Content
- Guinea Pig Care
- Guinea pig care: general recommendations
- guinea pig cage
- guinea pig food
- Guinea Pig Food
- Guinea Pig Diseases
- My guinea pig is very quiet, is he sick?
Guinea pig care is relatively easy, however, if you've just adopted one, you may have some questions about feeding, health and care in general. Have you ever wondered how to care for a guinea pig? Want to know what a guinea pig needs to be happy? This small rodent is one of the most popular domestic animals today, mainly for its great social and cognitive abilities, requiring little care to be happy.
In this PeritoAnimal article we will explain about the guinea pig care so that your new partner can accompany you for a long time and in the best conditions.
Guinea Pig Care
The guinea pig, also known by the scientific name Cavia porcellus, is a diurnal rodent originating in South America. It is a gregarious mammal, that is, an animal that lives with other members of its species in colonies formed by several individuals. That is, it means that it is a pet that need company and socialization.
Precisely for this reason, it is necessary to have two guinea pigs, two females for example, to ensure the animal's well-being and good environmental enrichment. However, if that is not possible, we recommend that you dedicate daily time and a lot of affection to your guinea pig, as it is a sociable and sweet animal that will appreciate all the moments you can offer.
It is advisable that, during the first days of your guinea pig at home, you leave it at ease and very calmly. It's important to avoid stress and the anxiety that brings about a change in routine. Going forward, you can try to gain trust by offering small pieces of vegetables as prizes. As your relationship progresses, you will learn more about these adorable rodents, for example, they don't usually bite but squeak.
Guinea pig care: general recommendations
It is important that from time to time, and especially if it is very dirty, you bathe your guinea pig in warm water, drying it well with a towel and never using a hair dryer. During the bath, make sure the water is warm and let your pet completely dry.
Between the guinea pig care is hair brushing, with both short-haired guinea pigs and long-haired guinea pigs, it is important to follow a brushing routine to eliminate dead hair and make the coat shiny. In the case of hairless guinea pigs, you should be much more careful as they must be in an environment between 20ºC and 22ºC and, when cleaning them, you can use wet towels to prevent them from feeling cold.
If your guinea pig is pregnant, you must have some special care. In addition to increasing your consumption of water and food, it is also important to change your environment and follow certain health precautions to avoid any complications in your pregnancy or future puppies. Learn more about pregnant guinea pig care in this PeritoAnimal article.
Finally, it is important to mention that guinea pigs need to exercise frequently to avoid problems such as obesity, for that, you must provide a series of paths so that they can exercise. If this is not possible, you can leave them around the house or garden, but always under supervision. Offer, as far as possible, toys and a variety of activities that encourage stimulation of the body and mind.
guinea pig cage
It is possible that, after adopting a specimen of this rodent, you will want to know all about guinea pig, right? It is necessary some care with the guinea pig for it to be completely happy, it is important to know more about the cage, an important factor for your pet's well-being.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, guinea pigs must have adequate space according to the number of inhabitants, that is, a guinea pig cage must be at least 120x160 cm per individual. If you have several guinea pigs it should be bigger. Inside the guinea pig cage itself, he should have a little house to sleep in, wood shavings on the floor, a food container and a water cooler.
It is important that you place the cage in a place where the temperature ranges from 18°C to 24°C and that, preferably, always have a cage indoors, as guinea pigs are extremely sensitive to the cold.
The water must be renewed every day and it is recommended that the cage be cleaned once a week, completely disinfecting once a month. You should also make sure the environment is completely clean, avoiding extreme temperatures as well as drafts and direct sunlight. Check out this article by PeritoAnimal about the guinea pig house: what to put in the cage to learn more.
guinea pig food
The guinea pig is a 100% herbivorous rodent, so your diet should be based on fruits and vegetables. It is of great importance to provide hay forage (always on hand) as this will ensure adequate fiber intake.
Regarding fruits and vegetables, it is necessary to always choose those that contain the most Vitamin C, since this nutrient is essential for the animal (it can only be obtained through food). If you choose to feed guinea pig food, look for one that already contains the recommended amounts of vitamin C.
Guinea Pig Food
We recommend that you try offering different foods and that you investigate which ones he likes the most. You can experiment with dandelion, lettuce, endive, arugula or peppers. Fruits and vegetables should be offered twice a week, including apples, oranges, bananas and peaches. Zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli and celery are also good options. However, be careful with some foods as they can be toxic to guinea pigs.
Check out our YouTube video about Fruits and vegetables good for guinea pigs:
Guinea Pig Diseases
The health of a guinea pig is generally very good if the tutor takes into account all the guidelines mentioned so far. However, it is essential that you pay close attention to parasites, as these animals tend to suffer infestations. Also, if you notice any unusual symptoms or behavior in your guinea pig, it is important to take him to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Anyway, the ideal is to visit a professional every 6 or 12 months for routine follow-up.
My guinea pig is very quiet, is he sick?
Generally, the first sign of a guinea pig's illness is its habit of hiding in a corner, showing a sad look. It is essential to take him to an exotic animal veterinarian.
If you see wounds on the animal, they can easily develop infections. Clean them with diluted betadine and, if they were too deep, go to a veterinarian without hesitation.
One of the most common problems in guinea pigs is tooth overgrowth and the only way to avoid this is to ensure they always have quality hay available (go for a greener, wider hay).
Another problem for guinea pigs is often stress, especially when they get a new tutor. You must avoid noise, aggressive companions and poor diets to avoid this problem.
Some of the most common symptoms of breast cancer guinea pig disease are:
- Skin wounds;
- Foot wounds;
- Diarrhea;
- Excessive itching;
- Appearance of parasites;
- Hair loss;
- Overweight;
- Lack of appetite and lack of drinking water.
In the face of any of these symptoms, you should calmly analyze your guinea pig trying to understand if any specific body part is hurting. Despite being docile animals, they get stressed very easily and screeching shrilly.
THE guinea pig feed is another important factor to take into account. If your pet has not eaten for 12 hours it is a bad prognosis, especially those who have gone more than 24 hours without eating because they are in a critical condition.
Have you recently adopted one of these animals? See our article with names for guinea pigs.
If you want to read more articles similar to Care of the short-haired guinea pig, we recommend that you enter our Basic Care section.