge as your guinea pig will keep getting infected through coprophagy. You notice sudden weight loss. Guinea Pig Weight – Introduction. One guinea pig should have a cage that is at least 30 inches by 36 inches. Drooling, weight loss, interest in food but can't or won't seem to eat: get to a vet.The molars could be over grown, which will result in the pig slowly starving to death if the guinea pig doesn't not receive treatment. Knowledge is key! Why does my guinea pig drink so much water? I don’t know what he did from but I knew he was fine one day and then died the next day. In the case of URI or heart disease, its usually breathing problems that will cause a pig eat more slowly, or not as much. Depending on what's causing the … Guinea pigs need a minimum of 10 mg of vitamin C/kg body weight daily for maintenance and at least 30 mg/kg body weight daily during pregnancy. The weights of your guinea pigs will change slightly throughout the year, but dramatic weight loss means a trip to the vet. Thread starter amyeeclaire; Start date Mar 8, 2016; Status Not open for further replies. amyeeclaire Junior Guinea Pig. I don't particularly want to do this because my local vet isn't very experienced with piggies, but I am disabled and can't venture far to see a rodentologist ideas? Sick guinea pigs may show evidence of weight loss, hunched posture, abnormal gait, drawn in abdomen, scruffy fur, or labored breathing. It also provides you with the opportunity to check your pet for possible skin problems, injuries, sudden weight gain or loss, dental problems, and other health problems. Dental Disease. Listed below are some of the possible reasons why your guinea pig drinks much … My friends guinea pig, who is a couple of years older is still alive and appears happy and healthy. Signs Your Guinea Pig Lying Down A Lot Might Be A Problem Lice, sarcoptic mange mites (scabies), and Demodex mange mites (Demodex) are conditions that can all cause itching and hair loss. Their personalities and behaviors have drastically changed. Enteric conditions would include ileitis, hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS), twisted gut and stomach ulcers. For two guinea pigs, get a cage that's at least 30 inches by 50 inches. Inadequate Diet If a guinea pig is suffering from Vitamin C deficiency, he can experience balding or hair loss. Sudden Weight Loss. Dealing With Loss Of Guinea Pig. Thread starter pumpkinpie; Start date Sep 8, 2009; Status Not open for … This allows you a regular special time with your pet. Sudden hind leg paralysis in guinea pigs is pretty common, but usually, it can be easily reversed with proper treatment. They may be lethargic or unresponsive to stimulation. Cavy behavior can be difficult to interpret but given enough time, anyone can eventually uncover and understand all the meanings behind its sometimes-eccentric activities. See lecture on rabbit and rodent dentistry for details. Once you’ve established your guinea pigs’ base weights, carry out these checks: If your guinea pig weighs less than about forty or fifty grams less than the last weigh in, this can just be part of normal … MarkRicher. Fungal infections are a close runner-up.. Old age does not cause hair loss. Also, they have a unique digestive system, which often makes them intolerant towards certain drugs and may cause death. Reactions: Gem789 and Katiedid. Crazy4me writes: "What I also do along with weighing my pig weekly is to check eyes, ears, skin, teeth and nails. Could this sudden weight loss be down to the badgering of his new friend? … Any hair loss in an older guinea pig should be investigated. A guinea pig is considered an adult at 6 mths. Gastrointestinal Bloat/Impactions. Always use a cage with a solid bottom and not a wire grate, as this can damage the feet of a guinea pig. Lice or mites can be easy to avoid and treat. General Care. Vegetables high in vitamin C include tomatoes, red or green peppers, asparagus, and spinach. Guinea Pig Care. These signs can progress over days and weeks, or … While this may be typical, do talk with your vet about this, as nutritional supplementation may help. Any predator roaming around your guinea pigs cage can make your guinea pig scare as guinea pig doesn’t know that the predator can’t enter the cage. One of … The average weight for an adult female is 800-1000 grams. Weigh your guinea pig. A guinea pig that has an injured or broken back can recover, but it will depend on the location and extent of the damage. Can be misdiagnosed as vitamin C deficiency (scurvy). On the surface they appear as active or eating as much - it … Boars should weigh around 900-1200 grams whilst females should weigh a healthy 700-900 grams. Every guinea pig is different and they have their own slightly different behavior. It is therefore important to monitor your Guinea pigs weight from birth. Hair Loss in Guinea Pigs. A guinea pig’s digestive system is very sensitive and if the guinea pig is not eating, this can result in your guinea pig getting really sick! So those are just some of the main signs that if they’re lying down a lot, it might mean there’s an issue. I'd be concerned by such