The Guinea Pig Vet

03/08/2024

We hope everyone has a great weeeekend!
🌞😆🎉

Image: It's a Guinea Pig World

29/07/2024

Get ready guinea pig lovers ❤️🎉😎

Just under a WHEEK to go until the film launches on Netflix UK & Ireland! We're featured in the coming soon section now! Next Wednesday we'll be on Good Morning Britain talking all about the film & the incredible work rescue centres do so tune in if you can 🐹🎬❤️

17/07/2024

My colleagues thought I was twinning with one of our visitors 😆. Do you look like any of your guinea pigs? Show us in the comments.📷

24/06/2024

Crumble visited us a few months ago as she was getting wet and smelly around the back end. She was passing some blood in her urine and appearing painful when she urinated. She responded well to pain relief and antibiotics. However, as soon as her medication ended signs would return. A couple of weeks later her bladder area felt thickened. This thickening worsened over the coming weeks so an ultrasound scan was advised. This revealed a cervical tumour with the bladder adhered to it. Crumble had surgery. The mass, along with the rest of her uterus and ovaries were successfully removed. She recovered very well and has had no further urinary issues.🥰

07/05/2024

A personal story about one of my family's guinea pigs called Jolly. Jolly had a remarkable recovery from illness last week. We thought we would share her story to highlight how quickly guinea pigs can get very ill and how, sometimes, they can recover equally as quickly.🌼

On Wednesday - we noticed that Jolly was a little quieter and eating a little less enthusiastically than normal.

By Thursday - she could not stand on her legs or walk properly. Also, Jolly was not eating or passing faeces.💩

On the clinical exam nothing specific was found other than pain from her hips and caudal abdomen.

An x-ray showed some increased gas in her stomach/caecum. So over the next 24hrs I started her with syringe feeding, pain relief, massaging her abdomen and gut medication We are happy to announce that Jolly made a full recovery and is now completely back to normal (within 24 hours).❤️

14/04/2024

New blog post on options for euthanasia in Guinea Pigs. https://wix.to/alFz5Qr

Euthanasia is often a very challenging and emotional time for both you and your veterinary surgeon. It is also a very important moment for you as a pet owner. Understanding the process more clearly and the possible options available may help to make the process a little less daunting for you.

https://wix.to/alFz5Qr

27/03/2024

Meet Meggie the guinea pig. This is inside Meggie's mouth. Meggie's owner had noticed she was eating more slowly, making faces whilst eating and that she had an unusual aroma from her mouth.

Meggie must've eaten something sharp. Causing a wound down the inside of her cheek and across her lower lip, with a lesion also on the side of her tongue. Meggie had pain relief and antibiotics and has made a full recovery.😍

15/03/2024

Meet Sid 👋🏻 he visited us recently for a check over. Sid is now 6.5 years old. 2 years ago he had surgery to remove a large intra-abdominal mass. He is still looking the picture of health.😍

28/01/2024

End of Line Sale⭐️ Selected products now 20% to 25% off.
Visit Today: https://www.theguineapigvet.co.uk/the-guinea-pig-shop

The Guinea Pig Shop will be heading in a new direction in 2024 and guinea pig forage/hay toppers will no longer be routinely available. Thank you for your support and watch this space for future developments. 🥰

16/01/2024

Did you know guinea pigs are prone to eye conditions?👀 Learn more about eye conditions and how to keep their eyes healthy in our new blog https://www.theguineapigvet.co.uk/post/guinea-pig-eye-health

Please share our post to help spread the word about guinea pig eye health🙂

07/01/2024

We are excited to announce Guinea Pig of the Month for December is Louie. 🏆 Louie is a 5 year old male guinea pig. He has been having problems with his teeth for the last few months. Louie needs frequent dental treatment and medication but is a complete star every time he comes to visit us.🌟 Well done Louie🎉

31/12/2023

We wish you and your guinea pigs a happy and healthy 2024 filled with lots of cuddles and pea flakes. ❤️🎉🌟

Image created with https://hotpot.ai/art-generator

25/12/2023

Merry Christmas to you and your piggies! 🎄🎅

12/12/2023

Lulu is Guinea pig of the Month for November.🏆 She is a 2.5 year old female who was rushed into see us having been found by her owner recumbent (lying on her side) and barely responsive.

When she arrived at the practice she was only just hanging on. Her blood glucose had dropped dangerously low. Although the cause remains unknown after active warming, injections of fluid with glucose and eventually syringe feeding she has made a full recovery with no relapses.❤️🎉🌟

10/12/2023

Looking to spoil your guinea pigs this Christmas?🥰🎅

Treat your guinea pigs to a Stocking Snuggle Sack perfect for keeping them warm during the festive season. Handmade guinea pig inspired Christmas snuggle created by Ellie, the Guinea Pig Vet.

On sale now, while stock lasts🎄

Visit https://www.theguineapigvet.co.uk/the-guinea-pig-shop to find the perfect gift for your piggies this year😍

30/11/2023

Why does one of my guinea pigs' eyes appear more prominent than the other? 👀 A prominence or protrusion of the eye is termed exophthalmus. It is often caused by a structure behind the eye pushing the eye outwards. This structure is most commonly either an abscess or a tumour. It is important that you see your vet for assessment.👍❤️

26/11/2023

What is fatty eye or pea eye?👀 These terms both describe the same condition, where there is a drooping of the lower eyelid and a protrusion of the lower conjunctiva. It is not thought to cause the guinea pig any problems and therefore does not require treatment.❤️

21/11/2023

What is hay poke?🤔
Hay poke is the common term used to describe an ulcer on the cornea caused by trauma. The front of the eye may have a white to bluish haze where the ulcer is. The eye will also look sore, with increased tears, inflamed conjunctiva and the eye may be partially closed 👀

If you notice hay poke , try to retrieve the hay and visit your vet to get eye drops to treat the ulcer and prevent an abscess forming.

