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Treatment

Oral or injectable antibiotics, along with other supportive therapy, may be administered but the outcome is usually not good. Treatment for yersiniosis is not a viable option in many guinea pigs.

Living and Management

Though the general outcome of guinea pigs infected with yersiniosis is poor, all recovering guinea pigs must be placed in a clean environment. Clean and disinfect the cages before allowing the guinea pig to go back inside them. Make sure to provide fresh and clean drinking water and fresh, balanced foods. Do not allow the recovering guinea pig to come into contact with other animals, and follow the supportive care as advised by your veterinarian.

Prevention

Yersinia infection is recognized as a relatively common infection in small animals such as guinea pigs, so it is important to take steps to prevent the infection from occurring in the first place. To prevent yersinia infection, improved general guinea pig husbandry and sanitation are required. Disinfection practices should be intensified to eliminate all bacteria from the cage flooring, bedding materials, food dishes, and anything else your guinea pigs come into contact with. Most owners are advised to have all the infected guinea pigs euthanized, as well as those that have been in contact with the infected guinea pigs, to prevent spread of Yersinia infection.