ChelleLovesPigs said:
If this is the case then why do they sell wet tail medication for guinea pigs
To make money. Unfortunately, most companies that make pet products, and absolutely a lot of the people that sell them in the stores, don't know much about animals.
they say that wet tail IS diarreah, and that guinea pigs CAN get it
Wet-tail is not only diarrhea, although that is one of the symptoms. It is mainly caused by a bacterial infection or imbalance in a hamster's stomach, and the diarrhea can sometimes be accompanied by a prolapsed rectum and severe dehydration of the hamster. Bacterial infections differ from one species to the next, so while a guinea pig can get diarrhea, it would not be wet tail.
I was going to buy the drops..but was said they aren't any good??
I'm assuming you mean the drops that are sold to be put in water. These are an EXTREMELY bad idea. Vitamin C degrades quickly in water and light, so your guinea pig probably wouldn't get any benefits from them anyway. The only thing they would end up doing is changing the taste of the water, and possibly causing your cavy not to drink. This could cause other motility problems, and you could end up at your vet's office with intestinal blockage or dehydration.
smartorl was absolutely correct on the vitamin C in veggies. If you give vegetables that are high in C like bell peppers, cilantro, chard, and balance that out with lettuces (except iceberg) and rotate other veggies and fruits in and out of the diet, there should be no reason for a vitamin C supplement. Good quality pellets (1/8-1/4 cup/day/pig) will also be fortified with vitamin C. If you have a pig that is ill or will not occasionally eat his veggies, you can supplement with 25mg (approximately) of a sugar free vitamin C only tablet or liquid that can be found at a health or natural foods store. (broken link removed) also produces a good vitamin C tablet for guinea pigs that can be easily broken in half to give the needed amount. Oxbow also produces an excellent quality pellet and hay. Another excellent source for pellets and hay is (broken link removed).
Your best bet is really not to listen to most of the information that is given in pet stores. While some of the employees might have good hearts, they typically do not have correct information, and are primarily there just to make money for the store. If you feed your guinea pigs a healthy diet of unlimited grass hay, a cup+ of veggies daily, and a good quality pellet, assuming there is nothing else wrong with the animal, you shouldn't have any diarrhea issues.