Guinea Pig Connection

Guinea Pigs Can't Handle Heat & Humidity

Here in the Northeast, it's hot. Brutally hot. Blistering hot. The kind of hot that fries eggs on sidewalks and reduces Italian ice to syrup in a mere handful of seconds. And it's going to be ungodly hot over the next few days.

Folks, it's just too hot to mince words. This weather is the kind of weather in which outdoor livestock needs to be brought into shade with unlimited water, and domestic animals need to be inside with air conditioners running. Not just lots of fans running with all the shades drawn to keep out the hot sun. Air conditioning.

About a week ago, I not-entirely-diplomatically tweeted a correction to another organization's tweet that guinea pigs cannot tolerate temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Diplomacy went out the window in the face of the propagation of dangerous advice.

In actuality, guinea pigs' ideal temperature range is 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (the species originated in the cool mountain regions of South America). My observation of middle-aged and senior pigs has repeatedly shown that the high end of the ideal range actually caps at about 72 degrees. The farther the thermometer climbs past 75 degrees, the greater the likelihood that a guinea pig will suffer from heat stress, heat exhaustion, and (usually fatal) heatstroke. I can't stress enough how quickly these conditions kick in, and how quickly they can take a guinea pig down. With all of the small exotics, little bodies quite often mean little time to conquer a dangerous illness.

I know there are people and care guides out there that try to put qualifiers on guinea pigs' temperature sensitivities, such as "Guinea pigs can't tolerate high temperatures unless XYZ is in place." I think it's a risky gamble to assume that people are going to remember all the if/then/however qualifiers. I'm not being pessimistic. Cindy and I have seen and heard too much over the years. We know that the 65-75 degree range has helped keep a lot of guinea pigs out of trouble, and we stand by the species' innate, genetic tolerances.

I've been in people's houses on 85+ degree days, with no air conditioning on, where the homeowners said their animals "do fine" in heat waves with the household's window fans, ceiling fans, attic fans, all shades and curtains drawn, and so on and so on. "Do fine" is relative. The animals might not have been showing signs of heatstroke, but their quality of life was debatable. Lying around all day, lethargy apparent in every step they took to their food and water, not visiting their water nearly as much as they should have been because they were too hot to move. Their owners chattered on, saying things like, "The pets come back to life when the sun goes down" -- and seemed oblivious to the volumes that the observation spoke.

I've written about hot weather care in previous years and have, admittedly, taken a softer hand in those posts. But this is dangerous weather this week, and it's mandating direct, straight talk. Our pets are counting on us!

Related Posts

• 12 Tips For Warm Weather Care
• Guinea Pig Care In Hot Weather -- Revisited

Help For Arthritic Guinea Pigs

A while back, my middle-aged male guinea pig started slowing down -- way down. He didn't move around a lot, didn't like to be touched on his lower back, and didn't appear comfortable when he was held, unless he was on a thick towel and cozy sack on my lap. Cold days, and damp days, made the symptoms even more pronounced.

The vets at South Wilton Veterinary Group examined and X-rayed him, and discovered he had arthritis in his hips. For a while, daily 1ml doses of Vitamin C (0.5ml twice a day) seemed to manage the inflammation of the arthritis because his activity level visibly increased. But with time and age, Vitamin C alone didn't do the trick as well.

Then, Dr. Sitinas suggested that we try Cosequin, a nutritional supplement for joint health in cats that contains chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride. He had me open a capsule, dump the contents out onto a flat surface, divide the powder into four parts, and give one part to my little guy once a day. In less than a week, I saw a visible increase in his activity level, a decrease in his general fussiness, no objections to being petted, and no discomfort while being held. The longer he was on Cosequin, the better he got. Upon seeing these results, I started giving my two elderly females -- who both have mild to moderate arthritis in their back legs -- Cosequin on a daily basis.

Cindy also worked with the vets at Pieper Olson to put the rescue's most elderly sanctuary pigs on Cosequin and saw a visible change in their behavior and demeanor. Like me, she now makes sure she always has Cosequin on hand. In all cases, the vet-prescribed daily dose for an adult guinea pig weighing 2 pounds or more has been 1/4 of a capsule's contents. 

I put the powder on the center of a slice of cucumber, because it doesn't fall off onto the cage bedding or the towels on the bottom of the play area. Although Cosequin for Cats comes in chicken and tuna flavor, none of the guinea pigs has objected to the flavor; in fact, mine inhale their cucumber chunks even faster than without Cosequin (so something is tasting good to them...perhaps it tastes a little salty).

The Cosequin powder doesn't stay on carrot chunks or lettuce leaves; so much of it drops off that you feel all you've done is waste it. The pigs have turned away when Cosequin has been offered on chunks of sweet bell pepper or any kind of fruit (so something is not tasting good to them).

So if your middle-aged or elderly guinea pig is acting achy and creaky, talk to your exotic vet. We recommend you consult with a vet before starting your guinea pig on Cosequin. A thorough exam, a quick X-ray, and a detailed health and diet history compiled by you and your vet will be able to confirm whether arthritis is, indeed, the cause of the observed achiness and creakiness -- or if something else is afoot. Once arthritis is confirmed, Cosequin can become part of your pig's daily routine.

When Is A Sneezing Guinea Pig Something To Worry About?

In the comments section of an earlier post, Elise asked about a pet guinea pig that seems to be sneezing a lot.

Without any other information to go by, it's difficult to know if her pig's sneezing is worrisome or not. At its worst, sneezing could be indicative of an upper respiratory infection (URI) if it's accompanied by any of the symptoms listed on this GuineaLynx reference page. 

At its simplest, a pig's sneezing could be due to dusty bedding, which happens frequently with pine bedding and sometimes with aspen or wood pulp products (like Kaytee Total Comfort).

Slightly more complex, but still solvable with some diligent observation and detective work, is the possibility that a pig's sneezing is due to an allergy or sensitivity to any of the following:

• pine or aspen bedding
• laundry detergent and/or fabric softener being used for washing cozy cups, cozy sacks, fabric tunnels/tents/hideaways, towels or blankets used in the play area, towels or blankets used to cover the cage at night
• air freshener products used in the home (including the low-intensity plug-in fresheners)
• carpet cleaning or deodorizing products (which leave strong odors)
• household cleaners (which leave strong odors)
• perfumes, colognes, after-shave products, and other scented body care products

If your pig isn't showing any other signs of a URI (and continues not to), and the bedding you use isn't dusty, you will want to start working through the above list of allergens. It will be an ongoing process of elimination for a few weeks, but if allergies/sensitivities are the culprit, your hard work will pay off.