What does a dehydrated guinea pig look like?
Your guinea pig may be dehydrated if you see any of these problems: thick sticky saliva, crusty eyes, poor appetite, small amounts of dark colored urine, or hard dry fecal pellets. In order to correct dehydration, extra water must be given to your guinea pig.
You might need to make a visit to your veterinarian for some assistance in rehydrating your guinea pig. You may have to resort to syringe-feeding your guinea pig water! This is done by filling a syringe with water, then by placing it at the corner of their mouths and gently, slowly pushing down on the plunger.
Diarrhea and other illnesses may cause your guinea pig to become dehydrated. Signs of dehydration include dry stools, dark urine, or skin “tenting” (skin that returns to its normal position slowly after being pinched). If your pet is dehydrated, your veterinarian may provide fluid treatment.
Guinea pigs can go up to 12 hours without water, less if the piggy is senior, sick, pregnant, or living in hot conditions. Some guinea pigs can go up to 24 hours, but this is usually accompanied by dehydration and related side effects. Guinea pigs can go into GI stasis in as little as 6-8 hours without eating.
Common signs of heat stress include extreme lethargy, dehydration, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing. Remove your guinea pig from heat immediately. Offer cool water or cool Pedialyte to rehydrate. Keep your guinea pig in a cool, dark, environment.
It is very important to treat the guinea pig immediately by wrapping the guinea pig in a towel soaked in cool water, or spraying cool water on it. Cool pedialyte offered orally can also help. Respiratory Infections: Guinea pigs are very susceptible to upper respiratory infections.
- Piglet is thin and bony.
- Animal urinates or defecates less frequently.
- Dry nose.
- Sunken eyes.
- Rough hair coat.
- Fails skin pinch test (pinched fold remains elevated more than a few seconds)
- Diarrhea can quickly lead to dehydration.
Small, Dry Poop
Small and dry poop (even immediately after coming out of their booties) could be a sign of dehydration.
You should never leave your guinea pig without water as they need fluids in their body to keep them healthy and hydrated. Even if it doesn't seem like they drink much or if you think they're getting all the fluids they need from their vegetables, it is still important to give it to them.
A good rule is to offer your guinea pigs the same type of plain water that you drink. If you drink tap water, that's fine for your guinea pigs. Bottled water? That's fine, too.
Why is my guinea pig not eating or drinking or moving?
Not eating, not moving and decreased fecal production are all considered non-specific signs of disease. What that means is that any disease can lead to the signs you are seeing in your guinea pig. This could be dental disease, liver disease, kidney disease, cancer, toxins, infection — the list just goes on.
Water bowls are also another option that can be used in conjunction with bottles. A heavy ceramic bowl which cannot be easily tipped over is best. Some guinea pigs may find it much easier to drink from a bowl compared to a bottle, however bowls will require frequent rinsing and cleaning as they may become soiled.
Normally, a stressed guinea pig will show signs of irritability and more aggressive displays of behavior, such as head tossing, fidgeting, or teeth-baring. A depressed guinea pig, on the other hand, will become very listless and not display much energy.
In some cases they may start to suffer from urine scalding, urinating in unusual places, a scruffy coat or even gut stasis. As the kidney function gradually reduces more obvious signs generally become apparent and your rabbit or guinea pig may start to drink and urinate a lot more than they did previously.
If your guinea pig's behaviour changes
Signs a guinea pig may be suffering from stress or fear can include: Hiding most of the time. Aggression. Chewing their cage bars.
Give him a consistent, high-fiber diet with lots of timothy hay to help keep his digestive system functioning. Move him into a clean, dry cage in a warm room isolated from all other guinea pigs. If he is not eating or drinking, you may need to force fluids on him every half hour or so. Ask your veterinarian.
Any food with added sugar is bad for your piggies and should be avoided. Banana chips also have added oils and may even have additional artificial flavourings, both of which are not good for your guinea pigs. So don't feed your guinea pigs banana chips or dried banana but stick to the fresh fruit.
Sometimes a cavy will drink but not eat and they cannot combat illness without an ample supply of this vitamin. Gatorade or vitamin C water can be given with a syringe if you think your cavy is not drinking. How much Vitamin C should a guinea pig have each day?
If guinea pigs aspirate, they will cough violently so you should know if that is what has happened. Vicki of JPGPR finds pigs feel more secure when they have their feet on a hard surface. Place your pig on a towel on the counter, corralled in the crook of your arm. Experiment with gently holding your pet's chin.
Provide electrolyte solution (one liter of water, 20 g of glucose, 3.5 g of salt, 2.5 g of baking soda - sodium hydrogen carbonate, 1.5 g of potassium chloride), provided in “Improving health and welfare of pigs.”
How will you know if the animal is severely dehydrated?
