Otitis in pet guinea pigs: Causes, clinical signs, treatment and outcomes

Otitis is a major disease impacting both pet guinea pigs and laboratory guinea pigs that are used as models in human otological studies.

Medical records from two veterinary clinics were retrospectively reviewed to identify guinea pigs diagnosed with computed tomography (CT)-confirmed otitis between 2014 and 2023. The clinical signs, treatment and bacteria isolated in these cases were noted, and predisposing factors were identified.

Thirty-six guinea pigs out of the 1477 seen at the clinics during the study period had otitis, giving a prevalence of 2.4%. The majority (61%) of guinea pigs had non-specific clinical signs, with 12 (33%) having respiratory signs and nine (25%) having dental disease. Only 14 animals (39%) had vestibular signs. Females were less likely to have otitis than males (odds ratio: 0.2). No age predilection was identified (age range 5-60 months). Animals with vestibular signs or respiratory signs had 21.8 and 9.5 times higher odds of having otitis, respectively. Treatment was divided into medical management or surgery and antibiotic therapy. No difference in survival times was observed regarding treatment received.

Limitations of the study include the small number of animals and lack of repeat CT.

Veterinarians should remember that otitis is a common disease in guinea pigs of all ages, with males being slightly more predisposed than females. Affected animals can have non-specific clinical signs, such as respiratory or dental disease. Head tilt is the most common vestibular sign.