Summer safety

By now we are all well aware of the dangers that too much sun can cause to our health, but it’s not just the sun that can pose many potential problems for guinea pigs during the warmer months.

Guinea pigs originate from Peru, where the temperature can get quite warm. The optimum environmental temperature for them is 20-22ºC (68-72ºF). Guinea pigs may struggle with colder temperatures, especially those approaching freezing, so when the weather does get colder, they will require extra bedding and maybe moving inside, so they can maintain their body temperature.

However, excess heat poses problems for guinea pigs, as they have few ways to cool themselves down, if they do overheat. Those who are overweight, pregnant or stressed are more susceptible to the effects of heat stroke.

During the warmer months, many guinea pigs do enjoy a spot of basking in the sun (and there may well be health benefits to some exposure to sunlight), but you will notice that they will dive for the shade as soon as they begin to feel uncomfortable with the heat. Guinea pigs are unable to sweat and cannot pant effectively, so if they do overheat, they don’t have these mechanisms to enable them to cool down very well. A guinea pig will use its ears to try and reduce their body temperature. They have a very thin layer of fur, so excess heat can escape from this area quicker than anywhere else on the guinea pig’s body.

If you suspect that your guinea pig is getting too hot, make sure they are in the shade and offer them wet towels to lie on and ensure they have plenty of cool, drinking water.

Signs of heat stroke in guinea pigs may present as: a loss of appetite, lethargy, floppiness, increased breathing rate, dribbling around the nose and mouth which may be blood-tinged. In the latter stages the guinea pig will become weak, uncoordinated and collapse, potentially with seizures, before sadly dying.

If you suspect your guinea pig has heat stroke and is displaying any of the signs mentioned above, phone your veterinarian immediately for advice. Sometimes, if you have noticed the early signs, a veterinarian may advise you to try to cool your guinea pig down at home, rather than stressing it out by taking it to the surgery. If this is the case you can try wetting their ears with cool (but not cold) water, giving them damp, cool towels to stand on, or using a fan or a hair dryer on a cool setting. You must NEVER place your guinea pig in cold water.

However, if your guinea pig seems to be getting no better despite these measures or has anything other than extremely mild signs, you must call your veterinarian back immediately for further advice and be prepared to take them to the veterinary practice as further treatment may be required to try to save their life.

To help keep your guinea pig cool you should:

• Ensure that your guinea pig has plenty of shade, bearing in mind that the sun will move around during the course of the day. If the guinea pig lives outdoors in a hutch, the hutch itself needs to be positioned in shade, or have a sunshade erected over it. In direct sunshine the hutch becomes like an oven.
• Plastic hides are popular with guinea pigs, but these can quickly overheat and become like an oven. Always ensure they cannot be moved, so the guinea pig becomes trapped and if possible have more than 2 entrances and exists for them.
• Fresh water must always be available (both bottles and bowls are appreciated in summer), and some guinea pigs appreciate damp towels or plastic soft drink bottles three quarters filled, sealed, wrapped in a towel and then frozen to lie up against.
• Guinea pigs that are kept inside the house or those in a shed may appreciate a fan set on a low/medium setting but make sure the guinea pig can’t reach the electric cable and aren’t in a constant draught. Also ensure there is adequate ventilation and their enclosure is not in direct sunlight.
• Guinea pigs will be cooler outside in the shade, rather than in a hutch, so allow them to go out in a run with adequate shade rather than leaving them in their hutch. They also need this so that they can eat fresh grass.
• NEVER put a guinea pig in a greenhouse or conservatory. Greenhouses and conservatories very quickly heat up with minimal sun.
• If you are taking your guinea pig in the car on a warm day (to the veterinary practice, etc), then ensure they are not travelling in the heat of the day, sitting in the direct sun and you do not leave them in the car, even if you are with them. They will quickly start to suffer from the effects of the heat and lack of ventilation.

In common with most other white animals, white guinea pigs are susceptible to sunburn, especially on their ears and nose and feet. Some other lighter shades of fur colouring or naked pigs are also prone to sunburn so care must be taken.

To try and prevent sunburn, always ensure that the guinea pig has adequate shade and try not to let them out in the sun for too long (especially if they are a sun-worshiper!).

Guinea pigs love food and especially love grass; allowing your guinea pigs time to graze on the lawn is something that should be encouraged. However, if you are mowing your lawn, be careful not to allow your guinea pigs to eat clippings from the lawn.

After being cut, clippings from the lawn mower quickly begin to ferment, and if eaten will continue to do so inside the guinea pig, possibly causing excess gas formation within the digestive system, which can be serious and life-threatening.

This is a condition most prevalent in the warmer months of the year (but has been reported as early as January or as late as November), where certain species of flies lay their eggs on a soiled or wet area of the animal’s body (usually the tail area). Bloodied areas, such as open wounds or cuts will also attract flies.

Once laid, within 6-36 hours (depending upon the type of fly), the eggs will hatch into maggots that immediately proceed to eat into the guinea pig’s flesh, causing immense suffering and tissue damage.

Immediate veterinary treatment is essential to have any chance of saving the guinea pig, but sadly even with emergency treatment, sometimes the maggots have caused too much damage and the veterinarian will recommend that the guinea pig is put to sleep to save it suffering any further.

Prevention cannot be emphasized too much. Although the condition is much more common in rabbits than it is guinea pigs, you should always ensure your guinea pig is spotlessly clean, paying special attention to the scent gland area around their bottom, as this can become compacted, especially in older males. Check the whole guinea pig thoroughly twice daily for soiled/wet areas, cuts or eggs/maggots. Also make sure you check their face, as those who dribble, due to dental disease are also at risk. Their environment should also be kept clean.