  Animal Care - Guinea Pigs Care |
 Wheepers in the House!Guinea pigs are one of the easiest of small mammals to care for. They are also very often misunderstood. Unlike most small mammals, if given the proper care, illness is very rare. They are not prone to cancer and are quite sturdy.One of the misunderstandings is that, despite their attention to humans, they do not like to picked up and held. They are prey animals and their biological response to being picked up is fear. They are quite vocal when humans come near them, though this is usually because they want food! Guinea pigs almost always want food. Their diet is very important. Like humans they do not produce vitamin c and so this must be included in their diet. Without it they will develop sores and respiratory illness. They also need lots of fiber. This is best provided through Timothy hay. Their diet must also be free of excess calcium, though this is easy to remedy. We have found that guinea pigs do quite well when given the same diet as rabbits. Specifically, guinea pigs should be given a small amount of pellets, lots of hay and a variety of fresh vegetables daily. Vitamin c can be placed in their water to insure that they receive enough, or they can be given chewable vitamin c. The latter is appreciated greatly because it is one more thing they get to eat! Watching over their weight is important. They can get fat if they allowed to. Another health issue that sometimes arises is mites and malocclusions. Mites in guinea pigs create a loss of fur and scabs from scratching. Malocclusions are caused when teeth are not lined up properly and so do not wear down. Like other small mammals, guinea pig teeth keep growing and they need things to gnaw on. Teeth should be inspected regularly. Guinea pigs are herd animals and do best with other guinea pigs. When rabbits are spayed and neutered, guinea pigs can also cohabitate with rabbits. Though some posturing may go on, unneutered males with males and unsprayed females with females cohabitate congenially. Many rescue organizations do not spay or neuter guinea pigs because the surgery is often times not successful. We have never encountered a problem, but then we have great vets. Spaying and neutering means that the sexes do not have to be separated, and that is always an optimal situation when managing several animals. Finding a qualified vet is important. Make sure your vet has experience with piggies. Guinea Pigs are hard to treat with antibiotics, it is important that your vet knows which ones are safe. Guinea pigs need to be kept away form cedar and pine shavings. Both are hazardous to their health and will effect their longevity. We recommend Carefresh or Timothy hay as bedding and litter. Cat litter is not a good choice as gps have a tendency to eat it, and this creates blockages. Because they need to chew, they cannot be left unsupervised in an unprotected environment. They also need protection from heat and cold. Guinea pigs are not as heat sensitive as most other small mammals, but temperatures over eighty degrees do create stress. To much over eighty degrees can be fatal. Additionally, they do not adapt well to the cold. They are best kept in temperatures in the mid seventies. Guinea pigs need at least two square feet of cage space, for each guinea pig. Many types of cages available, however some are every dangerous. Guinea pigs should never be placed on wire floors. Their feet have no fur to cushion them and they must carry quite a bit of weight for their size. Flat bottom cages are, therefore, the best choice for gps, because wire bottom cages can cause sores on the bottom of their feet. Cages should be roomy enough for them to get some exercise. It is important to stimulate them a bit to keep them exercising.  One way to do this is to place the water bowl at one end of the cage and the food dish at the other. This will also cut down on the mess they make. A gps' water bowl often looks as if s/he has been rinsing her mouth out after each bite. And who knows? Maybe she has! Another important thing is to place a brick in front of the food dish for her to climb on. This will wear down the nails and caretakers can avoid the torturous nail clipping!Cages should also have a hide box, a very important attribute from this prey animal's perspective. Print Version
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