Hot Weather Tips
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- Category: Care
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Guineas are incredibly prone to heatstroke and you MUST take precautions during hot weather.
Our Hot Weather Checklist
- Avoid using plastic hides
- Use frozen water bottles or ice packs covered in a sock
- Use cool tiles like marble
- Keep curtains and blinds closed
- Only open windows when it's cooler, early morning or evening
- Change water bottles regularly
- Keep hutches out of direct sun at all times, the insides of hutches can reach very high temperatures
- Provide shade from above, umbrellas, sheets, parasols
- Bring guineas indoors, a small temporary indoor cage or having them in an empty bath is better than heatstroke
- Fans shouldn't be aimed directly at guineas
Dealing with Heatstroke
If your guineas show any signs of heatstroke, even mild symptoms, such as drooling, lethargy, struggling to breathe, panting or seizures they need to see a vet urgently.
All UK vet practices have to have out of hours vet cover, this might not be at your usual practice so if your guinea appears ill overnight there will be a vet available.
Immediate first aid cooling methods should be used whilst you're on the way to a vet.
- Move guinea to a cool place
- Cover guinea with damp towels if unresponsive, if guinea is able to move they can be stood in shallow water to cover their feet and cool water applied to the back of the ears
- Do not submerge guinea in cold water
- If guinea is unresponsive do not try to syringe anything as they are at risk of aspiration