How can I keep my guinea pigs healthy and prevent them from getting sick?

Guinea pigs are fun, fairly easy pets to own. Clean water daily, lots of Timothy hay, limited guinea pig pellets, vitamin C supplement are important. Guinea pigs also have sensitive respiratory tracts, so changing their cage several times a week to keep the urine smell (ammonia levels) down is also important. Some daily exercise out of the cage is also great! I hope this was helpful!

The best ways to prevent URIs is to make sure to use a dust free bedding, change the cage at regular and appropriate intervals, feed a high quality diet and supplement with high quality vitamin C. Keep the cage well ventilated and away from drafty windows or other conditions which may cause extremes in temperature. Providing lots of healthy fresh fruits and vegetables will also help improve the immune system. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It isn't "necessary", just strongly recommended. Any pet should be examined upon arriving home to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any preexisting conditions. Yearly exams are also recommended for much the same reason.

Most of the time mites get brought in with the food (often commercial guinea pig food), hay, bedding and other guinea pigs. So if you keep Sebastians cage clean, feed good quality hay, lots of greens, and fresh commercial pellets (check the expiration or manufacturing date on the box) then there is little danger for mites showing up and infecting your cavvie. You are doing well by being so diligent!

heat pads and snuggle sacks cannot prevent respiratory infections. They can only keep your guinea pig warm when it is cold. The only thing that can keep your guinea pig from contracting upper respiratory disease is to make sure his cage is always clean,. she gets fed good quality dust free hay, some fruit and veggies in addition and always fresh clean water. Here is very good information on how to keep a guinea pig properly: https://vet.purdue.edu/vth/sacp/documents/CareofGuineaPigs_001.pdf

Any eye problems should be examining by a veterinarian. You should not leave an eye problem untreated. Constipation can be caused by many things but usually it is due to a poor/incorrect diet. You need to make sure your husbandry is 100% correct. Your guinea pig's daily diet should contain hay, clean water and fresh greens. Pellets provide vegetable matter combined with vitamin C, but if your cavy eats too many in proportion to his regular diet he may get constipated. I suggest you feed him some low-sugar fruits (such as a piece of unpeeled apple or pear peel) and some leafy greens as they have a high water content. Putting a few drops of olive oil on a treat he enjoys can also help move things along. Finally, you should start him on a probiotic. ( https://www.jefferspet.com/products/bene-bac-plus ) ( https://www.petco.com/content/petco/PetcoStore/en_US/pet-services/resource-center/food-nutrition/guinea-pig-care-diet-and-feeding-tips.html ) I would recommend Oxbow hay and pellets that you can buy at your local Petco or online. If he is still having trouble in 12-24 hours I suggest you have him examined by your local vet.

Make sure his cage is clean and warm. Offer alfalfa pellets or soak pellets in warm water to make eating easier. A vitamin C supplement is also critical to good health. If he doesn't begin eating, have him examined by yoru veterinarina to diagnose illness or injury.