Do you have a guinea pig? Are you thinking of getting one? Guinea pigs are popular pets, especially for children, but they require more health care and maintenance than some well-meaning pet owners may realize. Paws and Claws Medical Center is your go-to guinea pig vet in Miami, FL. We’ll explore some of the potential reasons why you might need to find a good quality vet for your guinea pig. With this information, you can be more prepared for your new pet or improve the care of your existing guinea pig.
Most Common Guinea Pig Pets
Guinea pigs, like dogs and cats, come in different breeds instead of entirely different species. Because of this, most guinea pigs have similar requirements in terms of their veterinary care, and there are only a few exceptions to this.
When choosing the right breed of guinea pig for you, take the color and coat style into consideration. Otherwise, you don’t have to worry too much about specialized health care needs depending on the breed of guinea pig you choose. The most common breeds include the American guinea pig, the Abyssinian guinea pig, the Peruvian guinea pig, the Teddy guinea pig, and the Skinny (hairless) guinea pig. Hairless and very long-haired breeds require different grooming than others.
Types of Guinea Pig Vet Care
Do you have a guinea pig? Are you thinking of getting one? Guinea pigs are popular pets, especially for children, but they require more health care and maintenance than some well-meaning pet owners may realize. Paws and Claws Medical Center is your go-to guinea pig vet in Miami, FL.
We’ll explore some of the potential reasons why you might need to find a good quality vet for your guinea pig. With this information, you can be more prepared for your new pet or improve the care of your existing guinea pig.
Most Common Guinea Pig Pets
Guinea pigs, like dogs and cats, come in different breeds instead of entirely different species. Because of this, most guinea pigs have similar requirements in terms of their veterinary care, and there are only a few exceptions to this.
When choosing the right breed of guinea pig for you, take the color and coat style into consideration. Otherwise, you don’t have to worry too much about specialized health care needs depending on the breed of guinea pig you choose. The most common breeds include the American guinea pig, the Abyssinian guinea pig, the Peruvian guinea pig, the Teddy guinea pig, and the Skinny (hairless) guinea pig. Hairless and very long-haired breeds require different grooming than others.
Types of Guinea Pig Vet Care
Guinea pigs require veterinary care just like any other pet. Below are some of the more common types of guinea pig care that we provide. If nothing below is describing your pet’s situation, don’t hesitate to call us to see how we can help your guinea pig.
Acute Illness and Injury
Guinea pigs are just as likely to come down with unexpected illnesses or injuries as any other animal. Depending on how often you let your guinea pigs out of their enclosures, you may need to pay particular attention to potential risks of injury.
Grooming Needs
All guinea pigs need to be groomed sometimes, but long-haired or hairless guinea pigs require more grooming assistance. As your guinea pig vet in Miami, FL, we can help you learn more about how to take care of these needs at home and can also provide a variety of grooming services, including ear cleaning and nail cleaning.
Dental Care
Guinea pigs have many dental health needs and are prone to dental infections. They use their teeth for almost everything they do, so it’s important to make sure your guinea pig’s dental health is always in good shape. We can provide cleanings, treatments, and procedures to help.
Nutritional Management
We will be able to tell you everything you need to know about your guinea pig’s nutritional needs. We will also check your guinea pig for any signs of malnutrition or vitamin deficiency and give you tips on how to take care of these problems through proper feeding.
Husbandry Assistance
Finally, as your guinea pig vet, we can give you information about proper husbandry for your pet, including housing, accessories, playtime, grooming, and much more. This information may also be able to help you with any behavioral problems you may notice in your guinea pig, so be sure to ask us if you have these types of concerns.
Reasons to See a Guinea Pig Vet
Pet owners bring their guinea pigs in for many reasons. Below are some of the more common reasons why you should take your guinea pig to the vet.
Respiratory infection: Guinea pigs are prone to respiratory infections, so be sure to check in with the vet right away if your pig shows signs of difficulty breathing. You should also take them to the vet if they start to sneeze, cough, or wheeze.
Scurvy: Guinea pigs need a lot of vitamin C, and if they don’t get enough, they will develop scurvy. A guinea pig’s body cannot make its own vitamin C, so this nutritional deficiency will need to be treated by following your vet’s specific guidelines of care and feeding.
Abscesses and tumors: Often, guinea pigs develop tumors or abscesses on their skin. Many of these are not serious and may not need to be removed, but some require more thorough treatment. We will be able to tell you if your guinea pig’s abscess is a cause for concern and, if so, what to do about it.
Urinary stones: Guinea pigs are prone to urinary stones, and although this is more common in males than females, they all run this risk. They may also develop frequent urinary tract infections because of this. Guinea pigs with blood in the urine or a hunched posture all the time may have a urinary tract issue.
Bumblefoot: This condition is caused by guinea pigs being kept on cages with wire floors or in cages that are note cleaned often enough. It may also be caused by an overweight guinea pig. It causes lesions on the feet and, if left untreated, will require surgery.
Quality Veterinary Care for Your Rabbit
Now that you’ve had a chance to learn more about why guinea pig vets are so important, it’s time to find the right guinea pig vet in Miami, FL. Paws and Claws Medical Center is that vet. We’ve been providing guinea pig owners in Miami and all of South Florida with the best vet care for many years and would love to help your pet live a long, happy and healthy life.