Guinea pigs are not exempted from health problems. Just like any other pet, your guinea pig can get respiratory infections, scurvy, diarrhea, tumors, urinary problems, and many other health issues. However, your reaction to all these problems matters, because before reacting you need to be able to tell the pet is sick from its communication. So is it okay to give a guinea pig Ibuprofen?
Ibuprofen is not a vet’s prescribed drug for your guinea pigs, therefore administering this drug to the pet, could risk his life. Instead, you can administer gabapentin, tramadol, and amantadine. However, make sure you confirm from your vet before administering any drug to your guinea pig pet.
Guinea pigs can be very sensitive. So they need extra care in their handling in case of any injuries. Make sure you read ahead for more info on the handling of these pets.
How Can I Soothe My Guinea Pig in Pain?
Guinea pigs are very emotional animals that won’t hide any of their feelings from their owners. However, it is up to you as the owner to interpret their communication to know the pet’s immediate feelings. So whenever you sense they are in pain, you should visit a vet with your pet for further checkups on their health status.
In such cases, after a visit to the vet, you should not expect your piggy to be normal as cheerful as he is always. Instead, you may see a sleepy or unsettled guinea pig, probably after any anesthetic or different vet syringes. In addition, you must follow the vet’s prescription on administering any drugs or pain control after surgery.
Signs of a Guinea Pig in Pain
When in pain, the pet will not have his usual behaviors. Therefore, his reactions may vary depending on the pain the pet is feeling. Here are some of the common reactions you may see:
- Grinding teeth
- Reluctance to move
- Sits hunched with spiky hair
- Excessive squealing
- Loss of appetite
- Rapid or shallow breathing
- Shivers or quivers
You may see all these symptoms at once or either of them, depending on the age, and type of illness the pet has.
Therefore, to comfort a guinea pig in pain, you may have to:
- Up-scale Your Feeding of the Pet
Feed the pet carefully with different meals that may jumpstart his appetite. This includes clean drinking water to help in constipation; fresh greens for vitamin C, and good quality hay for his digestive tracts, and teeth wearing. However, you should not force feed the pet; in case, he is not eating on his own, you need to contact a veterinarian because it could be a digestive problem like constipation.
- Comfort Your Guinea Pig
Just as human beings will pleasure in comfort when in their lowest times, so will your guinea pig. Not only will he feel loved, but he will also feel appreciated and accepted at your home. So you should show the pet some love by patting, and careful handling. However, some guinea pigs when in pain may want to be alone.
In such cases, you should not drag him from his hideout corner, instead, let him relax, but watch him from afar as you wait for the vet’s response.
- Gentle Stroking
Your squealing pet may enjoy your gentle strokes, making him feel reassured of some hope amidst the pain. However, you should be careful not to touch any swollen or painful areas on the pet.
- Give them Company
Guinea pigs whether in perfect health or deep fighting an illness, love company. They may have a cage partner but they will need to feel the presence of their old buddy. Lack of company can lead to depression in the pet; this may worsen his health status.
Can I Give My Guinea Pig Ibuprofen?
Ibuprofen is a pain reliever and an anti-inflammatory drug in human bodies, so if you intend to give it to your guinea pig you need to get a green light from your vet about it. In addition, guinea pigs have very tiny intestinal organs as compared to humans, so any mistake of an unprescribed drug could add more pain to the pet.
So, as much as you can give ibuprofen to the pet, you cannot administer the same quantities a human being can take. However, ibuprofen was first discovered as an anti-inflammatory drug on guinea pigs. It was from then that the drug was developed as a pain reliever for humans.
But despite that discovery of ibuprofen, veterinaries hardly prescribe the drug for guinea pigs because of its effect on gastric bleeding that risks the pet’s life. Instead, they often describe Metacam for the same effects in pets. Therefore, it is best to keep off ibuprofen from the pets.
What Are the Best Pain Relieving Medics for Guinea Pigs?
Pain in guinea pigs can be quite hard to tell since the pets cannot talk in person. It’s not an easy task for the vets either but since they have heard extensive experience from handling several of them, they can tell whenever they come across similar issues. So there are several safe pain killer options for guinea pigs, however, the applicable types in them might not be similar to those used for other pets.
For instance, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories have higher doses and they are also very effective but can lead to several side effects in guinea pigs if they are dosed for the pets. However, other pain killers for the pets include
- Gabapentin
- Tramadol
- Amantadine
You can administer both of them as oral meds as liquid preparations as well as also opt for injectable opioids and local nerve blocks; which are very effective. However, it will be up to your vet to decide on when to use what drug depending on the immediate pain on the guinea pig.
In addition, it is equally important to monitor the health progress of your guinea pig even after living in the vet’s office. This will help in noticing any adverse effects that could be the results of the side effects of some prescribed drugs. There could be also some new signs of pain or improvements in the pet’s health. Either of these will guide the vet accordingly on what drugs to administer next for fast healing of the pet.
You can always speak to your vet about adjusting the medication whenever you feel the guinea pig is still in pain. Different guinea pigs may have different actions on vet’s prescriptions.
https://www.theguineapigvet.co.uk/post/pain-relief-for-guinea-pigs
https://www.metacam.co.uk/guinea-pigs/painkiller-for-guinea-pigs/
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