guinea pig sheltie

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 23 January 2021
Update Date: 7 November 2024
Anonim
Sheltie Guinea Pigs
Video: Sheltie Guinea Pigs

Content

The sheltie guinea pig is one of the most recommended to have as a pet. It is a beautiful rodent that is characterized by having a long, soft and silky coat, which is shorter on the head, so its vision is not impaired. Also, the fur on this little pig's face is much shorter than that of the Peruvian guinea pigs, where it comes from. Specifically, it comes from a cross between a Peruvian guinea pig and a self black guinea pig. It appeared on purpose in the early 1970s and is now one of the most popular guinea pigs in the world.

Keep reading this PeritoAnimal breed sheet to know all the guinea pig sheltie characteristics, its origin, personality, care and health.


Source
  • Europe
  • UK

Origin of the guinea pig sheltie

The guinea pig sheltie originated in the shetland islands from the United Kingdom, hence its name, when a short-haired self black guinea pig interbred with a long-haired Peruvian guinea pig in the 1970s for experimental purposes. Today it can be found in any country in the world, being one of the most popular and well-known guinea pigs.

This breed was recognized in 1973 in the United Kingdom, country of origin. In 1980, it was recognized as a sheltie guinea pig in the American continent, although it was already known before that year under the name of angora guinea pig. Nowadays, more than as sheltie guinea pigs, many know them as silkie or silky guinea pigs because of their silky coat.

Sheltie guinea pig characteristics

The guinea pig sheltie features a average size. The female measures up to 25cm in length and weighs 700 grams, while the male measures 30cm and weighs 1.4 kg. It reaches sexual maturity at three months of life.


Like all guinea pigs, the sheltie or silkie piglet features a elongated and compact body, with short legs, large head, drooping ears and round and lively eyes. When it is born, its fur is short and without rosettes, but it grows on average 2.5 cm per month until it reaches its definitive adult coat. It is coat is long, dense, silky and very soft, this being the characteristic of the most representative guinea pig sheltie. However, it never covers the face as in the case of Peruvian guinea pigs because it is longer in this area and tends to fall forward, whereas in the guinea pig sheltie the hair on the face is shorter and grows in the reverse direction (backwards). In this way, there is no such thing as the short-haired guinea pig sheltie.

Sheltie guinea pig personality

Sheltie guinea pigs are quiet and friendly. Although they may be shy at first, they quickly gain confidence and affection. They are not pigs that seek attention with screams or annoyances, on the contrary, they have a very docile personality and are very affectionate.


For all that was mentioned about the personality of the sheltie guinea pig, it is one of the best pigs to have as a pet and to live with children or other animals, mainly because of its docility and its calm and friendly personality. Although it is one of the best guinea pigs to have at home, they also need a moment of rest and independence. It is also essential to educate children so that they know how to treat them correctly and, above all, that they understand that they are not toys.

Sheltie guinea pig care

The guinea pig sheltie must have a cage with considerable space located in a quiet place so you can rest comfortably and avoid anxiety about voices or noise. It should have several beds that must be changed frequently to avoid damp urine and fruits and vegetables. Obviously, no guinea pig should be confined to its cage 24 hours a day, so it is more advisable allow it to move out of it for a few hours of the day. For this, it is convenient to check if there are no cables or objects that could harm the pig. You can even make an entire room available for the pig and put its cage there.

In relation to the previous point, the guinea pig sheltie, like any other, must be able to enjoy an adequate environmental enrichment, consisting of toys to keep you entertained.Therefore, the idea of ​​providing a room for him is highly recommended. If you are one of those who prefer to make their own toys, don't miss this article: "how to make toys for guinea pigs?".

Continuing with the guinea pig sheltie care, the nails should be trimmed monthly or when it is observed that they curl excessively. Teeth should be checked for problems such as malocclusion, which cause overgrowth of teeth and cause infections and lesions with excessive salivation.

Due to its particular coat, the sheltie guinea pig must take some specific care to keep it clean and avoid knots. For this, you must brush several times a week with a soft plastic comb in the direction of the hair. It is important to be careful at the bottom as it tends to have more tangles. If the hair on some sides is excessively long, it can be trimmed a little.

Another way to take care of the guinea pig sheltie's fur is through the bath with a special shampoo for rodents when it is very dirty or smelly. During bathing, it is important to ensure that water does not enter the pig's nose, eyes or ears to prevent infections or irritation. You can also dampen a cloth and pass it instead of bathing if the bathing time is stressful, although it won't be the same.

Sheltie guinea pig feeding

The feeding of the sheltie or silkie guinea pig is no different from the rest of the guinea pigs. When they are puppies, they will consume hay and fruits, vegetables and feed should be introduced progressively.

In the adult guinea pig, the feeding should be as follows:

  • O hay must constitute 70% of daily food, being the main food for the guinea pigs.
  • At fruits and vegetables constitute 30% of our guinea pig's diet. Among them, they can consume carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes, kale, spinach, chard, strawberries and cherries. Discover the complete list of good fruits and vegetables for guinea pigs in this article.
  • THE ration it must be specific for guinea pigs to ensure that we feed it with all the nutrients and their correct proportions for the proper development and health of the guinea pig. The feed constitutes 5-10% of daily food.

Water should always be available through a rodent trough, as water bowls are not recommended as they become stagnant and a source of infection. Must be changed often.

Something important to keep in mind about sheltie care is that obesity should be prevented, as they tend to suffer from it, with physical exercise or the use of toys.

Sheltie guinea pig health

Sheltie guinea pig life expectancy is between 5 and 8 years, as long as they are fed a balanced diet and have the necessary care and routine examinations at the exotic veterinarian.

Among the most frequent health problems that guinea pigs shelties can suffer from are:

  • parasites, mainly because of their long coat, as they are harder to find. If you notice an excessive itching of your piglet, it could be indicative of a parasitic process (mites, lice, fleas) or allergic. The solution and prevention is routine deworming.
  • digestive problems, which are especially common if they do not follow a balanced diet. These problems are the main cause of mortality in guinea pigs.
  • Scurvy, a disease caused by the deficiency of vitamin C, an essential vitamin in the guinea pigs that must be supplemented in the feed, as they cannot synthesize it themselves. This disease can cause respiratory diseases, hypersalivation, anorexia, immunosuppression, pododermatitis, internal bleeding, weakness, lameness, alopecia, darkened skin or pain, among others. Hence the importance of feeding our guinea pig a ration designed for this species, which contains the necessary proportion of this vitamin to prevent deficiency.
  • dental problems, so it is essential to control for early detection of dental malocclusion and quickly go to the veterinarian to resolve it. You should not file or cut your teeth at home, it can cause serious damage to your guinea pig.

See how to tell if your guinea pig is sick in this other article.