a sudden and significant weight loss - this is 160 grams. A vet will recommend you an antiparasitic treatment … This will help ensure your buddy is developing and growing as expected into a healthy and happy cavy. Jenny . Also, a guinea pig with a poor appetite may already be sick, so you should take your piggy to the vet if you notice it is eating less than normal. Health & Illness. Joined Dec 14, 2015 Messages 26 Reaction score 11 Points 190. Teeth may … Weight loss; Diarrhea; If you can observe some of these signs in your pets, you will have to see your veterinarians as soon as possible because this might pose an underlying health problem. Pinworms can be very dangerous for young guinea pigs, as along with diarrhea, they can cause weight loss and anorexia. A loud or sudden noise like thunder, lightning, fireworks can make your guinea pig scared, and they can get stressed out. Weight fluctuations can indicate health problems . He ate, and he drank. Below are the 18 most common behaviors exhibited by guinea pigs: Aggression. THE EXOTIC BIRD HOSPITAL is dedicated to excellence in avian and exotic animal health care. Ever since my father died of weight loss-related complications, I've allowed myself to be a guinea pig for nearly You mentioned weight loss, that is one of the few symptoms that they cannot hide. Feet should be examined for sores or broken nails. So I kept him warm and made sure he ate and drank. If this were me, I'd pop her to the vet just in case and to check her teeth and overall health. Be sure to check over your guinea pig when you do weighings. It is not always possible to detect the true cause of anorexia and weight loss in the ante-mortem guinea pig. Respiratory infections would include Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia and Actinobacillus suis. But something still bothered me that he wasn’t active. The floor space is more important than the height, as guinea pigs generally don’t climb. A rapid and sudden weight loss is another a sign of pneumonia which is a common result from lack of eating. Respiratory and GI conditions are most commonly encountered; thus, ocular or nasal discharges or diarrhea may be present. Paying close attention to the pattern of hair loss accompanied by other symptoms can help you determine the actual cause. Guinea Pig Care. However, a slow or sudden loss in a patch of hair could be a sign of a problem. Secondly, your guinea pig’s pups may appear to lose hair as they develop. While there are many possible reasons for hair loss, the most common reason by far is microscopic mange mites, a painful parasitic condition easily treated with ivermectin. ... An X-ray will reveal if the legs have been fractured and can identify spinal injury. The vet office was closed not opened on weekends. There are many individual pig … So I couldn’t take him in. When a guinea pig ingests contaminated feces, they are likely to get infected by pinworms. All anorexic patients should have full body radiographs, blood tests (CBC/chemistry), and skull (dental) films if all else is normal. Symptoms can be diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, etc. Health & Illness Weight Loss-old Age? And while anorexia is mostly due to various forms of infections, inappetence is a common manifestation of several diseases and disorders, including lack of fresh water, an inability to chew properly, or exposure to extreme temperatures. If you notice signs of stress or illness in your Alpaca cavy, take them to the vet for diagnosis. A guinea pig may have partial loss of appetite (inappetence) or refuse to eat altogether (anorexia). A guinea pig is an example of one such animal that uses vocalizations and body language to express itself and convey messages. You indicate her appetite is good - so weight loss can be from ovarian cysts, a URI, heart disease, or teeth problems like undervenued describes. I loss my guinea pig Junction about 6 mths ago. If you don't know your guinea pig's original weight you can check from the guidelines of what a healthy guinea pig should weigh. But he stiffened out like something … Reply Quote. Signs can include alopecia, self-barbering, sudden weight loss, and appetite loss. The weight … I also gently feel for any lumps, and bumps starting from the head all the way down to the butt, this includes the …   The thought of having these things in your house—much less on the guinea pig—may make you itch all over. Any ideas what could have caused these sudden and unexplained deaths? I will weigh him again tomorrow and if it hasn't gone up, I'll be taking him to the vet. In general, sudden death in finishing pigs can be divided into enteric (gut) conditions, respiratory (lung) infections and individual pig events. Re: Sudden death of guinea pigs April 30, 2011 07:14PM Moderator Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 589: I am sorry to hear you lost your guinea pigs - i … Appetite Loss and Anorexia. Sometimes, if the dosage administered is high, it may even result in fatal conditions for the Guinea Pig. Weight loss can also be from pain - not wanting to eat. 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