Guinea pig health, skin ailment identification

Sigma Force

Seems to be cropping up a bit lately so here's a link to help guinea pig owners identify skin ailments on their guinea pig.

Guinea pigs can suffer from a number of common skin ailments the main ones are fungal, mites, lice and ringworm. Some can be brought on by stress, low immunity, through hay, and are also contagious carried from one pig to another.

All of these issues are generally easy and not expensive to solve so there should be no excuse for any piggy to suffer.

Here's the link and their products are excellent I can't recommend them highly enough http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/indentification.html

If your guinea pig is happily not suffering from any skin ailments remember prevention is better than cure. The site above also has preventative shampoos etc. Remember bathing your guinea pig is a vital part to their over all health. At this time of year no guinea pig should be left in a hutch outside, minimum they need at this time of year is their hutch to be placed in a warm shed.

They do not do well in damp cold conditions and especially as they get older, older pigs (any over 4 yrs ish) should certainly not be outside in this weather.

Products that can help your pig to stay comfy, perhaps a nice little xmas pressie for them are.. plenty of fresh clean dry hay, vet bed, snuggle safe heat pads (think all of these are available on zooplus). Hutch huggers.

I just can't praise gorgeous guineas enough there's also a very other sites worth checking out like galens gardens and perfect piggies I think it's called.

So keep your piggies clean and cosy this winter, and pay particular attention to their skin. For elderly guinea pigs pay particular attention to their weight (they do tend to loose weight as they get really old) and their feet and ears and teeth. Gorgeous guineas has great products for guinea pigs feet to help with issues like bumblefoot etc.

Hope this helps to make at least one guinea pigs life more cosy this winter.