Guinea Pig Droppings

10 things you need to check for when getting a Guinea Pig

Getting a guinea pig is a great thing to do if you are looking for a pet for your household.

So when looking for a healthy guinea pig, here are 10 things you need to check for when getting a Guinea Pig

Things you need to check for when getting a Guinea Pig
1. Check its feet.

Make sure that they look to be healthy and pink. If there is any sign of inflammation then this can be a sign of bacterial disease.

Make sure the guinea pig’s claws are of a good length and not excessively long.

There are also guinea pigs that develop flaps of tough skin that protrude from their front feet; these are called spurs. However, they can be removed with a nail clipper.

2. Check their teeth.

Open the guinea pigs mouth very carefully, and gently whilst supporting its whole body prise the mouth open with your finger. Check that the two incisor teeth and the molars of the upper jaw touch those on the lower jaw.

If this doesn’t happen this will be a problem for them in later life.

3. Check for crustiness around the mouth

If you see any crusty deposits around these areas then this is not good.

4. Check its eyes

They should be slightly moist and bright. If they have watery, crusty, cloudy, ulcerated, receding or protruding this is should cause concern.

5. Check its shape

Make sure that the guinea pig is nicely rounded. If it is thin  and limp then that is a bad sign that it has been underfed.

6. Check its responsiveness to your handling

Carefully and gently lift the guinea pig holding its body in one hand and supporting its backside in the other and let the spine lean into your hand.

Check how it responds to you picking it up. Don’t be put off if the guinea pig is shy.

7. Check its hair

Make sure it is bright, does not have scurfy skin beneath and shows no signs of hair loss.

If you see any bald patches then this is a sign of an infestation of mites or even an infection.

8. Check its droppings

They should be thin, solid and rounded much like a small bean-like the image below.

Guinea Pig Droppings
Guinea Pig Droppings

If you see any looseness in the droppings then this indicates a health problem.

9. Check its activity

Make sure it sits up normally without any hunching in its back and runs around actively.

Make sure that it is not moving around in circles and has its head pointing up as this can be a sign of blindness.

10. Check how they interact with others

If the guinea pig stays clear of others, it will most likely be calm and peaceful where as a Guinea pig that is in the crowd and runs around a lot will most likely be active and like playing.

This can have an impact when getting a guinea pig, especially if you are either buying few cavies.

One thought on “10 things you need to check for when getting a Guinea Pig

  1. Penelope is a Himalayan Guinea. We just recently took her in to our home. We are first time Guinea owners and have been following the simple care instructions from previous owners. They say she’s about 3 years old. She has been talkative, playful and full of energy since day two in our home.

    Penelope was fine or appeared and acted fine this morning but when we returned home this evening, she has labored breathing, is not active or talkative and her eyes appear kinda dazed to me.
    Any idea of what’s goin on?

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