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GUINEA PIG WORLD Dr. Veldhof and Dr. Rollo

GUINEA PIG WORLD Dr. Veldhof and Dr. Rollo. Introduction. Diseases preventable through good husbandry Since many clients wait until it is too late in a disease to seek veterinary attention The emphasis must be on disease prevention rather than treatment. Background.

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GUINEA PIG WORLD Dr. Veldhof and Dr. Rollo

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  1. GUINEA PIG WORLDDr. Veldhof and Dr. Rollo

  2. Introduction • Diseases preventable through good husbandry • Since many clients wait until it is too late in a disease to seek veterinary attention • The emphasis must be on disease prevention rather than treatment

  3. Background • Originated in South America • Related to porcupines and chinchillas • Variety of habitats • Domesticated between 500-1000 BC • Today- many uses

  4. Unique Anatomy • Compact body with no tail • 4 digits on forelimb 3 digits on hindlimb • Teeth: open rooted and erupt continuously • Hairless area caudal to ear • Large tympanic bullae and 4 cochlear coils • Pubic symphysis

  5. Behavior • Highly social animals • Excellent pets • Vocalizations are important • Nocturnal • Two peculiar behaviors -Freeze -Scatter

  6. Housing- Cages • Recommended size 4 square feet per pig • Material • Solid floor vs. wire floor • Good ventilation • Avoid direct sunlight • Quiet, draft-free area

  7. Housing-Bedding • Change 1-2 times/week • Choice beddings: hard wood chips, corncob, shredded paper • Beddings to avoid: Sawdust Coarse hay/straw Cedar/Pine (aromatic)

  8. Nutrition • Complete pelleted guinea pig diet • Require Vit C -Lack L-gulonolactone oxidase -Fresh pellets (less than 90 days) -Other sources: orange, cabbage,broccoli -Supplement in drinking water

  9. Nutrition • Do not feed diets indicated for other species • Clean feeders and waters regularly • Coprophagy important (150-200 times/day)

  10. Sexing- Female • “Y” shaped depression • Urethral opening between top branches of “Y” • Vulva at intersection of branches • Anus at base

  11. Sexing- Male • “i”-shaped appearance • Skin between urethral opening and anus • Urethral opening cranial to anus • Always extrude penis

  12. Reproduction- Breeding • Puberty: Males: 3 months Females: 2 months • Breed females after 3 months but before 6 months • Females are polyestrus and breed year round

  13. Pregnancy & Birth • Gestation length is 59-72 days • Pubic symphysis separates under influence of relaxin • Parturition commonly occurs at night • Delivery period ½ hr

  14. Pregnancy & Birth • Litter size: 2-4 pups • Young are born precocious • Fertile postpartum estrus • Wean between 15-20 days • Separate boars between 3-4 weeks

  15. Useful Clinical Information

  16. Restraint • Shoe box for transport • Always restrain/lift with 2 hands -dorsothorax -hindquarters • Towel wrap • Radiology

  17. Oral Administration • Tuberculin syringe • Start at interdental space to back of tongue • Small amounts • Head position • Orogastric tube -measure length -confirm placement

  18. Injection Sites • Subcutaneous -easy, frequently used -over scapula, lower flank (22 or 25 gauge needle) • Intravenous -no perfect site -jugular, medial saphenous (23 or 25 gauge needle) -marginal ear v. (26 or 30 gauge needle)

  19. Injection Sites • Intramuscular -discouraged due to self-mutilation -epaxial muscles (22 or 25 gauge needle) • Intraperitoneal -best for fluid replacement -lower right abdominal quadrant (22 or 25 gauge needle)

  20. Blood Collection • Toenail • Lateral saphenous • Cephalic • 25 gauge needle

  21. Antibiotics • Marked, often lethal, sensitivity • Aerobic flora sensitive to Gram + antibiotics • Proliferation of Clostridium difficile • Clinical signs: anorexia, dehydration, hypothermia, death

  22. Antibiotics • Fatal enterocolitis within 3-5 days • Contraindicated antibiotics: penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, lincomycin, clindamycin • Safer antibiotics: chloramphenicol, enrofloxacin, tetracycline

  23. Some Case Examples

  24. Summer is not feeling well • Chief Complaints were not eating, weight loss and not as active.

  25. History • Weight loss over the previous week • Anorexic the past week • Lethargic and depressed • Normal stool. No emesis, sneezing, or coughing.

  26. Physical Exam • Pulse - 300 bpm • Respiration rate - 120 bpm • Weight - 565g • The temperature was not taken

  27. Physical Exam • Looks weak and recumbent in general appearance. • Some crustiness of the eyes. • Walking abnormally and weak in the legs. • Broken right upper incisor.

  28. Diagnosis • Suspect Vitamin C deficiency • Weak • Weight Loss • Fractured upper right incisor

  29. Treatment • 50mg Vitamin C injection • Pull right fractured incisor • Administer Obrifloxacin for 7 days

  30. Husbandry • Feed Summer foods that contain Vitamin C everyday (for example ¼ cup of cabbage). • Since there is no longer an upper right incisor, the lower right incisor will continue to grow. Teeth trimming is necessary.

  31. A Vitamin C Deficiency • Guinea pigs, apes and humans can not synthesize their own Vitamin C. • This is due to the lack of the enzyme L-gulonolactone oxidase.

  32. Requirements • 10 mg/kg of Vitamin C • 20 mg/kg of Vitamin C when pregnant • Give diluted in a bottle or a stainless steel nozzle. I Need My Vitamin C

  33. Diet • There is no need to supplement Vitamin C if the guinea pig has a balanced diet. • All foods should be fresh (only kept out for a couple of hours) and have no mould on them.

  34. Foods enriched with Vitamin C • Beetroot • Brussel sprouts • Cabbage • Celery • Lettuce • Spinach • Carrots

  35. A Balanced Diet • Concentrates compose the dry food • Roots like carrots or beetroot • Green vegetables • Good quality hay to give them something to always chew • Fresh water

  36. Other Poor Diet Conditions • Muscular dystropy – Vitamin E deficiency • Metastatic calcification – an increase Ca:P ratio • ‘wasting disease’ – possibly a Vitamin C deficiency

  37. The history of Sidney • Not feeling well • Anorexic • Not making any noise • Stays “hunched up” in the corner

  38. Physical Exam • Pulse – 220 bpm • Respiration rate – 60 bpm • Weight – 1.75lbs • Temperature was not taken

  39. Physical Exam • Skin had a yellowish stain and there was crusty fur under her chin. • A mild white discharge from the eyes. • Occasional wheezing (ruttling). • Walks on hocks.

  40. Differential Diagnosis • Foreign body in the eye. Hay can sometimes get caught in there. • Corneal ulceration • Conjunctivitis, can also be associated with an upper respiratory disease. • Entropian

  41. Differential Diagnosis • Mange • Ringworm

  42. Differential Diagnosis • Pneumonia (Bordetella bronchiseptica) • Stress • Allergic type bronchitis • Always consider cancer

  43. Diagnosis • Suspect chronic Vitamin C deficiency.

  44. Treatment • 50mg Vitamin C injection • Crush a 30mg tablet everyday into favorite food.

  45. References • Dr. Patricia O’Handley • MSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital Records System. • Dr. Sally Walshaw • Dr. Laura Davis • Dr. Michael Huerkamp • Noonan, Denise “The Guinea Pig” The Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science ANZCCART News Vol. 7 No 3 Sept. 1994. • Richardson, V.C.G. Diseases of Domestic Guinea Pigs Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford 1992.

  46. Sluggs needs his Vitamin C to battle Godzilla!

  47. THANK YOU

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