A guinea pig that is found to have scurvy is administered doses of vitamin C to counteract the symptoms. Diagnosing the illness early and then subsequently treating it early as well can very much benefit the animal in relieving the symptoms. Vitamin C is usually incorporated into the animal’s water or food, and in severe cases, the vitamin is administered through injections. Generally, the normal vitamin C dose for a healthy guinea pig is around five to ten milligrams for each kilogram of body weight. However, guinea pigs that already show early symptoms of scurvy must be administered at least thirty milligrams of vitamin C per kilogram of body weight every day until the symptoms subside. It usually takes about one week to fully recover.
Multivitamins must never be offered to guinea pigs because there is that overdose risk that could potentially pave the way to toxicity. As with any illness, prevention is always the best route.
Abrupt changes that you observe with your pet’s wellbeing and health should prompt a visit to your pet clinic Cherry Hill, NJ as soon as possible.
