|
|
Each year ACS Shelters receive phone calls from members of the public who sadly lose their guinea pigs to pneumonia in winter or to heatstroke in the summer months. Example 1: Heatstroke. On a hot day in summer or where the humidity is soaring their have been cases reported to ACS whereby the family guinea pigs have been housed outdoors and left in their cage in part or full sun for only as little as 1 hour and this has been enough time to cause severe heatstroke and death in some cases. Heatstroke is a slow and painful way to die and the guinea pig cannot run away from the boiling heat if their cage is left outside in the sun. ACS Highly recommend having undercover and/or indoor permanent or temporary housing as a preventative measure and also to make sure that cooling techniques are applied on hot days. Please see our Heat Management guide below for further information. Example 2: Pneumonia and Colds. In winter on those chilly cold nights where the frost comes out in the morning this is a sure sign that your guinea pig will need to have warmth and insulation in their cage in order to prevent them from developing a cold or pneumonia. A healthy diet high in Vitamin C is also important to help your guinea pigs immune system to fight off a cold. Please see our Cold Management guide for further information on how to make sure your guinea pig is kept warm and healthy during the cooler months. Example 3: Sudden weather changes. Although both heat and cold can affect the health of your guinea pig an extreme change in temperature between one day to the next at any time of the year can also affect your guinea pigs health. In particular the sudden change in temperature for only a couple of days from autumn to winter and from spring to summer can be the times that your guinea pigs will be most prone to falling unwell due to trying to adapt to the new season. Even some of the most dedicated guinea pig owners have sadly only slipped up once and in turn lost their guinea pig/s. For example one family left home for an hour to go down to the shops on a hot summer day only to come home to the shock and sad passing of their pets. The sun had moved over the guinea pig enclosure while they were out. Our only tip is to treat your guinea pigs just as you would yourself. If you are cold outside in winter your guinea pigs will also be cold and if you are hot and wouldn't stay outside in the sun on a summers day then your pets shouldn't be either. If methods are needed for you to keep cool or warm then methods will need to be applied for your pets as well. Guinea Pigs rely on their human owners for every aspect of their care and they are not able to remove themselves from their enclosure or able to apply what they need to be able to survive in weather extremes or changes in temperature. Please visit the below links to find further information on how to care for your guinea pig during the changing temperatures throughout the year.
Management through the warm months Management through the cool months
(c) Copyright 2006, Australian Cavy Sanctuary. All rights reserved. |
Guinea
pigs are very susceptible to changes in the weather and temperature and in
particular sudden changes. A guinea pigs health can deteriorate quickly if
methods aren't put in place to help keep your guinea pig comfortable
during these changes. The most comfortable temperature for a guinea pig is
between 15-22 degrees.
