Acute Illness Advice / Recommended Vets

Its sunday night at 11pm your just off to bed and check your piggie, oh dear something does not look right, he has been on the lawn today and seemed fine at tea time ? Now he is quiet,hunched up and has not touched tea.

Its upsetting isnt it, the unexpected, so its vital you get to know your healthy Guinea Pig so you can spot the signs of a poorly piggie !!! Make sure you find a good small animal vet who has good knowledge of Guinea Pigs, dont leave it till 11pm on a Sunday to search the net for a Guinea Pig vet !! Buy yourself a good text book to help you out and get informed :) see our links.

Make sure you have a stocked first aid kit - see our first aid for Guinea Pigs page for information.

As guinea pigs are prey animals, they often continue to act as 'normal' even when they are unwell, as in the wild they would be picked off by a predator if they showed signs of weakness. Unfortunately this can make it hard for us as guinea-pig owners to notice when a piggy may be unwell.

However, there are some early warning signs that can help:

1. Sitting 'puffed up' in the corner - often the guinea is huddled up into a ball, hair slightly on end (head in corner is a classic sign of a poorly pig!)
2. Dull or weepy eyes
3. Dribbling, wet under the chin
4. Change in poohs - Diarrhoea ,loose, smelly
5. Weight loss - which is why it's so important to weigh your guineas and keep a note regularly, as they can lose significant weight without appearing much smaller under all that hair!
6. Any change in or loss of appetite; eating less, drinking more or less
7. Change in behaviour - i.e not coming forward for food, less active than usual, tender to pick up
8. Change in coat / skin - hairloss, bald patches, scratches, any lumps or bumps
9. Swelling or ballooning of stomach area,abdominal distention.

You know your guinea pig best and if they're not acting normally it could be cause for concern. Observe, monitor and seek veterinary attention if necessary as early diagnosis could save your guinea's life.

Please do not delay seeking veterinary treatment for an acutely poorly Guinea Pig they deteriorate quickly !!! 

1:Keep your Guinea Pig warm - Heat pad or if you dont have one a hot water bottle with towels / fleece wrapped around.You dont need boiling water just tap hot,but you must supervise your Guinea Pig with a hot water bottle.

2:Ensure your Guinea Pig has regular fluids,if your Guinea Pig cant drink then syringe feed them regular cool water.Min 10ml hour.Guinea Pigs can dehydrate quickly so fluids are very important.If your Guinea Pig is struggling with taking water, you really need to see a Vet !! Vets can give sub cut fluids directly into the Guinea Pigs skin. If the Guinea Pig is showing any signs of abdominal distention and pain it could be "Bloat" you urgently need to see the vet.

3:Offer their favourite veg - as also contains water - if not eating then again you can syringe feed powdered emergency food such as Science Recovery.If you dont have a sachet then just crush some of your pellet food with warm water.Mix to a syringable consistency and give to your Guinea Pig every hour as much as they will take.You are looking at 60ml over 24hr period. 
If the Guinea Pig is showing any signs of abdominal distention and pain it could be "Bloat" you urgently need to see the vet,do not give food until this has been confirmed.

4:If they poop save it to show the vet also keep a note of:

Fluids / Food given and Guinea Pigs weight at start of illness.

Clive Curry and his team are our rescue vets and are an accredited exotics / small animal practice as well as caring for larger pets.They offer their own 24hr on call service which means even out of hours you see one of your usual vets  and all your pet's records are available . They offer excellent surgical and diagnostic facilities and their pricing is fair

Please visit their web site for practice information, opening times etc - see our webs link page

Practice number :01782 503166 - Tunstall

Practice number :01782 826738 - Endon

Practice number:01782 302669 - Werrington

Excellent vets who also specialise in Guinea Pig care.

One of our team uses the practice in Holmes Chapel for foster Guinea Pigs in their care.Manor Lane Holmes Chapel Cheshire CW4 8AB
Their out-of-hours cover is provided by Vets Now.

Call: 01477  544554

Recommended by our clients.Experienced Guinea Pig Vets who also provide their own out of hours service.

01782 657788 General enqueries / Out of hours.

Hope Veterinary Surgery

Sherborne Close
Newstead Industrial Estate
Trentham-Newstead, Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST4 8ZJ
UK

This practice is highly recommended run by Simon & Kim Maddock.This practice has a nationwide following ! and Guinea Pig owners travel for Simons expert care.

He specialises in Guinea Pig and Rabbit dental problems and also offers an excellent Guinea Pig dental service. Simon offers awake dental checks as well as a full range of diagnostic services.

01604 478888 - The Cat & Rabbit clinic http://www.catandrabbit.co.uk/

Vets For Pets - Alsager in Cheshire.

A lovely practice run by Carl,based in Alsager, Cheshire. 
Becky Tracey one of our team foster carers is a Vet there and really loves the work she does with exotic species especially Guinea Pigs. Contact the practice for details of services they offer including boar neutering. 

Alsager Vets for Pets - Lawton Road
Alsager
Stoke on Trent
Cheshire
ST7 2AF
01270 871810