Health 



When guinea pigs ha^ e a rough coat, hick appetite, 

 or lose weight rapidly, a disease is probably the 

 cause. Because many of the symptoms of diseases 

 that affect guinea pigs are similar, even a trained 

 person may have difficulty distinguishing one of the 

 diseases from another. 



Your veterinarian can recommend the best meas- 

 ures to control and eradicate disease. 



Sulfa drugs or antibiotics can be used in treating 

 most of the infectious diseases that affect guinea 

 pigs. These drugs should be used only with pro- 

 fessional advice; incorrect dosages can injure your 

 animals. 



Sometimes prompt slaughter of all affected or ex- 

 posed animals is the best procedure. Burn the car- 

 casses or bury them deeply. Burn all litter and dis- 

 infect the animals' quarters. 



Use one of the commercially available disinfect- 

 ants that contain cresol. These disinfectants can be 

 obtained at most drugstores. 



Disease Prevention 



You can do several things to guard against out- 

 breaks of disease. 



• Wash guinea pig cages periodically. 



• Disinfect the cages with cresol. 



• Feed animals an adequate diet free of contami- 

 nation by rats or mice. 



• Offer fresh drinking water daily in clean 

 containers. 



• Never transfer water or feed containers from 

 one pen to another. 



• Protect your animals from cold, drafts, and too 

 much moisture. At temperatures lower than 65° F., 

 they may get colds and respiratory diseases, such as 

 pneumonia, and the young are born dead or die soon 

 after birth. 



If disease breaks out in your guinea pig colony — 



• Wait several weeks before obtaining new stock. 



• Isolate new animals to prevent exposure of po- 

 tential carriers and reduce the possibility of intro- 

 ducing disease into a clean colony. 



