ruptured intestines

Question
hi, i was reading a previos question from delfina and your reply to her was to crush pellets and force feed him then get him to the vet. you said that if they dont eat for too long their tummy will rupture. how do you know if that happens? my female who is 1 year old and has had one litter of pups(piggies} now she has a huge mass on her right side, i think her and one of her pups has mites i dont what to do. can you give me any suggestions?   
                               thank you
                                kathleen

Answer
Hi Kathleen,

    Scratching, hair loss, and shaking that looks like a seizure are all symptoms of mange mites.  If you suspect mange mites, take them to a veterinarian immediately.  They can be successfully treated with ivermectin.

    For more information on mange mites, here is a very helpful site that can provide pictures of symptoms and describe ivermectin in detail:

http://guinealynx.com/mites.html

    As for the mass on the side of your mother guinea pig, I'm not too sure what that could be - so my advice to you is to take her to a veterinarian who is experienced in the area of guinea pigs so he can first handedly check it out, make a diagnosis, and prescribe appropriate treatment.

    Thank you for your question, I hope I have been of some help to you.  If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.  Good luck with your guinea pigs (=

                                                   - Nicole