My son's Guinea Pig has some kind of worms in it's cage CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS IS??

Question

Hi, we just bought my son a guinea pig a little over two weeks ago, well this morning i went to clean it's cage out and i noticed that there was a TON of these white maggot looking worms in it's cage i mean they were everywhere it was DISGUSTING!! Does anyone know if guinea pigs can get worms or does this have something to do with the kind of bedding i used is it something from that? If so how does it happen? I mean i have been cleaning out it's cage every 4 days i don't understand what this is. I got it's cage all cleaned out i bathed the guinea pig my main worry is can my boys get sick from this? Can my dog pick this up? I CANNOT FIND ANYTHING AT ALL OUT ABOUT THIS. I need to know what to do to clear it up, I need to know if his guinea pig can die from this ( he will be heart broken) IF ANYONE HAS ANY INFO PLEASE PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!

Answer 1

If they're moving around on their own and fairly quickly, they're maggots.  Flies can lay eggs and the eggs hatch into maggots very fast.  They're going after the guinea pigs stool.  Call the vet and see if cedar bedding is safe for guinea pigs--it has a natural odor-control and pest-repelling property to it, but some animals are sensitive to the phenols in it.  

If the worms look like pieces of rice and move somewhat but don't appear to have any means of propelling themselves, they're probably tapeworm segments (maggots have tiny appendages for moving about).  Tapeworms are transmitted by fleas, which are integral to the tapeworm's life process:  flea larvae in bedding, flooring, etc., eat tapeworm eggs left there by previous segments that dropped and dried up, the the flea becomes an adult, the animal ingests the flea in an effort to clean itself, and becomes infested with the eggs, which will then hatch and grow.  The tapeworms are actually quite long, but they're segmented and pieces will drop off the very end of the worm, shaped and sized like white rice.  They're passed in the animal's stool.  I honestly don't know how often guinea pigs get tapeworms or not--a good question for the vet (you should be able to call and just get an answer).  

Humans rarely get tapeworms, especially from pets.  Your son would have to eat a flea carrying tapeworm eggs--and that's just very unlikely.  He can't get sick from the maggots, either, though they're extremely gross, I know.

Answer 2

call your vet soon. your boys and other pets will be fine.

Answer 3

It sounds like maggots to me. These are fly larvae & they are after any left over food or poops in the cage. The type of bedding doesn't really matter, since its not the bedding they want.

Just like any mammal, guinea pigs *can* get worms, although its a very rare occurance. Most illnesses that would affect a guinea pig are not zoonotic. The only thing I know of that can be transmitted from piggies to humans and/or other animals is ringworm, which is not a worm, but a fungal skin infection. You would know by looking at your pig if it had ringworm--its very obvious.

You've already bathed the piggie, so my advice is to clean the cage thoroughly to remove any fly eggs. Use a solution of full strength white vinegar to wash the cage & everything in the cage, including the food dish, water bottle, and pigloo or hidey house. Add fresh bedding & piggie.

Then you'll need to keep a very close eye on flies. While you'll need to leave your piggie's pellets & hay in the cage (they need to eat all the time to keep their digestive tracts moving), you'll want to remove any uneaten fresh veggies fairly quickly to discourage flies. Its really easy for flies to get in the house during the summer months, especially if you have children going in & out all the time.

Good luck!

Answer 4

It just sounds like maggots. Flies are laying their eggs in there and they're hatching into maggots. There's nothing wrong with your guinea pig. What kinda of bedding are you using? You can use pine shavings or pellets, but eventually if the flies are bad you'll still get maggots. I would probably put up a fly strip somewhere near if the flies are bad, and if sounds like you may have to clean your guinea pig's pen more often. What I would do is dump the old bedding out in like a compost pile or whatever your choice is and take the pen out and spray it with water and probably put some bleach in it. Also another thing that you can use for bedding is shredded paper.

Answer 5

your guinea pig could have some kind of worms or it could be maggots from flies. take it to the vet just in case. they cant do much for a guinea pig other than putting it down or giving it antibiotics.

Answer 6

what kind of food did the guinea pig have in its cage,one fly could have caused these maggots to hatch

Answer 7

no thers nothing wrong.. just clean it change its flooring to hamster flooring

Answer 8

It has worms.

...Take it to a vet.

Problem dealt with.

It's nice and simple!

Answer 9

I would thoroughly clean the cage with a dilute bleach solution, then wipe down with water.  The next step is to take the guinea pig to the vet to have a fecal done.  That way the vet can determine if your guinea pig has worms and can provide treatment.  The vet can also advise you if the worms can be transmitted to any other species.

Cedar is absolutely not safe for guinea pigs or any other small animal.  The phenols in it can cause respiratory and liver problems.

Answer 10

look in your guinea pigs stool,and see if there is worms in it.But the worms could have some from anywhere,such as fly's laying eggs in the bidding.What you need to do is disinfect the cage. give your piggies a bath,and examine their fur,for any sighns of worms,or bites or any kind.And if you believe something is wrong with them call the vet,and ask.

hope i could help :D