Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I ran out of bedding so I could not change my Guinea pigs twice last week. I got them bedding as soon as I could ( today ) and I cleaned them out, well as I was scooping their bedding out I found these white little worm things.....does this mean my Guinea pigs have worms or was it just because I couldn't clean them out twice? If they have worms how do I get rid of them? Any info will be GREATLY appreciated!

Thank you,
Raelyn

aarons_ladybug@hotmail.com

most parasitic worms are invisible to the human eye. Most likely it is fly larva of some sort.

Only way to be certain your guinea pigs don't have internal parasites is to take fresh samples of poop to your vet for a fecal.

Having to clean them twice a week, seems to me excessive, unless the cage is rather small for the number of guinea pigs you have. I kept 3 guinea pigs together in a large pen and it only needed cleaning once a week.

What size cage do you have and how many guinea pigs?
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PHLdyPayne

Ok, thank. I figured it was just fly larva.

Its not excessive because their water bottle leaks which causes their bedding to get wet and I do not want them to have to live in that. I have changed the bottle twice and each one leaks so I've given up, its a lost cause.

As far as too small of cage I have a two story cage with two Guinea pigs living in it. I asked the pet store and they said this cage was plenty big enough. I can't give you the actual measurements because I do not remember them.

Since the water bottles are always leaking, maybe try a different brand? This site has a different design of watering bottles for rodents and other small animals. www.agselect.com/ED/showdetl.cfm?&DID=11&Product_ID=996&CATID=30

A good site to figure out if you have enough space for your guinea pigs, is www.guineapigcages.com/ It also shows you how to build your own for about $25

To be honest I haven't seen many pet store brand cages that are a good size for two guinea pigs. There are a few but not many. The above website though has a good minimal floor space for guinea pigs. I kept 2-3 in a 30"x50" cage and it seemed a bit crowded with three. More room the better, as they do get very active and happy when they have room to run around.
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PHLdyPayne

Sounds like fly maggots in the old bedding. Can't hurt the pigs (unless they have open sores). If your water bottle is leaking and you can't afford to purchase a new one, try cleaning the bottle with a bleach/water solution. Let sit for 10 minutes, shake, empty the bottle, and rinse with clean fresh water to remove any bleach residue. If it still leaks, put a plastic or ceramic food crock under the spout in the cage to catch the dripping water. Clean crock out at least daily. Or, if you can cut a "window" in the cage where the nozzle comes in.. Then, place the nozzle where it is just on the outside of the cage, but still close enough for them to get a drink. Any drips would just fall outside of the cage. Also, sometimes they "play" with the nozzle, or lay under it touching it with their body which causes the bottle to leak sometimes.