Worms?

Question
Hello,
We recently acquired 2 guinea pigs. I am a little scared about one of them. Since we brought him home you could feel his ribs. He is pretty small compared to my other pig. He eats well and has a good appetite. We have had him over 2 weeks now and he seems the same lengthwise. The only thing that is growing is his belly. You can still feel his ribs but his belly sticks out on the sides. We are afraid he has worms and that maybe he's not getting enough nutrients to grow. We do not see anything in his feces that would promote this but its the only explanation we have. Are we over reacting? Should we take him to a small animal vet? Any help would be appreciated!

Answer
Hi Priscilla,

It is possible that your guinea pig has worms, especially if he came from a pet shop. A skinny pig is never a healthy pig. The best thing will be to take him to a specialist small animal (or exotics) vet, who can examine him and if necessary will provide treatment. It will be a good idea to take your other piggy too, to get them both weighed and registered at the vets for the future.

Good luck & best wishes,

Jenny.