Emergency First Aid for Guinea Pig Heatstroke Relief

What to Do If a Guinea Pig Overheats

1. When you discover that your guinea pig is overheating, the first step is to quickly move it to a wellventilated and cool area. Place some ice cubes near it to assist in cooling down. If you don't have ice cubes, anything frozen can be used. However, pet owners should avoid directly rinsing the guinea pig with cold water. Since the guinea pig's body is already in a state of fever, suddenly exposing it to cold water can only lower its surface temperature and may trap the heat inside, making the situation worse. Therefore, pet owners must be cautious about this.

2. Once the guinea pig's body temperature has dropped, after a while, you can give it a small amount of 1% to 2% saltwater solution to replenish its fluids and energy.

3. Keep an eye on your guinea pig's condition. When guinea pigs overheat, the internal heat can cause their intestines to absorb more water from their feces, leading to constipation. This can be quite serious. If you notice your guinea pig experiencing constipation or a swollen rectum after overheating, it's important to help it defecate. If you have a rectal lubricant at home, you can use it to assist in defecation. If not, try gently wiping the feces from the anus with a wet cotton swab. Then, use a cool cotton swab to massage its abdomen, and feed it water and massage it repeatedly to encourage the guinea pig to pass the feces in its intestines.

4. Additionally, guinea pigs that have overheated may become weak and may not eat. In this case, you can place some easytochew vegetables and fruits near it so that it can eat when it's hungry. It's fine to provide more vegetables and fruits during this time. Normally, you would limit the amount of fruit and vegetable feeding to prevent diarrhea, but in this situation, giving it more can also help with defecation.

5. Alternatively, during hot summer weather, feeding your guinea pig a moderate amount of dandelion greens can help cool it down. After your guinea pig has overheated, you can also give it some dandelion greens as a treat.

Dr. Oxygen Pet Tips: In the summer, while taking preventive measures against overheating, pet owners should also observe if their guinea pig still feels hot. If the guinea pig lies flat with its belly on the ground, it indicates that it is still feeling overheated. In this case, pet owners need to further improve their cooling measures.