Common diseases of guinea pigs - reproductive system diseases

01 Guinea pig ketosis

In the United States, male guinea pigs are about 20% more expensive than female guinea pigs, but in China they are Female guinea pigs are expensive. Logically speaking, male guinea pigs are more aggressive and not as docile and social as female guinea pigs. Why are they more popular? This is mainly because female guinea pigs have a higher probability of developing reproductive system diseases, and pregnancy and childbirth are very dangerous for them. The number of years of raising guinea pigs in China is still short. Many people like to keep their animals fat. Many guinea pig owners have asked me if their guinea pigs are too thin (only yesterday, 2 pet owners asked me this question. Why? Gain weight?), what I tell them most often is "it is healthier for guinea pigs to be thin than fat within a healthy weight range, especially female guinea pigs."

There is a disease in guinea pigs that often appears in pregnant mothers. In guinea pigs, it is called pregnancy toxemia, also called ketoacidosis. We must try to avoid this disease because there is currently no cure. Ketoacidosis often occurs when guinea pigs produce too many ketone bodies, and ketone bodies are normal by-products of metabolism. There are many reasons for ketoacidosis, the most common of which is obesity. Secondly, there is loss of appetite and lack of exercise in late pregnancy. , excessive environmental pressure, hereditary uterine vascular hypoplasia. Ketosis poisoning usually occurs in the last 2-3 weeks of pregnancy in guinea pigs, and in the 1-2 weeks after giving birth. Female guinea pigs who are pregnant for the first time and second time are the focus of care.

In addition to most commonly occurring in pregnant female guinea pigs, ketosis can also occur in obese male and female guinea pigs that are not pregnant. Sick guinea pigs may die suddenly without any symptoms, or may show anorexia, body weight loss, lack of desire to drink, muscle spasms and tremors, lack of coordination in movements, clumsiness, sudden coma, and within 5 days of the onset of these symptoms. die.

Any obese guinea pig can develop ketosis in a sustained stressful environment. At least in the United States, there is no way to treat ketosis. Continue to supplement electrolytes, glucose, calcium gluconate, hormones, and supplement fruits and vegetables. , and other treatment methods are difficult to achieve satisfactory results. Prevention is the only effective safety guarantee. Please ensure that your guinea pig is provided with high-quality food during pregnancy, but limit its food amount to avoid obesity, reduce the possibility of exposure to stress during pregnancy, and keep the surrounding environment quiet and peaceful. Stablize.

When selecting guinea pigs for breeding, you should choose male guinea pigs with no history of obesity and female guinea pigs that have not died during pregnancy in the family, and place them in a decompressed environment to ensure safety.

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02 Gynecological diseases in guinea pigs

As guinea pig owners, we should know one thing. If you plan to let a female guinea pig give birth, you must choose to give birth to her first baby before she is 1 year old. If she is over 1 year old, Not yet in production, we would advise pet owners to abandon the idea.

Common reproductive disorders in guinea pigs involve the ovaries and mammary glands, as well as metabolic diseases caused by improper calcium levels that occur during pregnancy. Ovarian cysts are common among many female guinea pigs over 1 year old. They occur in both ovaries. Symptoms include: abdominal hair loss, loss of appetite, and lethargy. B-ultrasound is usually used to diagnose the disease. However, there are few related exotic pet doctors in China. After diagnosis, It is recommended to undergo sterilization surgery to remove the ovaries and uterus. If left untreated, the cyst may continue to grow until it ruptures. If there are no environmental restrictions, it is recommended that female guinea pigs over 1 year old that do not plan to breed should be sterilized.

Difficult labor is another fatal disease of female guinea pigs, at the beginning We have said that if a female guinea pig has not given birth for the first time before she is 1 year old, pet owners are not advised to think about breeding. A female guinea pig that has not given birth before 1 year old is very likely to have dystocia and subsequent death if she gives birth after 1 year old. Dystocia is caused by normal hardening of the tough fibrocartilage that connects the two pubic bones. Sclerosis of this cartilage, the pubic symphysis, limits the spread of the pubic bone. If the symphysis was not stretched during a previous delivery, the female will not be able to give birth normally. Cesarean section is very risky for guinea pigs, and the survival rate of female guinea pigs is very low. The safest option is to prevent pregnancy entirely by keeping male and female guinea pigs separately or by spaying them. Female guinea pigs used for breeding should be bred for the first time before they reach adulthood.

As mentioned repeatedly in the article, we recommend that owners of female guinea pigs, if the surrounding hospital conditions permit, have them sterilized and keep their bodies healthy but not obese.