Guinea pigs are very cute and fairly unpretentious animals, so they are often bred as pets. Watching them, you can see how sometimes they itch. Is this normal? What are the causes of itching? What conditions does a pet need to ensure that he is happy and healthy? How much does a guinea pig live at home?
When should I sound the alarm?
All guinea pigs itch, this is a completely natural process - so they follow their own hygiene. The pet may well scratch any place just like that, this is not a reason to sound the alarm. However, it is worth highlighting some factors that should alert the owner:
- The pig constantly scratches one place.
- Dandruff is visible on the skin.
- The mumps has become inactive or too irritable.
- Red spots, swelling, black spots are visible on the skin.
- In some places, wool began to fall out.
- Guinea pig bites itself and itches.
Any this item, either individually or in combination with others, may indicate health problems with the guinea pig. Below we consider the main possible causes of scabies.
Parasites
Guinea pig can be very itchy due to infection with a scabies mite. It settles in the deep layers of the skin and causes unbearable itching. The guinea pig begins to comb the skin before the blood, the hair falls out, pustules form. Guinea pig can be infected through food, hay, from other animals and even from people.
Another unpleasant parasite is a lice beetle. With the help of a magnifier it can be seen on the skin of an animal. The pig's hair falls out, itching begins, dandruff appears. The disease affects the back, perineum and croup. Mumps can be infected through food and from infected animals.
Severe scabies can be a symptom of lice infestation. The pig blushes and flakes the skin. The animal begins to behave strangely: bounces, squeaks, itches very badly. Look for lice on the head and ears.
One of the most common parasites that infect guinea pigs is fleas. They bite the pigs, from which they itch. Flea bites can cause serious anemia. Mumps loses appetite, becomes lethargic and inactive.
Does the guinea pig itch, eat little and drink a lot? Perhaps she has worms. The parasite is very dangerous for guinea pigs. The animal begins to lose power literally in the eyes, there are problems with the digestive system, in particular with the intestines.
Allergy
Scabies can result from allergies. An animal can scratch one place before the wounds, it has hair loss, its eyes are watery, there is sneezing and shortness of breath. The cause may be a food allergy or an allergy to bedding.
The immunopathological process can cause coniferous sawdust, which releases substances that irritate the respiratory tract. Continuous contact with skin and coat may cause a severe allergic reaction over time. If the guinea pig has signs of allergy, you need to change the litter to cellulose or corn.
If the guinea pig has a food allergy, then identifying the exact source of it is not so simple. It is advisable to take tests. However, at home, you can try to determine the source of the problem by combining different foods and carefully observing the animal. The component that causes an allergic reaction should be completely excluded from food.
Fungus
A guinea pig can scratch from depriving. Most often it can be seen on the face. Without treatment, it spreads to the entire body. If a flaky spot appears on the skin, hair falls out, a wound forms, the guinea pig often scratches it - perhaps the cause is a fungus.
Lichen guinea pig can pick up from other infected animals. Also, the causes of its appearance can be stress, age, too high humidity in the cell, wet litter. Lichen may appear against the background of other diseases. For example, against the background of an allergy or infection with parasites.
Vitamin deficiency
Another reason for scabies can be avitominosis, which is associated with a poor diet and a lack of succulent plant foods. The scabies begins on the animal, a rash appears on the skin, and hair falls out. The mumps is inactive, suffers from constipation. All this can result from a lack of vitamin C.
It is necessary to take the animal to a doctor in order to exclude from possible causes of scabies infection with parasites, fungus and allergies. If the doctor diagnoses Avtominoz, it is necessary to increase the amount of feed containing vitamin C. For example, you can hang a bunch of parsley rich in it in the cell.
Stress
Stress can cause problems with the nervous system, so the guinea pig will begin to itch, lose hair and appetite. There can be many reasons for the stress of this small animal. One of the main ones is poor living conditions, due to which the guinea pig is constantly in an uncomfortable and irritable state. Stress can build up and result in serious health problems.
If a guinea pig nibbles a cage, then the cage is too small for it: these animals are not so small, and therefore demanding space.
Other pets can become a cause of stress. For example, cats who like to watch the rodent from the side, and in the absence of the owner do not mind putting their paw in the cage.
Constant noises and vibrations can irritate the pet, so you do not need to put a cage in the speakers or TV.
Treatment
Have you noticed that your guinea pig itches, what to do first? It is necessary to carefully examine the animal and note all deviations from the normal state.
If the guinea pig is itching from stress, carefully analyze the animal’s conditions and eliminate all possible causes of anxiety.
But if the causes of scabies could not be visually established, urgently carry the pet to the veterinarian. He will make scrapings from the skin and go to them for analysis. Only after determining the exact cause of scabies, you can prescribe the correct treatment.
Prevention
Quite often, the cause of infection of the guinea pig with parasites is communication with other animals. Pay attention to this. Walking the animal on the street in green grass may not have the most pleasant consequences.
Guinea pigs can be kept together in same-sex pairs. If one of the couple falls ill, temporarily isolate the individual from a healthy animal. The cage, feeder and house should be washed well with disinfectants and dried. If you just bought a second animal at a pet store, temporarily quarantine it and monitor your health before introducing yourself to other pets.
It is necessary to carefully monitor the purity of the cell. Mumps quickly contaminate the litter with urine, which can cause irritation and inflammation. It must be changed on time.
At least once a month, you need to inspect the guinea pig body for wounds, irritations or inflammation. If you find something strange, you need to urgently contact your veterinarian.
Features of the correct content
Most diseases are caused by improper guinea pigs. In poor conditions, the body weakens, the animal becomes more vulnerable. Owners often wonder: how long does a guinea pig live at home? If you follow all the rules, a pet can live up to 8 years.
Guinea pigs can be kept in cages or enclosures. The minimum size of the cage is 40 * 80 cm, and the height is 50 cm. In a small cage, the beast will have nowhere to turn around, he will begin to depression. The animal can be released for walks on the floor, but you need to carefully monitor it. Remember that a person from the street can bring quite a lot of harmful microbes on shoes, so letting a guinea pig go for a walk is only where it is ideally clean.
Place the cage in a place far from drafts and out of the reach of direct sunlight. In no case with heating or electrical appliances. The optimum temperature for guinea pigs is +17 ... 20 . Humidity is from 40 - 60%.
As filler, you can use sawdust of non-coniferous trees, corn or cellulose filler. The guinea pig must have a house in which it can hide and rest, feeders for dry and wet food. Put water in a bowl, but remember that an active animal can well overturn it and pour water around it, therefore it is more efficient to use a ball or automatic drinker. They save space, the water is not so quickly polluted, it is easy to change.
The diet of guinea pigs should consist of dry and wet food. Be sure to give them a sennik - the main source of protein, small branches of fruit trees so that they can grind their teeth.
Remove the filler in the cage as needed. Once a month, carry out a general cleaning: wash the cage, house, feeders and drinking bowl.
Guinea pigs are pretty calm creatures. They can be kept in same-sex pairs. Do not keep the boy guinea pig with the girl if you do not want to deal with their future offspring. In addition, the boy will get the girl so much with her courtship that she will try to escape, hide, and in limited conditions the cells are difficult.
Carefully monitor the condition of the pet. If wool falls out, the guinea pig itches, squeaks, refuses food, it is urgent to take the animal to the veterinarian.