# Guinea Pig Bloat — UK Emergency Guide — Quick answer

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/guinea-pig-bloat-uk): Guinea Pig Bloat — UK Emergency Guide — Quick answer. A swollen, hard belly in a guinea pig is always an emergency — see a vet immediately. Guinea pigs cannot vomit or easily release trapped gas, so bloat and gut stasis can become fatal within hours. Key signs: not eating, few or no droppings, hunched posture and teeth grinding.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/guinea-pig-bloat-uk): Guinea Pig Bloat — UK Emergency Guide — What is bloat?. Bloat happens when gas builds up in the stomach or intestines faster than it can move through. According to the PDSA, a guinea pig that stops eating is at risk of gut stasis — the gut slows or stops, gas-producing bacteria overgrow, and the abdomen distends. It is extremely painful and life-threatening. In the most severe form, the gas-filled stomach can twist — gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV). Writing in The Veterinary Nurse, UK clinicians report that GDV in guinea pigs has a historically very high mortality rate and is often fatal even before symptoms are obvious.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/guinea-pig-bloat-uk): Guinea Pig Bloat — UK Emergency Guide — Symptoms. | Sign | What you see | |------|--------------| | Swollen abdomen | Rounded sides; belly feels tight or drum-hard | | Not eating | Refusing food — even favourites | | Few or no droppings | Smaller, drier pellets, then none | | Pain | Teeth grinding (bruxism), hunched posture, squeaking when moving | | Lethargy | Sitting in one spot for hours, fluffed-up coat | | Deterioration | Restlessness, drooling, then unresponsiveness — critical | Any guinea pig that is off its food should be treated as urgent — this species goes downhill fast.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/guinea-pig-bloat-uk): Guinea Pig Bloat — UK Emergency Guide — Why it is an emergency. Guinea pigs cannot vomit and have a very limited ability to release trapped gas, so pressure keeps building. As the abdomen swells it compresses blood vessels, causes shock, and can stop breathing effectively. According to The Veterinary Nurse, sudden death is a recognised presentation of GDV in guinea pigs. See a vet immediately — the same day, now. Do not wait overnight to "see how they are in the morning".

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/guinea-pig-bloat-uk): Guinea Pig Bloat — UK Emergency Guide — Common causes. - Sudden diet change — the PDSA advises changing foods gradually over two to four weeks - Too little hay or fibre — the gut needs constant roughage to keep moving - Large amounts of gas-producing vegetables — introduce new veg slowly, one at a time - Dental disease — mouth pain stops eating, and gut stasis follows - Stress, pain or any other illness — stasis is usually a symptom of something else, so the cause must be found too

Source: https://pethealth.org.uk/health/guinea-pig-bloat-uk