About Jenny Atkins Expertise If your guinea pig has stopped eating, is having fits, looks puffed up or listless, is bleeding, has lost weight suddenly or is squeaking in pain then please, do not delay in taking him/her to a vet. Preferably a specialist small animal or exotic pet vet, but don't worry if you can't find one.
If you suspect your guinea pig is pregnant, has mites, is losing hair or you have a question about diet, cages, toys, exercise etc then look at my past answers before you ask your question, as it may save you time.
Otherwise, go ahead and ask me a question! My areas of expertise are in how to choose your guinea pigs, where to get them from and what you need before you bring your new pets home. I can also help with general care and dietary questions, with treating common illnesses (especially skin complaints), pregnancy and baby guinea pigs (though I do not approve of purposeful 'at home' breeding), and how to introduce two males.
I'd recommend The Really Useful Guinea Pig Guide by Myra Mahoney and Piggy Potions by Peter Gurney to all guinea pig owners - these books will tell you everything you need to know to ensure your guinea pigs have happy and healthy lives. I practically memorised these before I was allowed my first guinea pigs as a teenager!
Experience I absolutely love guinea pigs, and I think they make brilliant pets for the right owners. They are incredibly sociable animals and should always be kept in pairs, or a larger group (females only). If you spend lots of time with your guinea pigs, they will become very tame and friendly little creatures. I am very much a pet owner, and provide answers based on my personal experiences with my pet piggies, and what I've learned from books along the way. I'm not a breeder or a vet, so I can't answer questions about breeding, breeds or complicated illnesses. I have kept both boars and sows, and have had my share of unexpected newborns in the early days. I've had a total of 11 guinea pigs over the years - all adorable in their own way - including my current two boars (Almeida and Simba) whose cage has pride of place in my living room. When you have guinea pigs you learn something new about them every day!
Education/Credentials 2:1 Honours Degree in Creative Arts with English
Question I just bought a guinea pig on Thursday. I got her from a pet store, which probably wasn't the smartest idea, but I just fell in love with her. The next day, I noticed her nails were quite overgrown and were curling under, so today we took her back to the store to get them clipped. Her nails are fine now, but there are a few other things I'm worried about as well. I noticed a small patch behind her ear where there appears to be no hair, and later I discovered one on the other side as well. I don't know if this is normal or not. Another thing is that while she ate and drank well yesterday, I haven't seen her drink at all today, and she's only eaten a little. She won't eat the orange slices we've given her, or the vitamin C "orange slices" we got at the store, so that's a concern as well. She's also sneezed quite a few times tonight. We do have an appointment for her to see our vet on Thursday, but I'm hesitant to keep her waiting for that long. I wanted to call the vet tonight, but my parents think she's fine and we're fighting about it now. I just want her to be okay, and I don't know how much of this is normal guinea pig behaviour, how much is all the change she's been through over the past couple of days, and what is cause for concern. I'd really appreciate your opinion. Please, if you can, respond as soon as possible. Thank you.
Answer Hi Jen,
Sorry it has taken me a while to get to this. I've been very busy at work!
The bald patches behind her ears are fine - all guinea pigs have them here and just about their feet. Bald patches anywhere else are a cause for concern though, so it's important to check regularly.
I'm not surprised that she hasn't eaten the orange slices - guinea pigs don't really like fruit, and it can give them mouth ulcers too. I can see why you gave it to her though, as Vitamin C is very important. But the best way to feed it to guinea pigs is by giving them veggies like broccoli and carrots that are high in vitmain c. You will probably also find that she loves fresh parsley! Variety is important too, so as well as a vitamin-c-rich vegetable each meal time, try also giving her things like peppers, cucumber, celery (cut up very small) and cauliflower leaves. Never give a guinea pig anything that has been grown from a bulb.
Most guinea pigs do sneeze every day, because they're always sniffing around in their hay and bedding. Keep an eye on this though, as it could develop into a cold or upper respiratory infection, which a young piggy won't get over on its own so she'll need a trip to a vet for some antibiotics (check the Guinea Lynx website for safe medicines before you go - don't trust a non-specialist vet to know!). It could also be that she has an allergy to the bedding you're using - make sure you use the same as they did in the pet store, or one that is good for allergies such as Megazorb (available from equine stores).
I don't think she needs to see a vet in this instance, but you are right to err on the side of caution, as once ill, guinea pigs go down hill very quickly. I'd recommend getting a good book so you can recognise symptoms early on and learn when it's time for the vet and when it isn't - such as The Really Useful Guinea Pig Guide by Myra Mahoney.
