Guinea Pig is Not Well

Question
Our 3-year old, female guinea pig is not moving much, isn't eating or drinking, and is non-responsive, even when offered her favorite treats, ie. carrots, fruit, etc..  She is breathing, but just sitting still in her cage (next to our other guinea pig who she's been with for 2 years).

Her eyes also had a discharge and we wiped them, but they now appear to be slightly red and bulging a little bit.  Her eyes seem "out of focus!"  We live in Florida and they've both been drinking a lot of water this past month as it's been really hot here.  At times, their water bottle is empty before we get home to fill it again, and the other guinea pig can sometimes overpower her and not let her drink enough.

Could this be a sign of an infection or dehydration? Please let us know as with the economy and my husband losing his job, there really isn't funds to take her to the vet.

Answer
Hello,
She probably has heat exhaustion/dehydration as you say. I understand you can't take her to the vet so I will give you some helpful tips about how to limit and help this if it happens.
The symptoms are very obvious. The guinea will lie flopped out like a teddy, its respiration will be slow, and depending on the length of time it has been suffering it could be slobering. Wrap your ginea is a wet, cool towel and as soon as it begins to show signs of recovery take it out(otherwise it could lead to pneumonia.) Begin to give your guinea small amounts of water as soon as it can stand up. Give as much as it will drink. A way of keeping your guinea cool is to soak a towel in water and hang it over the wire mesh of its cage, the towel will need to be re-soaked every couple of hours but it is very effective. Make sure your guineas have plenty of shade and maybe attach two water bottles so that both guineas can have a fair share and the water won't run out.
I hope this helps
Alex