Guinea pig getting old

Question
dear jenny,
i have written to you before about my guinea pig with a lump on its right side, i took it to the vet and it got a test on it and it was a sist.
the guinea pig is 4 and a half years old and has a sister guinea pig (same age) who it lives with, my guinea pig spends hours just drinking water, she never used to do she drinks a lot of water now, her fur is also going all funny, we bath her with guinea pig shampoo every month and brush her with a tooth brush, she has got a bad back, it is like lumpy or spikey sort of thing when you run your fingers down it, she hasn't even ever injured herself, my mum said it could be artharitus, i'm not sure all of these things havn't happened to my other guinea pig who lives with her and is the same age.
could you please help by telling whats wrong, whether its just age and how i can help it.

Thanks a lot,
yours sincerally, Elisha

Answer
Hi Elisha,

The average life span of a guinea pig is 4-8 years. Boars usually live longer than sows, so as your girls are 4.5 I think they are probably just getting old! The oldest sow I've had lived until she was 5; unfortunately the other 2 died quite young. Good news that it was just a cyst and nothing more serious; it is important to keep a close eye on piggies as they get older.

Guinea pigs suffer many illnesses that are similar to humans, and their old age is not largely different from ours. Everything will start to slow down; they'll exercise less, eat less, and sleep more. If you keep a close eye on your girls and give them lots of cuddles and their favourite treats; they'll stick around for a while longer as they'll see life to be worth living.

Drinking excess water is not a normal sign of old age, however, and suggests that your guinea pig could be dehydrated. What do you mean by "funny fur"? If you are worried about her it is probably best that you take her to see a specialist small animal or exotic pet vet. Your piggy doesn't seem to be showing any serious symptoms and the vet will be reluctant to put her through undue stress of any treatment if she is old, but she will recommend what is best for your piggy. She could have arthritis, or another "oldy" condition for life; and will just need you to help her out a bit more. Or she might need some medicine!

It is very hard for me to suggest what might be wrong without seeing your piggy; and gut instinct is usually a good measure when it comes to piggies so if you think something could be wrong, take her to see the vet sooner rather than later. Guinea pigs do not tend to suffer from many serious illnesses, but obviously they are a few, and as these little creatures can go rapidly downhill, it is important to get them checked out when you notice anything unusual, especially if they seem to be in pain.

Good luck & let me know if you have any other questions.

Best wishes,
Jenny.