Guinea Pigs
Disease Conditions
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is one of the most common bacterial diseases of the pet guinea pig. Respiratory infections are caused by a number of viral and bacterial agents including Streptococcal pneumoniae, Bordetella bronchiseptica and a gram-positive diplococcus. Many of the disease causing organisms inhabit the respiratory tracts of clinically normal guinea pigs.
Conditions of stress, inadequate diet and improper husbandry will often predispose a pet to an opportunistic infection with one or more of these agents. Symptoms of pneumonia may include dyspnea (difficulty breathing), discharge from the nose and eyes, lethargy and inappetance. In some cases, sudden death will occur without any of these signs.

Occasionally, middle or inner ear infections accompany respiratory disease in guinea pigs. Additional symptoms in these cases include in-coordination, torticollis (twisting of the neck), circling to one side and rolling.

Veterinary consultation should be sought when a guinea pig exhibits any of the above symptoms. A bacterial culture with antibiotic sensitivity of the throat and/or nasal discharge will assist the veterinarian in the selection of an appropriate antibiotic. Aggressive antibiotic therapy in addition to supportive care of the patient may be necessary to get the condition under control. Unfortunately, even though elimination of the symptoms is often possible with appropriate therapy, eradication of the causative bacteria is not.

Bacterial Enteritis (Intestinal Infection)
A number of bacteria are capable of causing infections of the gastrointestinal tract in guinea pigs. Some of these bacteria are introduced through contaminated greens or vegetables or in contaminated water. One of the most common bacteria that causes intestinal disease in guinea pigs is Salmonella spp. Other bacterial species that may cause diarrhea and enteritis are Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, E. coli, Arizona spp., and Clostridium spp. In addition to diarrhea, other common symptoms associated with intestinal disease are lethargy and weight loss. In other cases, however, sudden death may occur before expression of these signs.

A veterinarian may elect to use aggressive antibiotic therapy and supportive care to treat this condition. A bacterial culture of the patient’s stool with antibiotic sensitivity will greatly assist the veterinarian in choosing an appropriate antibiotic to use.

Bacterial Pododermatitis (Food Pad Infection)
Severe infections of the footpads are very common among guinea pigs housed in cages with wire flooring. Fecal soiling of the wire potentiates the problem. The guinea pig’s front feet are most vulnerable to this condition.

Symptoms of this condition include swelling of the affected feet, lameness and reluctance to move. Improved sanitation and cage floor alterations are the initial steps in correcting the problem. In addition, a veterinarian should treat the feet themselves. Topical dressing with an antibiotic and periodic bandaging is often required. Depending on the severity of the damage, injectable antibiotics may also be necessary. Therapy may have to be carried out for a lengthy period of time to get full recovery. Unfortunately, a consequence of this condition
is arthritis.
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