Post by Dawn - Admin on Jul 22, 2006 22:23:40 GMT
Source: www.pimms-pages.co.uk/forums
Posted by angelwyche
Guinea Pig Health check
First stroke your piggy from head to rear with your hands looking for any lumps or bumps or pimples. Next stroke around the eyes and nose and then behind the ears again looking for anything unusual. Look at the eyes for any discolouration. Check the nostrils for any discharge. Check around the mouth for sores. Look at the teeth to see that wear and growth are even.
Then stroke your piggies throat and down the chest, sometimes abscesses can develop here. Next feel just behind piggies’ front legs (armpits) for any swelling, any swelling of the glands here usually means there's some sort of infection present.
If you have not got big enough hands for the next bit get someone to help you who has. Sit piggy up so his hind feet still sit on you knee, bench, table or what ever you have him on, and stroke the belly looking for pimples, baldness or anything out of the ordinary, don't forget the insides of the hind legs. Feel the area around the nipples for any swelling (this goes for boars as well) He will have a naval in the middle of his belly above his nipples. Check around genitals for discharge, dampness and smell.
Put him back the right way on his feet, now use your index finger start at the rump and draw your finger through his coat towards his head so you can see down the hair shafts to the skin, look for dandruff, things that move, anything stuck to the hair shafts, sores, cuts or wounds. If you have an Aby or a long hair look thoroughly through the coat parting it so you can see down to the skin. Finally give piggy a good brush or comb with what ever you generally use and check is there is any looseness of coat and more than average hair loss. Piggies generally love this attention and it gives you very good social contact with your piggies, you will probably find they join in and wash you while you are doing your weekly health check.
Posted by angelwyche
Guinea Pig Health check
First stroke your piggy from head to rear with your hands looking for any lumps or bumps or pimples. Next stroke around the eyes and nose and then behind the ears again looking for anything unusual. Look at the eyes for any discolouration. Check the nostrils for any discharge. Check around the mouth for sores. Look at the teeth to see that wear and growth are even.
Then stroke your piggies throat and down the chest, sometimes abscesses can develop here. Next feel just behind piggies’ front legs (armpits) for any swelling, any swelling of the glands here usually means there's some sort of infection present.
If you have not got big enough hands for the next bit get someone to help you who has. Sit piggy up so his hind feet still sit on you knee, bench, table or what ever you have him on, and stroke the belly looking for pimples, baldness or anything out of the ordinary, don't forget the insides of the hind legs. Feel the area around the nipples for any swelling (this goes for boars as well) He will have a naval in the middle of his belly above his nipples. Check around genitals for discharge, dampness and smell.
Put him back the right way on his feet, now use your index finger start at the rump and draw your finger through his coat towards his head so you can see down the hair shafts to the skin, look for dandruff, things that move, anything stuck to the hair shafts, sores, cuts or wounds. If you have an Aby or a long hair look thoroughly through the coat parting it so you can see down to the skin. Finally give piggy a good brush or comb with what ever you generally use and check is there is any looseness of coat and more than average hair loss. Piggies generally love this attention and it gives you very good social contact with your piggies, you will probably find they join in and wash you while you are doing your weekly health check.
