The Guinea Pig Vet

24/07/2025

Meet Bumblebee ❤️. He was having problems eating. Bumblebee's lower molars were forming a complete bridge over his tongue (pic with large yellow lines). This was trapping his tongue to the floor of his mouth making it difficult for him to swallow. Bumblebee had his teeth burred back into shape (pic with smaller yellow lines).

If your guinea pig is eating less, or not eating at all, it is important to syringe feed them and seek veterinary advice asap. Try to determine whether your guinea pig wants to eat but can't or whether they simply have no interest in food. If your guinea pig is still excited by food and appears to want to eat then the problem will almost always be teeth or jaw related in some way.

16/07/2025

Have you ever thought about how guinea pigs have changed over time? Check out The Guinea Pig Vet's new blog on how guinea pigs have changed on their route to domestication. 🫶

All modern-day domestic guinea pigs are derived from wild guinea pigs in Peru. Guinea pigs are from the Andes region of Peru, where they were first domesticated approximately 5000 to 7000 years ago. They were originally used as a food source and in religious ceremonies and were transported and trade...

02/07/2025

Say hello to Ginger 👋🥰. Ginger is a patient who had surgery to remove her uterus and ovaries, a procedure known as an ovariohysterectomy. Gingers owners had noted she had a reduced appetite. On exam a mass was palpated in her abdomen, which we confirmed to be uterine by ultrasound scan. The most common uterine tumour in the guinea pig is called a leiomyoma. This is a benign tumour commonly called a fibroid.

23/06/2025

Ellie The Guinea Pig Vet met Ellie the guinea pig
😆❤️

https://www.theguineapigvet.co.uk/

17/06/2025

Say hello to Hollie ❤️. She had surgery with us a few weeks ago. Hollie had large cystic ovaries. The ovarian cysts were causing Hollie problems due to the sheer size of them. We removed Hollies ovaries by a procedure called a bilateral flank ovariectomy. 2 small incisions are made high on the flanks (over the ovaries) the cysts are then drained allowing the o***y to then be removed through the small incision.

The benefits of this surgery over a traditional midline spey are that the wound is smaller, less prone to infection and there is less post operative gut stasis as the guts are handled less to gain access to the ovaries.

19/05/2025

Meet Lyra. Lyra had formed a bladder stone which she had managed to pass as far as the very end of her urethra. She had surgery to remove the stone from this location. Bladder stones are very common in guinea pigs, an x-ray is the best way to diagnose them. Female guinea pigs can pass surprisingly large stones.

15/04/2025

Coming to a toy store near you, your very own Guinea Pig Vet action figure. Get ready for action packed veterinary adventures 🎉😍😆.
We ❤️ guinea pigs!
.created with chatgpt

04/04/2025

It is common for guinea pigs to develop signs of bladder disease. This can include blood in urine and pain on urination. The most common causes of this are sterile cystitis (an inflammatory condition of the bladder lining), bladder stones (known as uroliths) or urinary tract infections.

It is important to rule out bladder stones, especially if other treatments are not resolving the signs. The best way of doing this is by radiograph (x-ray) which can almost always be achieved conscious (without the guinea pig being anaesthetised).👍

31/03/2025

Ellie, The Guinea Pig Vet, offers one to one online advice appointments for guinea pig owners who have questions or need extra advice. The Guinea Pig Vet can answer questions about:

Housing, Diet, Behaviour, Non-urgent healthcare concerns, On-going treatments, Possible treatment options and more 😍

Find out more about online appointments with The Guinea Pig Vet at www.theguineapigvet.co.uk/online-advice-appointment 👍

Guinea pig owners from around the world can book 15 minute online advice appointments with The Guinea Pig Vet for non-emergency cases only. Get answers to your questions.

19/03/2025

Guinea pigs are prone to skin lumps. Most are not serious and can include lipomas (fatty lumps), trichifolliculomas (benign, cystic type masses), sebaceous cysts and abscesses. However, some can be very serious, including malignant tumours such as lymphoma and mammary gland tumours.

❤️ It is beneficial to get any new lump examined by your vet to allow for early treatment if needed.👀

📷 Image shows the prevalence of round cells on histologic section.

14/02/2025

Lots of love and happiness for you and your guinea pigs ❤️ Happy Valentine's Day from us and Teddy, Sandy, Ellie and Lulu.😍🥰

06/02/2025

What are the signs to look for 👀 that tell me my guinea pig has a problem with their teeth?

🥦 change in eating habits, favouring one type of food over another, or eating more slowly
⭐ not eating but showing the same excitement for food
👀 pulling faces whilst eating or pawing at the mouth
⚖️weight loss
😬 overlong or uneven wear of the incisor teet.

If you notice any of these signs get your guinea pigs teeth checked by your vet asap. Your vet may be able to feel localised pain or swelling around the jaw and can check the molar teeth for problems.
Early correction of dental issues in guinea pigs carries a much more positive prognosis👍