Impactions – what’s the blockage?

An impaction occurs when something blocks a part in the guinea pig’s gastrointestinal tract. This can occur in the entrance or exit of the stomach, along the intestines, or in the colon. Ingestion of non-food objects, or collections of big clumps of food or dried fur in the stomach or intestines can block normal passage of food. Impaction can also occur from stomach or intestinal tumours. Regardless of the cause, impaction is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition and needs immediate veterinary treatment.

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A guinea pig that has an impaction will be unable to pass food through the digestive tract. Food continues to build up in the stomach/intestines and will result in painful bloating as the food/feces collects and builds up or the guinea pig may have diarrhea. The guinea pig may quickly lose all interest in eating, cease passing droppings or pass loose stools, show a bloated/distended abdomen, and show signs of abdominal pain (grinding the teeth, sit hunch up with eyes half closed, reluctant to move).

If left untreated an impacted guinea pig may collapse and die, especially if the obstruction leads to rupture of the intestines/stomach.

At the first sign of a problem, it is important to get your guinea pig to your veterinarian straight away – day or night. These situations are a true emergency and if your guinea pig is left for just a couple of hours to see if there is any improvement, it may be too late to save them.

If your clinic does not have an after-hours emergency service, make sure you are always familiar with the closest after-hours service in your area.

If an impaction or blockage is suspected, then your veterinarian will want to stabilize your guinea pig first to give it the best chance for survival. In the first instance, the guinea pig may be given analgesia (pain relief), as well as intravenous fluids to support blood volume and hydration.

Radiographs (x-rays) are often taken to look for a foreign body or to try and isolate the area of impaction. Not all impactions will show up on radiographs so other tests may also be used.

Your veterinarian may also take a blood sample to check your guinea pigs blood glucose level. A guinea pig’s blood glucose level will rapidly rise when under extreme stress.

If an impaction is diagnosed, then depending upon your guinea pig’s condition your veterinarian may observe your guinea pig initially to see what effect the pain relief and fluids have. With supportive treatment some guinea pigs may be able to pass the impaction without surgery.

If the guinea pig’s condition does not improve quickly, emergency surgery may be required to remove the blockage.

Surgery is serious and has many potential complications, but if the guinea pig is unable to pass the impaction, without surgery they are highly likely to die or require euthanasia to prevent further suffering.

A good diet is a massive step in the right direction to preventing impactions, a diet high in fiber is essential for gut motility.

Always ensure that your guinea pig has access to fresh and clean water, and in a method that they are used to drinking from.

Try not to let house guinea pigs eat carpet, wallpaper or other household items – these can slow down the GI tract or cause a blockage. Guinea pigs are unlikely to suffer from a foreign body blockage but as they cannot vomit, anything they ingest that cannot pass through the digestive tract can cause a problem.

Groom your guinea pig regularly and increase the grooming when they are moulting to decrease the amount of hair.

Ensure that your guinea pig is consuming an adequate amount of fluid during this time.