Loss of appetite, panting, and a dry nose are other signs of dehydration. Your dog's eyes may even become sunken or they might collapse if they enter shock, in extreme cases.
Gaunt and lacking energy, melancholy appearance (listlessness), drooping eyes with discharge. Rough, messy or standing hair. Skin color changes to pale, blue or red in white pigs.
Dirty cages can be a life-threatening health hazard
The bottomline on how often to clean the cage is -- as often as needed. Guinea pigs should never be sitting in wet bedding or wet fleece.
Dried urine may leave powdery white calcium compounds. Very young guinea pigs often have an orange or brown tint to their urine. Urine sometimes changes to an orange color on standing (this may be the oxidation of porphyrins in the urine).
The main symptoms of gut stasis include anorexia (not eating), lethargy, not drinking, immobilisation and not passing any faeces. You may notice your Guinea Pig grinding its teeth in pain or being more vocal than usual.
Bottles are generally considered to be superior, but there are certain circ*mstances where you might want to give your guinea pigs a bowl, or even both so that they have a choice. Your pets will need a bottle or dish in every area that they use regularly, including their cage, run, and playpen.
Recipe #2: Guinea Pig Pellets and Cranberry Juice
Another helpful emergency feed is to create a vegetable, pellet mixture. Cranberry juice can not only help soften the pellets, but also provide a tastier mixture with it's natural properties.
Timothy hay: Provide an unlimited quantity of fresh timothy hay every day. Guinea pigs need continuous access to hay to aid their digestion and limit the growth of their teeth. Fruit and vegetables: Fresh vegetables can be offered once a day and should be equivalent to about one cup total per guinea pig per day.
Dietary changes and environmental changes may also trigger loss of appetite. If a guinea pig does not eat for a long period of time, its condition may worsen quickly, resulting in liver problems and even death. Therefore, seek veterinary care if your guinea pig is suffering from either of these conditions.
Reduced activity or lethargy might indicate a problem. Although guinea pigs will spend time resting in hides in their home, they should have access to an exercise area daily, and often they have short bursts of activity.
What if my guinea pig is not moving a lot?
Not moving is a big emergency, so definitely get that guinea pig to a veterinarian as fast as possible. They are prey species, so they hide their illnesses until it's very serious. So if it's not moving, you have a very sick guinea pig. Get them to an ER facility if we're not open.
Step 1. Check your guinea pig's urine. Dark, strong-smelling urine is often a sign of dehydration. When your guinea pig is drinking normally, his urine will be lighter in color.
There are several types of bedding available for Guinea Pigs to nest in, including paper-based, fleece, wood, and hay. The best bedding for your Guinea Pig is either a paper or fleece based bedding.
If your guinea pig isn't drinking water, check the bottle is actually dispensing the water properly. If the water bottle is working correctly and they are still not drinking, it may be your guinea pig is consuming a lot of watery veggies and doesn't need extra water.
Sometimes a cavy will drink but not eat and they cannot combat illness without an ample supply of this vitamin. Gatorade or vitamin C water can be given with a syringe if you think your cavy is not drinking. How much Vitamin C should a guinea pig have each day?
Hi, please do no feed your piggy sugar water. You're right and guinea pigs shouldn't have a lot of sugar.
Water bowls are also another option that can be used in conjunction with bottles. A heavy ceramic bowl which cannot be easily tipped over is best. Some guinea pigs may find it much easier to drink from a bowl compared to a bottle, however bowls will require frequent rinsing and cleaning as they may become soiled.
Dietary changes and environmental changes may also trigger loss of appetite. If a guinea pig does not eat for a long period of time, its condition may worsen quickly, resulting in liver problems and even death. Therefore, seek veterinary care if your guinea pig is suffering from either of these conditions.
In the future, keep some Sovereign Silver on hand. It can be found at health food stores or online. It is a natural antibiotic that works perfectly for guinea pigs. It has no toxicity risk and doesn't kill the good bacteria, although it is still recommended to do probiotics just in case.
The malic and acetic acid in apple cider vinegar have antimicrobial properties which makes it useful to feed if a rabbit or guinea pig is off colour. Nutritionally it is good source of minerals, although not much else, and it does not contain sugar.
Why is my sick guinea pig not eating?
Not eating, not moving and decreased fecal production are all considered non-specific signs of disease. What that means is that any disease can lead to the signs you are seeing in your guinea pig. This could be dental disease, liver disease, kidney disease, cancer, toxins, infection — the list just goes on.
Can I Use Dawn Dish Soap to Wash My Guinea Pig? Although some articles say it is safe to use Dawn dish soap to wash your guinea pig, we recommend that you don't. Even the gentlest dish soaps contain ingredients that may be too harsh on your guinea pig's skin.
Guinea Pigs drink a lot of water in high temperatures but they don't like it ice cold as it can send them into shock, so don't add ice cubes to their containers.
