Help me please, I’m so so so worried for my guinea pig?
Question by nikkixelizabeth: Help me please, I’m so so so worried for my guinea pig?
Hey guys. Well, i got 2 new guinea pigs a little over a month ago. One of my girls, Zoey, seems to be in fine health. My other girl, Sugar, an albino guinea pig seems to be having health issues. 
At first, we thought she was pregnant. We don’t really think she is anymore, but she still could be. Now, before reading the rest please note that i’m trying to save up enough money to take Sugar to the vet, but i’m only 14 & i can’t get a job so i just need something to help her while i’m saving up.
Okay, well when we first got her, she had one big sore on her back which is now healed up, one on her side, and one on her nose in between her eyes. She sneezes ALOT, when she breathes it makes this noise: (This is an audio of her breathing) http://s921.photobucket.com/albums/ad57/nikkixlizabeth/?action=view¤t=80538288.flv
She started breathing like that a few weeks ago, and I can’t figure out why! There’s tons of possibilities, those being:
1. Our house doesn’t have central air conditioning, but we have ac units in each room. The temperature does change sort of drastically in a small amount of time, and it does cause a bit of a draft. I know this isn’t good for them AT ALL, but i don’t know how to fix this problem? I live in NC & the weathers been really hot, so I have to have it on or else it gets from 75-80 in my room. I know guinea pigs are prone to heat stroke, so i’d never let them sit in that kind of heat. I’m thinking that this is my problem the most, I just can’t find a way around it
2. Possibly allergies? Maybe to the hay, or the laundry detergent i use to wash their fleece with? (I use fleece for bedding!) We plan on switching detergents to see if it makes a difference. Also, she sheds quite a bit, and she’s always close to the ground. Could all the hair and everything else on the cage floor be bothering her? Because she has a really sniffly dry nose.
Another problem, is I think she might have fleas? I don’t know, because today is the first time I saw one on her, and I only saw one. I saw this when i put her on my floor (carpet) for a few minutes. I tried to pick it off of her but I couldn’t catch it. My dogs have fleas, but a now minor case of them because we treated them. Should I just bathe her, and see if it solves my problem, or treat it? I plan on calling my vet tomorrow to ask about that…I won’t give her anything unless I know it’s safe, and I won’t give it to her unless I’ve talked to a vet first. I see them both chewing and nibbling on themselves kind of often, so should I be worried?
PLEASE help me, i’m so scared for her health and I just don’t know what to do?!
THANK YOU!
Best answer:
Answer by Guinea Pig and Dog Helper
does she do it by biting herself then getting all crazy by rubbing their faces and biting every part of their body? If so then that’s normal. She could have mites not fleas because guinea pigs don’t catch fleas. Try using a very thin comb and brushing through her fur and see if it picks up anything. For her breathing she may be having some respirator problems. You should call your vet first thing tomorrow and make sure she is warm. She could have a cold and guinea pigs can die of colds so try to keep it between 20- 25 degrees celsius in the room they live in.
I’m sure you take care of them well! Best wishes for your gp’s!
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That is scary! I’m 14 too and my guinea pig died about a year ago, but she was old.
For her breathing, I think its more likely allergies. If the hay is dusty, it could be clogging her sinuses or making her wheezy. I think the fleece might be a problem too. You should check and see if other people who use fleece with their guinea’s see similar problems. You never know, there could be something in it she’s allergic too. Do you use the fleece over the whole cage? or just where they sleep? If its in the whole cage that could be it. You might want to try switching it to cob. Its not too expensive, and its completely safe for guinea pigs.
She probably has mites, which you can buy a spray for from petco/petsmart type stores. Guinea’s can’t get fleas, but mites are common. I would ask the vet about the chewing and nibbling, because mine never did that and she was perfectly healthy her whole life, up until a month or two before she died of old age.
would worry about the flea problem first. Yes, if your dog has fleas, and your piggy has been sharing the same floor space where fleas lay their eggs(this is why you have to treat doggy bedding and everywhere the dogs have been, as fleas can live and lay their eggs in carpet and other fabrics, creating a massive problem) then she can get fleas. A flea is not fussed as long as the animal it’s on is a hot blooded animal.
Now, this is a major problem, as fleas can cause tapeworm. This happens when the guinea pig itches it’s self or cleans itself and ingests an infected egg or flea poop, the same way it gets in your dogs. So she will need to be wormed first and for most. Usually we would call guinea pig ”fleas” mites, but you can tell the difference. If it looked like a dog flea, then it is. If it looked more ”mite” like(wormy, tiny, wiggly not really like a ”flea” at all) then she has mites.
Good news is this can be treated effectivly with Ivermectin(which you can buy without a prescription), but please make sure you dose safely, as it is possible to overdose your piggy. It will be an idea to treat your other guinea pig, too, just to be safe.
Now, the bald spots, unless she has been fighting with your other girl, or is under stress, will be a fungal infection, also known as ringworm. Again, this will be treated with a dose of Ivermectin. If these bald spots turn up again, use either a Betadine cream(dab on her spots once a day for a month) or a Betadine wash(once a week for a month) and this will kill off and dry out the infected area. Betadine is perfectly safe to use on any animal, and they can lick it without any ill effects.
If you can’t Betadine, the next best thing is any iodine based solution or creams. Any pet store bought sprays, shampoos and creams are 100% useless and can sometimes make the situation worse. If both of them are itching constantly, you may want to give both a bath in Betadine(remember to dilute it with warm water so you don’t make it cold for them) and dose with Ivermectin.
It would be best for you to buy an extra cage so you can put them in there are they have been treated and give the old one a very good clean out. This should be done with boiled water and bleach mix(it will not hurt your piggies, but it will kill off any spores that will lay dormant and will infect your piggies over and over again). Once it is cleaned right out, leave it in the sun to dry.
As for her breathing, it doesn’t sound ”chesty”, but it does sound ”fluidy”, almost like she has stuff on her lungs or like something in her nose… Note it sounds like only when she breathes out, and isn’t there when she breathes in… Towards the end, too, I can hear it gets quicker… Did you take the sound from her nose or between her front legs? If the sound is coming out of her nose, I would more say allergy, or any early symptom of a URI(upper resperatory infection-Sorry can’t spell today!). If it is coming out of her chest, I would be concerned about pnumonia or a further developed URI.
Yes, you are quite right, the constant change in temperature is going to reek havoc on your piggy’s system, just as it does yours and mine. You are going to need to set your air con on one constant temperature all of the time, and try to resist changing it. Really, 24 celsius(not sure what that is over where you are, just found that it’s 77 farenheit) is the perfect temperature for you and your piggy friends, and also saves you on energy bills.
But you said that it gets to 75-80…I think you would find that you could very well move your piggies onto your veranda(if you have one) in a preditor proof cage and they will be fine. This may sort out your problem, too, as air conditioning is never good for anything’s breathing and lungs, it is one quick way to get yourself a cold(think about it, you go out in the heat, you come into the cold, do this enough and your immune system just buggs out as it can’t keep up with always changing!).
The best thing your vet can suggest for a URI is some meds like Baytril or Doxy. GL, I hope you find out what is going on with your girl, and she gets better soon!