The following may seem like a lot of work to go through to find a veterinarian, but your guinea pig’s well being depends upon finding the most experienced veterinary care available. We hope that within another few years, veterinarian schools will begin to understand guinea pigs well enough so that veterinarians can be properly trained before they run across a guinea pig in their practice. The other problem is that veterinarians not trained in guinea pig medicine should be responsible enough to refer you to another veterinarian. Instead some just see the green of your money and say to themselves, "sure I'm a vet, I can see your pet, after all it's only a guinea pig". When you find a veterinarian who is honest enough to refer you to someone else, be sure to refer people to him/her and if you have cats or dogs, give him that business. It's really great to work with an honest vet!
- Start the search before you have an emergency!
- Check the Vet Finder Veterinarian List first to see if there are any recommended guinea pig veterinarians listed in your area. Next check the yellow pages for veterinarians who advertise as "exotic" (includes, guinea pigs & rodents). Then randomly select 5 veterinarians who do NOT advertise as avian or exotic.
(Editor's Note: A comprehensive online listing of veterinarians in the USA is now available. This is another alternative to the yellow pages)
- Phone these veterinarians and ask who they refer their clients to if they have a serious guinea pig case. If all 5 veterinarians give you the name of the same veterinarian, ok. If not, then randomly select another 5 veterinarians and continue the process until you have a clear "winner".
- Phone several (start with 3) veterinarians in cities within 50 miles of you and ask the same question: who do they refer their clients to if they have a serious guinea pig case.
- At this point you should have either a clear "winner" or several veterinarians to choose from. The next step is to phone the vet. Let the front office person know that you are concerned with finding the very best veterinarian to care for your guinea pig and that you would like to speak directly to the doctor at his/her convenience. Leave both your work and home phone number and specific times that the veterinarian can get hold of you (and be there) or ask what would be a good time for you to call back (when the veterinarian is between appointments).
- Ask if they know which antibiotics are dangerous for guinea pigs (amoxicillin and most of the "...cillin" drugs like penicillin. Also see below).
- Casually ask about minimizing bladderstones. Q: "What's the best way to minimize the chance of bladderstones developing? A: "Provide your guinea pig with timothy hay rather than alfalfa. Avoid high-calcium foods like spinach."
- Ask if food has to be removed the night before surgery. The answer should be "no".
Webmaster’s note: this topic is one of debate. While some veterinary surgeons prefer not to fast the animals prior to surgery, there is still the possibility that a guinea pig *can* choke and asphyxiate itself under anesthesia. Do not eliminate a vet from consideration because s/he chooses to fast the animal prior to surgery. Ask *why* they choose not to fast the animal, then continue with:
- Q: What anesthesia does the vet use? A: Halothane or methoxyflurane gas (sometimes referred to as isoflurane) are preferred; injections should be with a fentanyl compound or ketamine. Ether and pentobarbitone are not recommended*
* Source: Diseases of Domestic Guinea Pigs, V.C.G. Richardson; University of Iowa Press
- Q: About how many surgeries on guinea pigs has the vet done in the past year that involved general anesthesia, and how many were successful?
- You might also want to ask which conferences they've attended lately that had talks about guinea pig medicine and what journals they read. We want our veterinarians to be up on the latest in guinea pig treatment.
- Do not make your choice based on how close the veterinarian is to your home (unless that veterinarian is the clear "winner"). Paying money to a veterinarian who does not know anything (or very little) about guinea pigs is just throwing your money away and can cost the life of your companion.
- Don't assume that just because a veterinarian works with breeders or local 4-H clubs, that they are experienced with guinea pigs or the medical needs of older guinea pigs. Unfortunately, such veterinarians often tend to approach guinea pigs as stock animals rather than as beloved companions. They may never have done a spay or neuter and "treatment" of any difficulty may amount to euthanasia (when dealing with stock or show animals, the financial bottom line may be the primary consideration).
- Antibiotics that should never be given to guinea pigs. Even one dose of the following can be deadly: Amoxicillin, lincomycin, clindamycin.
Primary Author(s): Kathleen Wilsbach and Sandi Ackerman
Sources: HRH, various articles from the HRJ, RHN
