Is a guinea pig safe for a household with a cancer patient on chemo?

Thanks for reaching out about your pets. Different species of animals commonly carry bacteria that can be harmful to other species, but most commonly transmitted by bites or claws. It is not recommended that predator and prey species co-habitate. Just be careful. Good luck.

Ringworm is highly contagious and you can get it from animals, but I've personally never heard of ringworm leading to a massive infection. Keep in mind, though, that I'm not a human doctor so I can't comment on this. It's certainly possible your dad got the ringworm from them, but I can't say whether or not that lead to the infection. Only a human doctor can answer that. Best of luck.

Ringworm is highly contagious to Guinea Pigs and seems to be able to spread easily with minimal contact, but strict hygiene is effective for preventing transmission. Considering that Sebastian did not have direct contact with the ringworm lesion, and you recently washed your hands, the risk of spreading this to him is very low. For more information about preventing the spread of ringworm, I recommend click on the link below. https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/ringworm.html I hope that helps and all is well with you and Sebastian.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This will depend on which type of infection but generally not. Usually animals get infected from the environment and not directly from other pets especially when it is a different species but again, this depends on the type of infection. Good luck!

Thank you for your question about your guinea pig. There are cases where herpesvirus has been spread to rabbits - this has been through kissing or having close contact with the mouth. I would not recommend that your mother, or anyone, kiss your guinea pig due to the risks. As far as the antiviral medications that you are referring to, yes, many of them are tested using laboratory animals, including guinea pigs. I hope that this helps to answer your question, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. While I would recommend your mother consult with her doctor about their recommendations for her, I see no reason why they couldn't be in the house. However, be aware that Salmonella bacteria is part of the natural skin flora of many reptiles, so I would take that into consideration and limit her contact with the pets. But, again, her doctor would be the best person to offer her guidelines. Hope this helps.

Toby should be safe from your cold, as most viruses are species-specific and don't cross from one to the other. That being said, be careful to wash your hands before and after you handle him for both of your protection.