PETS at Home has been forced to stop selling guinea pigs amid infection fears, we can reveal.
Bosses at the pet chain learned some of the furry animals have Streptococcus, more commonly known as Strep.
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This is a bacteria which can cause a range of illnesses in animals and people.
It can cause guinea pigs to catch pneumonia and could cause them to die suddenly without showing any symptoms.
The bacteria can spread from animals to humans and lead to a range of symptoms.
It has forced the firm to temporarily stop selling the beloved creatures or letting the public adopt them.
It is not known how many stores have been impacted by the outbreak, but they have 41 locations across Scotland and around 433 across the rest of the UK.
People who purchased a guinea pig from Pets At Home have been contacted by the chain.
But insiders claim staff were told to explain the sales pause as the animals being new to the shops and needing rest.
A post shared on social media read: “This weekend, pets at home won't be selling guinea pigs.
“All customer facing colleagues right up to managers and the customer service team have been told to tell any customer wanting guinea pigs that “they can't be sold at moment as they're new into store and need their rest period”.
“However, that's not the truth.
“The truth is, the hell hole of a breeders supply they use to get their animals have found that the breeding guineas have Streptococcus.
“What an absolute disgrace.”
It is understood the chain stopped selling guinea pigs over the weekend and that sales were expected to resume today.
A Pets At Home spokesperson said: “We have identified a small percentage of cases of infection in our guinea pig population resulting from streptococcus equi zooepidemicus.
How serious is pneumonia for guinea pigs?
Pneumonia is one of the most significant diseases of pet guinea pigs and can be caused by several bacteria, including Bordetella, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus.
Guinea pigs can naturally harbour these bacteria and may be asymptomatic (apparently healthy) carriers.
These bacteria tend to be ‘opportunistic,' meaning they infect susceptible animals, multiply, and cause disease if the opportunity arises.
Source: VCA Animal Hospitals
“Pet welfare is always our top priority and as a precautionary measure we have taken swift and immediate action to temporarily pause the sale or adoption of guinea pigs.
“We will be contacting customers directly who have purchased a guinea pig from us recently with detailed advice and guidance.
“However, if you have immediate concerns, please contact your local Pets at Home or veterinary provider for further advice.”
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