So, my guinea pig has been losing a lot of weight lately and has diarrhea. She also has been losing hair around her eye. I was researching that it might be ringworm. I wanted some advice before I go to the vet because my family is really nervous that we are all going to get ringworm. Thanks
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Help With Sick Guinea Pig
- Thread starter Eva Hines
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Hi there,
Sorry to hear your little one is poorly. It sounds like the main issue is the diarrohea and weight loss- she will definately need to see a piggy savvy vet if you havent already done so. Have you checked the vet locator on the forum?
How much weight has she lost exactly? Please start weighing her daily and topping her up with syringe feed. It is vital that a guinea pigs guts keep moving in order to prevent them shutting down. Here is some help on that:
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Make sure she is getting enough fluids as she will be losing alot with the diarrohea. You can syringe her some, but no more than 0.5ml in her mouth at a time, or 0.25ml for small weak guinea pigs. Stay off any fresh fruit or veg as this will make it worse.
Please ensure she has fresh hay and water available at all times.
The skin issue may be fungal, but it will need a vet to diagnose it. Things like this can creep up when our piggies immune systems are low. With good hygiene, things shouldnt transfer.
I hope she can see a vet soon x
Sorry to hear your little one is poorly. It sounds like the main issue is the diarrohea and weight loss- she will definately need to see a piggy savvy vet if you havent already done so. Have you checked the vet locator on the forum?
How much weight has she lost exactly? Please start weighing her daily and topping her up with syringe feed. It is vital that a guinea pigs guts keep moving in order to prevent them shutting down. Here is some help on that:
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Make sure she is getting enough fluids as she will be losing alot with the diarrohea. You can syringe her some, but no more than 0.5ml in her mouth at a time, or 0.25ml for small weak guinea pigs. Stay off any fresh fruit or veg as this will make it worse.
Please ensure she has fresh hay and water available at all times.
The skin issue may be fungal, but it will need a vet to diagnose it. Things like this can creep up when our piggies immune systems are low. With good hygiene, things shouldnt transfer.
I hope she can see a vet soon x
Please always have your guinea pig checked by a vet as soon as it is losing weight and step in with syringe feeding as son as a guinea pig is losing over 50g (2 oz). That is also the time you switch from your weekly weigh-in to a daily weigh-in at the same time. It is absolutely vital that your guinea pig is seen by s vet as soon as possible! Loss of appetite can have many causes, but most are due to a pain issue of some kind or a dental problem with the back teeth. Because guinea pigs have such a fast metabolism, their guts are in danger of slowly closing down if a guinea pig is not eating for any length of time. They are also small animals, so you have a lot less time to think about going to a vet or not. The sooner a piggy is getting seen, the better its chances for a quick and full recovery.
As unlimited hay should make up to 80% of the daily food intake, just watching your guinea pig chew, can be deceptive.
Please carefully read our illustrated step-by-step guide on syringe feeding. We have included tips on what you can do with what you have at home for an emergency.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Under the circumstances, it is most likely that any fungal is secondary, caused by a suppressed immune system.
With the correct hygiene, nobody is catching ringworm. If necessary, ask your parents to please read this post and the links. Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
We have got a recommended UK vets locator on the top bar, but may be able to provide a link for recommended vets in some other countries.
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