18/11/2023

How should a normal guinea pig eye look? 👀
The surface of the eye should be clear, bright and glistening. There should be no discharge. There should be no redness or inflammation. The two eyes should be symmetrical.👀

16/11/2023

Nominations are closing for Burgess Excel Vet Awards 2023!

Join us to celebrate the hard work and achievements of veterinary professionals, practices, and students, who work tirelessly to improve rabbit and guinea pig health and welfare.

Nominations will be closing on 20th November 2023. https://www.burgesspetcare.com/burgess-excel-vet-awards/nominations-closed/.
(the link says closed but they are definitely open😆)

Derwent Valley Vets

13/11/2023

In the lead up to our next blog on eye health in guinea pigs we will release a post every couple of days discussing eye health and eye conditions.👀 Today, how many eyelids does a guinea pig have?

🤔Guinea pigs have only an upper and lower eyelid. They do not have a 3rd eyelid like dogs and cats. Guinea pigs rarely close their eyes, even when they sleep. When they do blink most movement is from the upper lid.😎

08/11/2023

Guinea Pig of the Month for October is Zinnia.🏆 Zinnia is only 18months old. She came to see us 3 months ago when her owners noticed that she was eating less well, a little lethargic and intermittently passing smaller poops. Zinnia had an abdominal abscess, possible caused by intestinal perforation. Zinnia had surgery, it was not possible to remove her abscess so it was drained surgically followed by a long course of antibiotics. It has been a long treatment course but Zinnia is now on the road to recovery.🎉😍🌟

21/10/2023

Guinea pigs on the big screen 🤩

Meet Dr. Ellie Whitehead aka The Guinea Pig Vet who features in the film! Ellie's love for Guinea pigs started when she was at vet school and had three pet guinea pigs named Daisy, Rosie and Elvis. 20 years later Ellie's passion for pigs continues to drive her desire to improve veterinary care for guinea pigs.

Don't forget to book your tickets to see the film below! 🍿🎬🥂

https://www.showcasecinemas.co.uk/film-info/keepers-of-the-pigs

13/10/2023

Nominations are open! 🎉🎉
Nominations for Burgess Excel Vet Awards are open for 2023! Burgess Excel

Join us to celebrate the hard work and achievements of veterinary professionals, practices, and students, who work tirelessly to improve rabbit and guinea pig health and welfare.

Nominations will be closing on 20th November 2023. https://www.burgesspetcare.com/burgess-excel-vet-awards/nominations-closed/.
(the link says closed but they are definitely open😆)

Derwent Valley Vets

09/10/2023

Daisy is Guinea Pig of the Month for September.🏆 We first saw Daisy about 6 weeks ago. She is 3 years old. She had been passing some blood. Her owners had been told she had cystic ovaries.
Daisy actually had a 8cm diameter uterine tumour which we managed to surgically remove. Daisy recovered from her surgery really well and is now happier and more energetic than she has been in a while.🎉🥰

28/09/2023

What are the most common health conditions in guinea pigs?🤔

The conditions we see guinea pigs for most often include: Eye disease, respiratory disease, dental problems, urinary conditions, gastro-intestinal problems and cystic ovarian disease in females.

Find out more about guinea pig health conditions in our blog Notes on Guinea Pigs https://www.theguineapigvet.co.uk/guinea-pig-vet-blog 🥰

Burgess Excel Guinea Pig Awareness Week

27/09/2023

It is important to feed your guinea pig correctly for a healthy life. 😁

90% of their daily intake should be good quality, dust free hay. Ideally timothy, meadow or orchard hay. A tablespoon of pelleted food per guinea pig per day. This should be designed for guinea pigs as it will be fortified with vitamin c. A small portion of vegetables. Free access to water, ideally multiple water sources. Finally treats can also be given to help with enrichment and to encourage foraging.

Burgess Excel Guinea Pig Awareness Week

26/09/2023

Where do your Guinea pigs live?
❤️ Inside
👍 Outside

No matter where your Guinea pigs live, it is important that the space should be as big as possible. It can be inside or outside but should be protected from predators and extremes in temperature. 🌡️

Soft, absorbent substrate underfoot. 😍
👉 Free access to hay, more than one source of water. And enrichment which can include houses, tunnels, nests, plenty of places to hide and tunnel.

25/09/2023

What are your Guinea pigs saying? Share a video in the comments below and let's see what our little potatoes have to say to the world. 😁

What do guinea pig noises mean. The main ones to be aware of are:
🤤 Wheeking - I want my food now.
🥳 Clucking - I'm having a great time.
😠 Rumbling - I'm the boss or I don't like you.
😥 Chattering - I'm finding this a bit stressful.
😡 Whining - get off me, I don't like this.

Guinea pig sounds can vary depending on the situations. Guinea Pig Awareness Week Burgess Excel

23/09/2023

This coming week is guinea pig awareness week with Burgess Excel . This year's theme is rescue and rehome. There are many guinea pigs in need of rehoming. Please consider going to a rescue centre if you are thinking of getting a guinea pig. Comment below and share your favourite rescues 😍