So How do you find a Good Vet? You ring up & as questions!
What to ask when Vetting a Vet!
1. Do you X-ray guineas pigs without anesthetic?
2 Have you heard of the CCT (CAmbridge Cavy Trust), & would you mind liaising with them if unsure of anything?
3)How many guinea pigs have you treated in the last week? Do you treat allot of guinea pigs?
What you need to know- at a glance guide for you reference & support during your visit to the vet!
copy, save & print to take to vets with you or download as a pdf (see bottom of page)
Please take a look at our RODENTOLOGIST page to compliment this one!
Medicines- Safe ANTIBIOTICS are Baytril, Septrim, Bactrim. (NO PENICILLIN) Guinea pigs must always be given a PROBIOTIC like Protexin or Avpro along side the antibiotic to restore the gut flora. This is essential- ensure your vet gives you this!
To administer medicines guinea pigs can be given the medicine in liquid form using a syringe, towel wrapping the pig makes this easier (like the lovely Pugsley left) |
This pictures show a towel wrapped cavy. This technique is really useful to get medication & fluids into cavies. Medication can be better administered in measured doses by syringing it to a towel wrapped guinea pig than given in drinking water bottle. |
Teeth- Guinea pigs DO NOT & SHOULD NOT be anesthetised to check or cut their teeth. Even the back ones! A Rodentologist uses special separators (Buccal) to do this while the piggy is fully conscious!
Left: special Buccal pad separators allow checks & procedures to be performed while the animal is fully conscious! They are used to open the cavy's mouth so back molars can be seen (if you look closely you will see them in the picture left |
| X-rays- Guinea pigs do need to & SHOULD NOT be anesthetised in order for an X-ray to be taken. One can be taken safely without anesthetic by towel wrapping the guinea pig... though this kind of Towel wrapping differs from the kind used to give medicines. Your rodentologist can show you and you can show your vet how to do this. |
VET SHEET PACK to dowload We now have a PDF of this information for you to download & distribute to your vet & local vet practices, or for your own reference If you would like to send this information to your vet download our Vetsheet pdf. Just click on the word. You will require Adobe acrobat reader to open it. Then just print it out. Thanks for helping us seek better vetinary care for Guinea pigs. Please e-mail me the addresses of any vets you send it out to and do let me know how you get on! |
