URGENT: How best to deal with a guinea pig that has been attacked by a rat?

Question

Hi,

It's a bit too late to go into detail but I have just rescued one of our two new guinea pigs (9wks old) from a wild rat. He has been bitten in at least two if not three places around his neck. He seems OK in as much as the bites are not bleeding excessively and we have done our best to clean him up. It's 1:00 am so we can't take him to the vet and are wondering what's best to do overnight.

We are wondering if the best way of counteracting any shock is to leave the animal in a box with lots of hay indoors overnight or put him with his friend in the hutch. Is there anything else we should do, such as try and get him to drink etc?

If we can do the right thing to keep him well overnight then we can get him to the vet in the am and save the animal any unnecessary suffering and our daughter any upset at having a dead pet.

Any help would be most appreciated!

Rgds

jez

Answer 1

VET GO QUICK he could have diesases

Answer 2

here's some great advice. TAKE THE CREATURE TO A VET.

Answer 3

The problem with GP's is their nerves and weak hearts !!! You are doing the very best for that little man and can do no more i'm afraid. I know you don't want your daughter to wake up to a dead pet but you cannot act as God, if the GP passes over, it passes over, you cannot stop it mate and its best if your daughter realises that Dad cannot always make things better! I hope to God your little fella makes it until you can get to the vets but if it doesn't, don't ever blame yourself, you've done more than most to save him. My thoughts are with you as are my prayers x

Answer 4

Poor thing !!!!!!!!! take him to the vet as soon as you can, in the meantime, try to get him to drink but dont force it, keep him warm and hope for the best! also if the rat was not a pet and it was a sewer rat or something he could get a disease.

Answer 5

Bring both pigs inside with hay in a secure box with ventilation. It depends on the size of the wounds really as there cant be a diagnosis online, not realistically.

I always keep wound powder and tea tree cream for animals in my house should these sorts of things occur. I know they are handy for my ferrets if they decide to play a bit too rough and scab each others necks.

Apply antiseptic cream. If I felt really concerned but had no other animal stuff and I really felt it was vital it needed cream I would use a mild antiseptic human cream round the house, but its usual best to air it anyway.

Use saline solution on the other hand to rinse the wound. Teaspoon of salt and boiled water. Wait for it to cool so its body temp and rinse it over the area. You must boil water to remove the metals in the water. I dont advise leaving it outside, since a rat has already got to it once.

Answer 6

Do you not have an emergency vet around? Most dont know exactly what they are doing, but the can clean and suture a wound.

Where did the rat come from?

www.guinealynx.com and www.guineapigcages.com may be able to help you more with this emergency, but they also help every day piggy life.

He needs the fiber from the hay. I would try to leave him alone with the other piggy. It will make him feel more at home and more likely to eat/drink.

Veggies will help distract him from the shock, especially if you feed them on a regular basis. dark leafy greens seem to be the most enticing to a piggy.

Get him to the vet as soon as you can, but until then keep his environment as normal as possible.

Answer 7

That's why guinea pigs should not be kept outside!!!

To avoid shock,keep him warm with a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel  near him.If you have a small syringe and some pedialyte or Gatorade, syringe some into him to keep him hydrated and to give him some sugar.You did wrongly to keep him in a place where he could be predated upon and your lucky he's not dead.

Answer 8

he needs a vet to check for diseases! you NEED to take him to the vet when you can....if he is in shock keep him warm in a quiet place and give him water.but still you should go to a vet...especially if he is still in shock like later tomorrow...

Answer 9

Take him to the vet. He might of got something. So take him to the vet if you want him to live!! Lol.