HARTPURY_UNIVERSITY_PROSPECTUS_2024

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Love research that makes a difference

This studywas published in the scientific journal, Animals. It was carried out by BSc Bioveterinary Science student, Shannon Roberts-Steel, and supervised by Senior Lecturer, AlisonWills. sign of infection, to give their favoured household companion the best chance of recovery, and recommend further study to fully understand the high infection rates in well looked-after guinea pigs. research also revealed that owners were generally aware of husbandry factors predisposing disease, yet this had no impact on bacterial infection development. What does this mean? This study is fundamental in establishing an evidence base to advance best practice and advice for guinea pig health and welfare. We urge owners to visit the vets at the earliest

From rewilding projects to exploring canine health and turning the tide on hedgehog decline, our staff and students are providing solutions to real issues and changing the waywe interact with animals. Guinea pig health is on the agenda With almost one million guinea pigs in the UK,* at an average of three per herd,* you probably know someone with this furry family member, or may even have one yourself. Many of these guinea pig owners may tell you that their cherished companion often gets infections, yet these figures are drastically under-reported in academic literature. For a small animal that can deteriorate rapidly when ill, this gap in our understanding is worrying. We set out to uncover the rate of bacterial infections reported by guinea pig owners** and found it was just under 40% – with upper respiratory tract infections making up almost half of all diagnosed cases. Our

*Statista 2022 **524 participants completed an online survey.

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