Healthy guinea pigs are very active during the day and evening. They love to play and need frequent exercise.Heatstroke, however, can make a guinea pig feel very weak. If your guinea pig has heatstroke, his legs will become weak. He will be unable or unwilling to move.If your guinea pig is able to walk, he may stagger around. In addition, his muscles may start to tremor.With heatstroke, your guinea will stop playing and running around.;
, When healthy, your guinea pig will quietly breathe about 80 times a minute.This sounds fast, but it is normal. If he has heatstroke, you will see him panting and struggling to breathe.His panting will get faster as his heatstroke worsens.He may start breathing very heavily—you may see his whole body move as he tries to breathe., Heatstroke can cause guinea pigs to drool, which is not normal guinea pig behavior. Also, his saliva may look thick or feel sticky, rather than feel fairly thin. If your guinea pig will let you, look in his mouth—his tongue will be bright red.His tongue should be pink.


His gums, which should also be pink, may look very pale or red., Normally, if you touch your guinea pig, you will feel his natural body heat. However, if he’s suffering from heatstroke, he may actually feel hot to the touch. Gently touch your guinea pig to see how warm he is. His ears, in particular, will feel very hot.An increased heart rate is common in guinea pigs with heatstroke.Be aware, though, that the heart of a healthy guinea pig beats over 200 times a minute.You can try to touch his chest to feel his heart beat, but it will probably be hard to tell that it’s beating faster than usual.
 Heatstroke can make your guinea pig physically ill. He may start vomiting or have diarrhea.As long as he is healthy and eating a normal diet, he should not vomit or have diarrhea.


Normal feces look like soft, dark pellets. If your guinea pig has diarrhea, his feces may be watery and less formed.
 Guinea pigs, despite being very active, are usually not restless. On a normal day, your guinea pig will keep himself busy by moving from one activity to another, enjoying each activity. If he has heatstroke, though, he may be restless and agitated.It will look like he just can’t make up his mind with what he wants to do.
 Heatstroke can cause seizures in guinea pigs. During a seizure, your guinea pig would fall to one side and experience muscle spasms and fast eye twitching.The eye twitching may last for several minutes. You may hear your guinea pig squeal or screech during the seizure.Seizures are not very common in guinea pigs., With handling and quality time together, your guinea pig will recognize your voice and respond to you. If he has severe heatstroke, though, he may fall into a coma, lose consciousness, and not respond to you.Try touching him and speaking to him. Even if he is weak and feeling really sick, he may still be alert enough to respond to you.
 When your guinea pig is suffering from heat stroke, act quickly! The sooner you help him, the better his chances of recovering. Move him out of the heat and take him inside to a cool area. Call your vet right away to let them know your guinea pig needs immediate help.The shade can get hot, so do not simply move your guinea pig to a shaded area outside.
 Before going to your vet’s office, start cooling down your guinea pig at home. Fill a bowl or sink with about 4 cm of lukewarm water and gently place your guinea pig in the water. Scoop some water up in your hands and gently get him wet. Do not use cold water—the cold water would lower his body temperature too quickly and cause him to go into shock.Along with his fur and feet, make sure you get his ears wet.If your guinea pig cannot stand on his own, gently hold him upright in the water.
Rather than put your guinea pig in water, you could spray his fur with tepid water, then fan him., When your guinea pig’s body doesn’t feel so hot to the touch, place him on a clean, damp towel and take him to your vet. Turn on the car’s air conditioning to keep him cool. Rolling down the windows is also an option, but may let a lot of hot air into the car. Once you get to your vet’s office, your vet will take immediate action to cool your guinea pig. They will:Hydrate him
Give him extra oxygen
Give him medication, if needed
Monitor him for other conditions, like kidney failure, shock, and heart problems
Determine how well your guinea pig can move.
Watch your guinea pig’s breathing.
Look at your guinea pig’s mouth.
Touch your guinea pig.
Look for signs of digestive upset.
Look for agitation or restlessness.
Observe seizure activity.
Determine if your guinea pig is responding to you.
Move your guinea pig to a cool area.
Place your guinea pig in lukewarm water.
Take your guinea pig to your vet.
{"src": "wikihow-all_validation", "title": "How to Diagnose Heatstroke in Guinea Pigs"}