Features

Guinea Pig Q&A

In honor of Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month, Ryan Hospital’s Exotic and Companion Animal Medicine Service’s Dr. Colin McDermott has provided basic tips and must-know information for guinea pig parents and would-be parents.

1. What makes a guinea pig a good pet?

Guinea pigs are great, gentle pets.  They are very social and inquisitive, which makes for a great pet for children to watch and interact with.  Guinea pigs will rarely bite.

2. What is the average lifespan of a guinea pig? 

The average life span of a guinea pig is about 5-7 years.

3. What kinds/breeds of guinea pigs are there?

There are several breeds of guinea pigs.  The more common breeds are the shorter haired Abyssinians and Teddys.  There are also several long-haired breeds like the Peruvians, Coronets and Silkies.

Read more here »

Prepping for Foaling Season

It’s spring. Daffodils, red-wing blackbirds and foals are arriving. In their first few weeks of life, foals are gangly newborns and highly susceptible to illnesses. At New Bolton Center clinicians are investigating diagnostic and treatment options for sick foals.

Gastrointestinal disease is common in equine neonates, and necrotizing gastrointestinal disease, where a portion of the gastrointestinal tissue actually dies, can be fatal. One study focuses on the usefulness of abdominal ultrasonography in the assessment of these conditions. “It’s a serious and poorly understood disease,” says Dr. Cristobal Navas de Solis, LV, DACVIM. “The human counterpart of this disease, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), is the most common GI complication of premature babies.”

Read more here »