Beaphar

illness

Diarrhoea and gastroenteritis
Guinea pigs and rabbits, but also sometimes chinchillas, hamsters, mice and rats, may suffer from diarrhoea. One of the main causes of diarrhoea is not a contagious disease, but stress or dietary changes. Guinea pigs and rabbits from different breeders may have been brought together at a young age to be sold in a pet shop. This kind of stress can play an important role in their short life. New surroundings, different food, different accommodation, and new friends are all sources of stress for young rabbits and guinea pigs, and they may be exposed to previously unencountered bacteria and viruses. This kind of stress, together with a change of food, can cause a disturbance to their normal digestion and can damage the good bacterial flora. Under these circumstances, other bad bacteria get a chance to flourish in the gut, and this causes diarrhoea.
You need to be aware of the fact that diarrhoea leads to a loss of salt and body fluids, which causes a decline in the circulating volume of blood in the body. Your pet will dehydrate quickly if it has diarrhoea. Given the fact that rodents are quite small, this is a life-threatening situation. When a pet dies, it is often the result of dehydration, and not the result of a parasite or bacterial infection.

What else can you do for your pet?
Try to house a pet suffering from diarrhoea separately from other pets, and try to do this in a warm, draught-free place. Make sure that everything you do is hygienic. Regularly check your pet for any worsening or improvement in its condition.
Additionally, it is important that you take the following measures:
• Give your pet clean, fresh hay and good, fresh, balanced dry food
• Replenish your pet’s fluid levesl. To prevent your pet from dehydrating, it is very important that it gets plenty to drink. Aside from water, your pet will also be losing important nutrients. This can be prevented by adding a little sugar and salt to its drinking water, but if you are concerned, it is best to consult your vet
• Give your pet extra vitamins. Your pet’s own intestinal bacteria produce vitamins inside the intestinal tract. When your pet has diarrhoea, the intestinal flora is either disturbed or has declined, and it is sensible to give your pet extra vitamins. Beaphar’s range of products contains a number of vitamin supplements created to meet the recommended daily amount of vitamins for your rodent
If the symptoms do not disappear quickly, or you see your pet’s condition is getting worse, please contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. Small pets can quickly lose condition, and may die without prompt veterinary attention..