health questions and life span

Question
Hi there,
My Guinea pig (Willow) had some white crust like substance above and below her eyes this morning. She also would not eat a carrot (one of her favorite things) that I had given her. I was wondering if this was a sign of an illness.

I was also wondering what then normal life span is for a Guinea Pig.

Thanks,
Willow's Dad
Shannon

Answer
Hello Shannon.

First off, the life span of a guinea pig is generally between 5-7 years of age. Although it can span from 1 year to 10 years old. Guinea pigs can have ailments that takes their lives early on, but they can also be alive and kickin to about 10 years old.

Now, regarding the crust. If it is crusty, then most likely it is a cold. Does she have crust on her nose, does she seem wheezy?  If this is the case, i would take her to a vet to get some medicine (antibiotics). Alot of vets who don't specialize in guinea may give you an antibiotic that is part of the penicillin family. That would be a bad thing. Don't administer anything that ends in "cillin". It not good for a guinea pigs body. The most common and best medicine would be baytril (endofloxacin).

Every once in a while, guinea pigs eyes have this creamy white protective coat that can cover their eyes. After i bathe my guinea pigs, they get that and it is perfectly normal.

Since you said she doesn't seem to be eating her food, AND that you said the white stuff around her eyes is crusty, i would have to assume it's an infection.

Make sure to take care of that right away. Guinea pigs can die from simple things like colds. They just can't fight it off like we can.

Hope this helps
Christy :)