Guinea pig not well

Question
Hi,
Yesterday my guinea pig was fine but when i picked it up today she was
squeaking in pain. I thought she had done something to her foot but she
seems to be hurting on all of her legs and cannot support herself. She is
eating a little but hasn't done any poos or wees all day. she usually lives with
another guinea pig but i have put her in basket with blankets and she gets in
comfortable but again when she moves she is in pain. I am not sure what
could be wrong with her. she hasn't fallen from anywhere it has just suddenly
started. any ideas? I am going to take her to the vet but cannot until Tuesday,
so just wondering if there is anything i can do and what you may think it
could be.

Answer
Hi Sophie,

It could be a gastro-infection which is like a ticking bomb in a guinea pig, so you need to take her to the vets right away to give your baby the best chance. This means there is a blockage in her stomach which is why she can't eat much or poop or wee (try touching her there very gently) but her limbs will be affected because of the pain. Not to alarm you, but this condition is fatal unless treated early.

Go to your nearest 24 hour emergency vet if you are reading this "after hours" (in the UK they are called Medi Vets) or find a specialist small animal or exotic pet vet, and fast.

Guinea pigs suffer from a number of conditions that can easily be treated at home, but there are times when an urgent visit to the vet is necessary as guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly overnight, and a guinea pig in pain will often give up.

Good luck and I hope you can get your piggy to a vet and get her better right away.

Best wishes,
Jenny.