• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Worms? Intestinal parasites?

Dilly's Piggies

Dilly's Piggies

Teenage Guinea Pig
Joined
Jan 27, 2016
Messages
834
Reaction score
656
Points
525
Location
Lincolnshire UK
What are the types of gut infestations guinea pigs can get and what are the symptoms? Do guinea pigs need deworming? I assume the only way to diagnose is a faecal test right? My girl Lottie has a normal appetite but is losing weight. Thanks in advance!
 
@CavyConnoisseur You can try a 'try it and see' with medications but it's always best to try to work out what the problem is and medicate from the results.

I have no idea what all of the types of gut infestations a guinea pig can get. But from my experience with Jon his symptoms were:

- weight loss or no increase despite eating more than a normal pig
- weird shaped and small poops
- rumbling stomach
-heaving reaction to certain foods
 
If she is losing a lot of weight it might be best to pop her along to the vets so they can diagnose her properly :) If you guess what is wrong with her, you may end up giving her the wrong treatment and that may make her worse. There's a list of guinea pig savvy vets on the forum in the illness section which I have found really useful :)
 
@CavyConnoisseur
I recently lost Toffee because of this. It was masked due to fly strike and we were treating that. I hadn't seen any symptoms but the only reason I know is because the vet did an autopsy on him because I just couldn't make sense to any of it.

I don't know what different types of gut infections their are but the vet believes something could have - I repeat could have crawled up and caused the infection, but it was again masked by his previous owners not giving feeding him hay apart from the sneaky stuff he got when I jumped over the fence to him.

Mine are all treated with Xeno450 regularly to keep things at bay but frankly you just never know what's round the corner.
 
I would take her to a vet for a proper diagnosis.
I hope it’s nothing serious and she’s better soon
 
She is already under a vet, they just don't know what they're doing so I'm having to tell them what to do. Nearest exotic is over 1 hour away, I don't drive and cannot get there so it's a normal vet or no vet. My vet is currently testing her poop and we will hear back today on the results.
 
CavyConnoisseur said:
She is already under a vet, they just don't know what they're doing so I'm having to tell them what to do. Nearest exotic is over 1 hour away, I don't drive and cannot get there so it's a normal vet or no vet. My vet is currently testing her poop and we will hear back today on the results.
Click to expand...
Any vet is better than no vet :) I really hope you get to the bottom of it soon x
 
@CavyConnoisseur is the Exotic vet the one at Animates near Bourne? If you don't drive I might be able to sort out taking her if you want, she could stay overnight at mine too if necessary, or if you wanted to go by train I could pick you up from the station & take you to the vet & back. I work part time, so if you want help pm me. The Exotic vet there is excellent, Sarah Pellett, she can send a faecal sample off for you to Chester Zoo, where they can do an in depth analysis for parasites. Guinea pigs can get worms & other parasites, but it is rare, so don't really need regular worming.
 
Mother Hubbard said:
@CavyConnoisseur
I recently lost Toffee because of this. It was masked due to fly strike and we were treating that. I hadn't seen any symptoms but the only reason I know is because the vet did an autopsy on him because I just couldn't make sense to any of it.

I don't know what different types of gut infections their are but the vet believes something could have - I repeat could have crawled up and caused the infection, but it was again masked by his previous owners not giving feeding him hay apart from the sneaky stuff he got when I jumped over the fence to him.

Mine are all treated with Xeno450 regularly to keep things at bay but frankly you just never know what's round the corner.
Click to expand...

sorry of your loss
 
CavyConnoisseur said:
What are the types of gut infestations guinea pigs can get and what are the symptoms? Do guinea pigs need deworming? I assume the only way to diagnose is a faecal test right? My girl Lottie has a normal appetite but is losing weight. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

i hope she gets better
 
CavyConnoisseur said:
She is already under a vet, they just don't know what they're doing so I'm having to tell them what to do. Nearest exotic is over 1 hour away, I don't drive and cannot get there so it's a normal vet or no vet. My vet is currently testing her poop and we will hear back today on the results.
Click to expand...

You can send a sample off yourself to PALS. It's just through the post like a regular parcel/letter.

And it's cheaper than getting a vet to do it.

And they'll email the results to your vet ao they can diagnose and treat her.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top