Management of husbandry‐related problems in guinea pigs

Fawcett, Anne

doi:10.1136/inp.d1812

Cited by 15 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 6 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…This shows that welfare is enhanced by living with compatible conspecifics, likely as this facilitated social behaviours, but also reduced stress as has previously been demonstrated8 9 while in contrast living with a rabbit can lead to additional stress. Not only do rabbits and guinea pigs require differing diets, but there is potential for the rabbit to inflict injury, and to cause unnecessary bullying 6 10–12. Hence, the guinea pigs in this study living with rabbits may have shown reduced positive behaviours as they lacked the possibility of engaging in social play and other positive interactions, as well as their increased background stress levels potentially reducing their exhibition of relaxed behaviours.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Current welfare state of pet guinea pigs in the UK

Harrup

Rooney

2020

Veterinary Record

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BackgroundLittle research has been carried out into how guinea pigs are cared for in the UK, and information regarding potential welfare issues is sparse. This study was designed to examine the five welfare needs, collecting data on the extent to which these are each met by a sample of UK guinea pig owners.MethodsA survey of 4590 owners was conducted.ResultsGuinea pigs were housed in a variety of ways, but a hutch or cage, with no attached run, was the most common enclosure. The majority reportedly lived with a conspecific, although some lived on their own, or with a rabbit. Significant associations between aspects of housing and husbandry, and behaviour and health were found, for example, the frequency of positive behaviours displayed was higher in those guinea pigs housed with a conspecific and those in larger enclosures, while the number of reported health issues was lower in animals receiving green vegetables more often.ConclusionThis study has identified common practices, and highlighted some potential welfare issues, which would benefit from further research. The authors suggest improved availability of targeted information may enable owners to improve issues identified here.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Current welfare state of pet guinea pigs in the UK

Harrup

Rooney

2020

Veterinary Record

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“…However, due to data being collected in the form of a questionnaire, the clinical diagnosis of dental disease was reported by respondents, so it could be hypothesised that some guinea pigs had dental disease even though a clinical diagnosis had not been made. This is likely, as clinical signs in guinea pigs are often overlooked by owners [24]. Guinea pigs were also not physically examined by the experimenter, as was performed in previous studies [21,34,35].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In recent clinical studies, dental disease in guinea pigs was diagnosed in 12% to 23.4% of the animals, respectively [22,23], with one study identifying dental disease in 36.3% of the animals presented to the veterinary practice [21]. Poor husbandry and diet have been recognised as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in guinea pigs, and clinical signs of illness shown by guinea pigs are often overlooked by owners [24]. Clinical signs associated with dental disease in guinea pigs include reduced appetite, weight loss, difficulty chewing, hypersalivation (also referred to as ‘slobbers’), decreased grooming, facial swelling, and an inability to perform coprophagy [25,26,27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Investigation into the Relationship between Owner Knowledge, Diet, and Dental Disease in Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Norman

Wills

2016

Animals

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Simple SummaryDental disease is a serious problem in small mammals, with cases in rabbits well documented. Guinea pigs also suffer from this condition, yet the literature investigating the underlying causes in guinea pigs is limited. Owners of guinea pigs were surveyed to investigate what they fed their animals. It was discovered that there was no relationship between the overall diet of the animals and whether or not they had been diagnosed with dental disease or displayed clinical signs of the disease. However, the environment was important, with animals that had access to the outside, including the use of runs on both concrete and grass, less likely to display clinical signs of disease. Some of the clinical signs of dental disease in guinea pigs, including difficulty eating, were related to dental problems. These findings are important, as many guinea pigs may not have continuous access to the outdoors. Dental disease is a serious welfare concern, as many owners may not pick up on the clinical signs, leaving animals susceptible to pain, dysphagia, malnutrition, and secondary infection. It is important that owners are aware of key clinical signs, particularly in multi-animal households where monitoring food consumption may be challenging.AbstractRecent studies have highlighted a high prevalence of dental disease in domestic guinea pigs, yet the aetiology of this multi-factorial disease is still unclear. Factors that have been associated with dental disease include feeding a diet that is high in energy but low in fibre, feeding an insufficiently abrasive diet, a lack of dietary calcium, and genetics. As many of these factors relate to the husbandry requirements of guinea pigs, owner awareness of dietary requirements is of the utmost importance. An online questionnaire was created based on previous research into the husbandry and feeding of rabbits. Guinea pig owners were asked to answer questions on the clinical history of their animals and their diet and management. In total, 150 surveys were completed for 344 guinea pigs, where owners of multiple animals could complete the survey for individuals. According to the owners, 6.7% of guinea pigs had been clinically diagnosed with dental disease, but 16.6% had signs consistent with dental disease. The specific clinical signs of having difficulty eating (Exp(B) = 33.927, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.301, p < 0.05) and producing fewer or smaller faecal droppings (Exp(B) = 13.733, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.149, p < 0.05) were predictive for the presence of dental disease. Having access to an outside environment, including the use of runs on both concrete and grass, was significantly related to not displaying clinical signs of dental disease (Exp(B) = 1.894, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.021, p < 0.05). There was no significant relationship between owner knowledge, guinea pig diet, and dental disease in the study population. This study highlights the importance of access to the outdoors for the health and welfare of guinea pigs in addition to the need for owners to be alert to key clinical signs. A r...

