Today we going to see how to know if your guinea pig is sick. since guinea pigs are prey animals and therefore very good at hiding the symptoms. it can be hard to detect when they're sick. that's why once you see a sign of an illness it's important to go to the vet as an illness can progress pretty fast.
Guinea pigs hide their illnesses as long as possible. because in nature they need the protection of their herd. they also need food and water to survive. so they will try to behave as normally as possible for as long as possible.
Short disclaimer I'm not diagnosing in this post. I'm only telling you about science, you may see with your guinea pig. a few serious signs that you can you think is sick.
Signs of sick guinea pig
Sudden weight loss
A guinea pig's weight can vary from week to week. however if it suddenly starts to drop pretty fast, you'll know that something must be wrong. some guinea pigs might be unable to chew properly and lose weight. others might be in pain which stops them from eating there are many illnesses that go hand-in-hand with weight loss. if you're right down your guinea pig's weight you will see when something's not right. it's also a big help for the fat if you can provide him with this info.
Sudden hair loss
A guinea pig that loses part of its forest. also not healthy it can be something simple as mites or something more complicated like ovarian cysts in any case. you will need some form of medication for that.
Blood
if you can eat pig is heavily fighting with another guinea pig or if there are parasites in his fur, you will sometimes see a wound on his body. if your guinea pig is bleeding it's usually easy to spot but only if that we'll be able to tell you what the problem is.
Red and crusty eyes
Another sign that something is wrong is when your guinea pig cannot open his eye anymore. there's big rust around the eye or maybe. the eye might just look horrible in general. this can be a sign of a hippo. but also of pinkeye or even a problem with their teeth. your vet will check for any injuries in your guinea pig's eyes and will give you the proper medication. we've had a hip hook before and we got medication to make sure that no bacteria got into the eye, a medication that helps the eye heal.
Guinea pig sick noises
Your guinea pig's nose should also be clean and dry. if it's not it's also a good idea to sealer that.
Teeth
The only really obvious sign that your guinea pig has a teeth problem. that you can see is if one of the teeth is broken. that's usually not the worst thing to happen. but if your guinea pig has trouble chewing often the vet might need to look at the teeth. you can see which are in the back of your Piggy's mouth. so if your guinea pig's front teeth look fine to you but it has trouble chewing you'll need to ask the vet.
Mouth
Except for when your Piggy's eating watery veggies like salad or cucumber. your Piggy's mouth shouldn't be wet drooling, which isn't normal. so it's a sign that something's not right.
Ears
A sign of an ear infection is that your guinea pig is always tilting its head or that there's a lot of crust in the ear.
Guinea pig doesn't move
A sign of pain is when your guinea pig is lying in this cage not moving anymore. can you pick sleep a lot in general, however when you notice that you can your pig doesn't seem to react to its surroundings. seems to be lying there all day or sitting and curling up in a corner all day. isn't really getting up for food anymore then something's very wrong.
once a guinea pig is in a lot of pain, many of them stop eating. which in turn stops their digestion from working. so if you notice this it's probably best to consult the vet immediately. even if it's late in the evening.
If the day was extremely hot and the guinea pig outside. this can also be a sign of heatstroke. in all of these cases the sooner you get your guinea pig to the vet, the better.
Trouble walking or limping
This sign is kind of obvious because if you're going to pick stores limping you'll see it right away.