Common Guinea Pigs Illnesses and Health Problems

Guinea pigs can be afflicted with a number of common diseases and illnesses like respiratory infections, skin problems and other genetic disorders.

Mange mites or Trixacarus caviae can be a common source for many skin conditions in guinea pigs. These mange mites are actually small parasites that can lead to excessive scratching and hair loss. Running lice or Gliricola porcelli are also a common source of skin problems in a long-haired guinea pig. The running lice look like small white insects that move through the hair of the animal, feeding on their skin cells and laying eggs on the surface of the skin, causing more irritation. The eggs can be small pieces that are black or white and will produce more running lice and more problems for your guinea pig.

Hormonal problems can also cause hair loss in your guinea pig. These hormonal problems can be the result of a number of problems and ailments. Ovarian cysts are common. There are genetic predispositions that can lead to diabetes or problems with the thyroid.

Heat stroke is a common problem for guinea pigs in high temperatures. Long-haired animals like the Peruvian can be particularly afflicted with this problem. If the summer temperatures are higher than 90F, the cavies can suffer from hypothermia. Humidity above 70% can also be problematic. The higher humidity makes is more difficult to release their body heat.

There are other problems that can happen as part of the guinea pig’s local environment. If you use straw or hay with your bedding, you can see the dust and stems from this bedding cause problems for your pig. The stems of the hay or straw can get lodged in their throat or nose, while the dust can get into the animal’s eyes and cause eye infections.

There are some genetic disorders that are also common among guinea pigs. Congenital eye problems are a common problem among the Abyssinians, while waltzing disease (also causing palsy and deafness) are common. The disease name comes from the fact that the animal will run around wildly in circles.

If the animal has an abscess in their teeth, it may be the result of an occlusion. Guinea pigs’ teeth continue to grow throughout their lives and any problem or poorly formed tooth can cause big problems for the guinea pig and become painful. An oral infection wil be the result of this infection.

Ringworm and other fungal infections are also very common. Ringworm happens in climates that have a high humidity. The spores can be released into the air after a long hibernation period, even years. When the animal comes in contact with these spores, it can result in a skin lesion that may or may not exude serum until they heal.

You can treat these sores with a fungicide like Nizoral or Malaseb. Sometimes you can also find topical creams that will help like Miconazole or Clotrimazole. If the condition is very serious, an oral treatment like Lufenuron can be used.

         

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