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“…Changes in housing, social interaction, bedding, hygiene and nutrition are important factors linked to the induction of stress and transmission of bacterial infections in guinea pigs [9]. The optimal environmental temperature range for guinea pigs is 18–26 °C, and they should not be exposed to extremes of either temperature or humidity [10,11]. Appropriate husbandry practices, for example, the use of disinfectants in housing environments are recommended to decrease or eliminate potential pathogens [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Guinea pigs can be challenging patients as latent infections and complex differential diagnoses make the treatment of bacterial infections difficult [13]. As guinea pigs can deteriorate quickly when ill, treatment of bacterial illnesses has to be instigated as soon as possible in order to improve the prognosis for the patient [11]. This may result in broad-spectrum antibiotics being prescribed, these tend to be fluoroquinolones, trimethoprim-sulpha and chloramphenicol [4,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frequency of Owner-Reported Bacterial Infections in Pet Guinea Pigs

Roberts-Steel

Oxley²,

Carroll

et al. 2019

Animals

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Simple SummaryGuinea pigs are common pets but are susceptible to a range of diseases, some of which can be rapidly fatal without prompt veterinary attention. Bacterial infections are one cause of respiratory and gastrointestinal disease in guinea pigs, but few studies have reported how commonly these infections occur in pet guinea pigs or which types of bacterial infection are most often seen. A survey of guinea pig owners was conducted to assess the types of infections and signs of illness pet guinea pigs had suffered from. From the 524 responses it was determined that just under 40% of owners reported that their guinea pig had been diagnosed with a bacterial infection by their veterinarian. Upper respiratory tract infections were most common followed by urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal infections. Guinea pigs may not tolerate some antimicrobial drugs well due to disruption of the bacteria within their gut, therefore treatment of these types of infection can be challenging even if diagnosed early. Based on the frequency of bacterial infections reported by owners in this study, it is suggested that guinea pig owners practice good hygiene and husbandry and remain vigilant for signs of ill health in their pets.AbstractDomestic guinea pigs suffer morbidity and mortality due to a range of bacterial infections amongst other causes. Microorganisms such as Bordetella bronchiseptica and Streptococcus pneumoniae are commonly implicated in respiratory disease; however, there is a lack of research surrounding the prevalence of these bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency with which owners reported bacterial infections in pet guinea pigs and to assess owner knowledge of correct husbandry practices to inform prevention of the development of bacterial infections. An online questionnaire, consisting of 30 questions was promoted to guinea pig owners. Of all respondents (n = 524), 39.39% reported that their guinea pig(s) had been clinically diagnosed with a bacterial infection, with upper respiratory tract infections the most commonly reported (46.95%), followed by urinary tract (15.49%) and then gastrointestinal infections (11.73%). Owners demonstrated knowledge of correct husbandry practices and there was no significant effect (p = 0.475) of owner knowledge on having owned a guinea pig with a bacterial infection. Bacterial infections may be more common in guinea pigs than was previously thought. Further research is required to understand why bacterial infections are common in pet guinea pigs and to help owners to prevent and recognize these infections.

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Management of husbandry‐related problems in guinea pigs

Cited by 15 publications

References 6 publications

Current welfare state of pet guinea pigs in the UK

Current welfare state of pet guinea pigs in the UK

An Investigation into the Relationship between Owner Knowledge, Diet, and Dental Disease in Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Frequency of Owner-Reported Bacterial Infections in Pet Guinea Pigs

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