REAGAN'S STORY

Reagan's Story

Why should a perfectly healthy and happy guinea pig have to go through all of this?

Left - from this

Right - to this

Below - To a wonderful new future

Reagan came into the ACS Brisbane shelter via the Animal Welfare League ( AWL ) on the Gold Coast in April 2007. She was surrendered into AWL then moved onto ACS. Reagan is an Abbysinnian with what you would call almost perfect markings for her breed standard hence why we have concluded she is pedigree or with pedigree lines in her background. Reagan came into the shelter a healthy and happy guinea pig full of life but we had to hold her in quarantine for several weeks due to the risk that she may have been pregnant. Reagan was given internal and external mite treatment and fungal washes on arrival to the shelter as standard procedure. Reagan began to start bulging several weeks later and we knew she was indeed pregnant. We assume she came from a breeders home or had been sold onto a pet home by her original breeder.

Reagan towards the end of her pregnancy literally overnight lost all her hair on her sides and back we concluded it was hormonal hairloss. This sort of hair loss can happen to guinea pigs often that have been over bred it can also be related to ovarian cysts or tumors although Reagan showed no signs of either of these conditions. As Reagan's litter closely approached she not only lost her hair but was very uncomfortable with her litter she was very tight to touch and would grunt from how uncomfortable she was.

We decided to share Reagan's story for a couple of reasons one being to share what can happen when guinea pigs are over bred and not given ample breaks to gain condition and health back after littering, to share a hormonal condition in guinea pigs, to share what a guinea pig can go through both emotionally and physically with a pregnancy. For further information on hormonal hair loss in guinea pigs please click here to read a guinea lynx website information page.

Reagan successfully delivered two healthy little angels into the world. Named Rhianna and Robbie both bubs were healthy and well. Reagan lost so much hair after again after she littered she was bald practically up to her head she had lost a fair amount of condition and weight carrying the litter.

Reagan's Bubs

Reagan's coat and condition improved over several months and in August 2007 Reagan and her daughter Rhianna were adopted to a wonderful new family. Below are photos of Reagan and Rhianna in their new home.

Reagan and Rhianna in their new home.

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