Bladderstones (dime pictured to show size of stone)

Through our experiences owning cavies, a problem that has turned up far too often has been bladderstones. Symptoms can include: Frequent straining to urinate small amounts; discomfort while urinating; blood in urine (not always visible); loss of appetite/weight loss. Stones can be caused from too much calcium in the diet and insufficient water intake. Most bladderstones are calcium based and are visible on x-ray. Average size is the diameter of a pencil eraser. By the time you notice symptoms, it is VERY important to seek medical attention! Bladderstones can only be removed surgically. Pictured above: A bladderstone successfully removed from our 5-year-old Peppy in May, 1999. Peppy lost only 4 oz. during this whole ordeal and quickly regained the weight to his usual 3 lbs., 4 oz.! PLEASE NOTE: We have heard from other cavy owners whose GPs have had kidney stones diagnosed after noting blood in the urine. We have not experienced this in any of our cavies but anytime blood is seen in urine, it is best to consult a vet ASAP!

Overgrown Teeth

A common problem, particularly in older cavies, can be overgrown teeth. Throughout their lives, cavies teeth never stop growing so it is important that they have a proper diet (lack of Vit. C can cause teeth problems) and wood blocks or hay blocks to chew on to keep their teeth from overgrowing. This problem can affect the molars in the back of the mouth, constricting the tongue and the ability to chew or move food to the back of the mouth in order to swallow. The front teeth (incisors) can also overgrow and are usually an indication of a problem with the molars. However, incisors can be a problem all their own and can easily be trimmed by a professional veterinarian during an office visit. Treatment to correct overgrown molars, on the other hand, is a much more complicated procedure requiring an anesthetic and a longer stay. After trimming, you may have to supplement their diet with Oxbow's Critical Care (available through your vet), pureed pellets, veggies and a high calorie diet supplement like Nutri-Cal (available from your vet) by syringe to ensure they are getting proper nutrtion as they adjust to their teeth. (Our Ralphie was completely eating on his own less than 2 days after his teeth were trimmed!) Symptoms for overgrown teeth include: Difficulty chewing; dropping food from the mouth; weight loss; lack of interest in food and "drooling". Our 6-year-old Peppy required trimming of his premolars in June of 2000. Although once this problem occurs, cavies usually require periodic re-trimming; however, in Peppy's case, SOMEHOW he never required further trimming and enjoyed ALL foods! (Photo above: Our Teddy "drooling" after eating veggies before his teeth trimming procedure in 1995.)

Pododermatitis ("bumblefoot")

This is a condition affecting a cavy's paw(s) that is recognizable by swelling or inflammation of the pad or toe(s). In most cases, this condition can be successfully treated with antibiotics (and soaking the paw in an Epsom salt bath) Unfortunately, many cavies live in wire-floored cages and this can be the cause of this problem and is also very uncomfortable to walk/lay on! Pine bedding in their cages should be fine and soft and NOT have any sharp pieces of wood because this can puncture their paws and cause infection or worse. Although Ralphie lived in an aquarium cage, his case of pododermatitis advanced to osteomyelitis, which is an infection of the bone of an unknown origin. The photo above shows our Ralphie's front left paw and his enormously swollen forefinger. This problem started out as a swollen toe, gradually enlarging until the pad of the toe developed an open wound that periodically bled (and was very difficult to keep clean). Although this was a serious concern of ours, Ralphie never seemed to be concerned about it in any way. Ralphie was on an antibiotic (Trimeth-Sulfa) for months without improvement. Periodic x-ray revealed that the infection was beginning to spread, necessitating surgery (in 1997) to remove the toe to prevent further spreading. Ralphie completely recovered and never seemed to miss the toe! (PLEASE NOTE: Your vet may have a preference for a different antibiotic/treatment than Ralphie's - please direct all questions regarding various treatments to your knowledgable vet.)

IMPORTANT - WHEN YOUR SMALL ANIMAL NEEDS SURGERY: Over the years, we have had many cavies that have required surgery. In our experience, injectable anesthesia has not been successful for our pets survival and recuperation (this is very strong and hard on older cavies' bodies especially, making it difficult for them to work it out of their systems). There have been tremendous improvements in recent years in your choice of anesthesia. Our vet introduced us to the anesthetic called Isoflurane, a gas that is much easier on small animals systems. Recovery from this anesthetic is almost immediate following surgery and our pets have had 100% success with it!! COST OF SURGERY/MEDICAL CARE: It is VERY IMPORTANT that cavies get proper medical attention when needed because their health can decline very quickly if left to suffer! Although surgery (and some other medical care) may be expensive, you can discuss your financial concerns directly with your vet. Your vet will probably be willing to work with you (perhaps you can pay for treatment/surgery with payments in postdated checks) since you are making a sincere effort in getting your cavy well and healthy again! (Our vet has ALWAYS been understanding and worked with us so we could pay for whatever medical care was needed! We have found that even though we are on a tight budget, our peace of mind for the good health and high quality of life for our cavies is WELL WORTH the cost of an office visit and ALL medical care fees!)

Antibiotics

If for any reason, your veterinarian puts your cavy on antibiotics, it is VERY IMPORTANT to follow his instructions on administering the medication, whether your cavy likes the taste or not. If your pet does not like the taste, you can mix it with a little baby food (like applesauce) or vanilla Ensure, making sure the Rx dose remains exact! When a cavy is ill and/or not eating enough on their own, it is very important that they are getting enough Vit. C in their diet so we usually add a little liquid Vit. C to their daily Rx or mix it with pureed pellets/veggies we are feeding them orally by syringe! Two common safe antibiotics for cavies are Trimeth-Sulfa (pink-colored/strawberry-flavored) and Baytril (clear-colored/very strong unpleasant odor but other flavors may be available from your vet). (Photo above: Our Ralphie enjoying his tasty Trimeth-Sulfa in 1999!) NOTE: For more detailed information on antibiotics and other medications for guinea pigs, see "CavyMom's Favorite Helpful Links" on next page.

Neutering/Spaying It is becoming more popular these days to neuter/spay cavies that are going to share a cage due to the over-population and increasing numbers of GPs that are unwanted/neglected and abandoned at shelters every year to be euthanized. Our veterinarian neutered and spayed his own cavies! Neutering males is a more simple procedure than spaying a female and may also help with a male who has an aggressive personality. (We have never had any of our cavies neutered or spayed because they all live in separate 20-gallon aquarium/cages.)

Dry, Itchy Skin Many cavy owners notice their pets excessively scratching or biting their skin, sometimes causing bald spots. This can be caused by mites or lice (DON'T WORRY - these are not transferable to humans). Our Chumley was treated for mites in 2004 with 3 Ivomec injections over a course of 20 days. Fortunately, his itchiness subsided and his fur grew back in! Sometimes, baldness or itchy skin can be due to vitamin/water deficiency. Your vet is best to determine the cause of your pet's scratching and prescribing the proper cure. (We have used Chlorhexidine Dermatological Shampoo from our vet for our cavies who have had basic dry, itchy skin.)

Stool Impaction This problem normally occurs in older males. This can be a very serious situation, resulting in death. We check our males routinely and clear them of any obstruction gently with a Q-tip and warm water. This prevents a dangerous buildup. Please consult your vet for further advice. Your vet can give you a mild medicated pet shampoo (like Chlorhexidine Dermatological Shampoo) to keep the area free from bacteria if this is a common problem for your male. (We used Q-tips daily for our Ralphie, Barney & Peppy and shampooed their bottoms once weekly.)

Nail Clipping It is very important that GP toenails are not allowed to overgrow. Overgrown toenails can get so long, they begin to curl inward and can cut into the pads of their paws or other toes. Overgrown toenails can make your GP very uncomfortable and in some cases, depressed with a loss of appetite. We use small pet (cat) toenail clippers, which can be found at any pet store. It is very important to NOT cut too much toenail off because it is easy to go into the quick, which will bleed and cause pain. If the toenail is light-colored or pink, it is usually easy to see where the quick is and it is easy to stay away from. If the toenail is dark, it is best to just trim as little of the toenail as necessary. If you accidently cut into the quick and the toenail bleeds, it is recommended to apply flour or talcum powder to stop the bleeding or you can get Neo-Predef with Tetracaine powder from your vet. Normally, cutting toenails is a 2-person job (one to cut the nails and one to hold the pet), many cavies are scared or may nip during the pet-icure. If you are not comfortable cutting your cavies nails, it is highly recommended to let your vet perform this procedure, which is usually very inexpensive.

Allergies Just like humans, cavies can suffer from allergies. Our Ralphie suffered all his life with allergies, especially in the spring and fall months. At times, his breathing [through his nose] was so noisy that he sounded like a coffeepot percolating! We had him checked several times over the course of his life by our vet and he assured us the problem was NOT in his lungs (like pneumonia) but nasal allergies! We changed Ralphie's bedding from soft pine to shredded newspaper, which helped a bit but required cleaning twice a day. We tried putting Ralphie's cage next to a air filtering machine but it made no difference whatsoever in his allergy problems. If you think your cavy suffers from allergies (noisy breathing, watery eyes, tiredness, etc.), it's best to seek the advice of a veterinarian to make sure the little guy doesn't have a serious respiratory problem!

Weighing Your Cavy

We regularly weigh all of our cavies and keep a record, which is a good idea because a change in weight can be the first sign of an illness/health problem. (Photo above: Our Corky getting weighed on a standard 5-pound kitchen scale in 1997.)

NEXT PAGE: Our "Cavy Care Tips" Or Back To Home Page

	Powered by MSN TV	next page