Guinea Pigs – Introduction for Beginners
The guinea pig is a wonderful pet for a person of any age, adults and children alike. This animal is especially for people, who are looking for a pet to love, nurture and create a bond with. But more to the point the guinea pig is for a person who does not have the time and/or space for the care of a dog.
With this said, No, the guinea pig is not as high maintenance as a dog but… yes they do need proper care. If they do not receive this care they will become extremely unhealthy, sick or much worse.
So what are the important elements of proper guinea pig care? Well, starting from the beginning before you even go and buy a guinea pig or pigs. It is important that you know what type of guinea pig you want, firstly a short haired or a long haired cavy. This is important as short haired cavies are certainly easier to care for, with less grooming.
Next choose the breed of cavy you want, there are currently 13 different guinea pig breeds recognised in the United States. These breeds include the Abyssinian, Abyssinian Satin, American, American Satin, Coronet, Peruvian, Peruvian Satin, Silkie, Silkie Satin, Teddy, Teddy Satin, Texel and Whited Crested along with a large number of colour variations.
Once you know these two important points decide on your carrying capacity and when I say this, determine how many cavies you have the time and/or space to care for. Before you decide let me give you a small tip one cavy is not necessarily less work then two.
My reason is… guinea pigs are very social creatures, they love the company of others. This means that they can in fact become very lonely by themselves and their health will suffer if they are left alone. If you only have one guinea pig, he/she will need more attention, they will get lonely very fast and cry out for attention more often.
Because guinea pigs are inexpensive pets my advice is to get two, this will mean that your pet cavies will not need constant attention as they will have playmates to keep themselves entertained.
Housing you new cavies is the next important step and the amount of space you have in your house should also be a large point in determining the number of guinea pigs you can properly care for. Go down to your local pet store and you will find a large range of cages specifically designed for guinea pigs and similar types of small animals.
These cages will vary in size the larger the better but your cage should at least be big enough that two or more guinea pigs can run free. Make sure you cage does not have a wire bottom instead make sure it has a plastic bottom. The plastic is much better for the guinea pigs paws, a wire cage will cause cuts and wear. For easy cleaning of your cage make sure there is a slide out try.
Basic guinea hygiene is very important for your pets health, make sure you check your cavies cage every day. You should remove your guinea any uneaten food and take out any urine or droppings areas. Once a week you need to completely remove the bedding and scrub the whole cage with soapy, hot water, make sure you rinse the cage well and there is no soap residue left on the cage.
Believe it or not but cavies like a constant schedule and they are actually comforted by a normal routine. If you happen to change that routine by say abruptly changing their food, then they will become stressed and upset. This does not mean that guinea pigs do not like special treats, they do and they will love you all the more, its just wise not changing their main food source completely in one sitting.
If you want to test different foods with your guinea pigs, slowly introduce it into their diet. Do not by any means give your cavy a diet of just fruits and vegetables balance this diet with a dry feed.
For more information on what foods your cavy can and cannot eat take a look at Guinea Pig Diet Info which will be found at the bottom right hand side of the page under the heading interesting reading. You will also find info on common guinea pig health problem, this article is called Guinea Pig Health Problems.
Common Guinea Pig Health Problems
Guinea pigs can become sick easily if they are not cared for properly. They can suffer from a number of health problems and illnesses. These can range from and include ear infections, parasite and fungal infections, respiratory and skin problems to urine infections, diarrhea and seizures.
This is the first of two part series on common guinea pig health problems. Today we will primarily focus on parasite, fungal infections and ear infections, respiratory and skin problems.
I have listed a number of the most common symptoms your cavy could experience throughout their life and given some advice on recognizing and dealing with these problems.
Hair Loss
Guinea pigs may experience loss of hair for a number of various reasons. These reasons include but are not limited to mites, fungal infections, natural hair loss and involuntary hair loss.
Parasites such as ringworms can cause huge amounts of hair loss across the body. Where you believe that hair loss is caused by parasites such as these it is vital to get your guinea pig to a vet, to discover the necessary and correct course of action.
Like people natural hair loss occurs in guinea pigs, largely this depends on the type and breeding of the guinea pig but its overall health and stress levels can also play a role.
This can be minimised by proper care of your cavy. For example maintaining a health balanced diet and reducing stress levels by keeping to the routine you cavy is used to.
If you guinea pig has been in a fight and it was been bitten or cut for whatever reason, then it is very natural for the hair to fall out in that region until the skin has healed properly. Don’t worry to much, this is completely normal.
Tilting Head
If your guinea pig is titling his or her head or showing other symptoms such as walking around in circles, laying in their bedding on the same side of the head or demonstrates signs of being off balance when they walk.
Then chances are that your guinea pig has picked up an ear infection. The best thing to do is contact a vet ASAP. Please do not put off seeing a vet because by doing so could damage more then just his or her hearing.
Scratching
Parasites such as mites, ringworms, lice and fleas or fungal infections can be the cause of excessive scratching.
If you see your cavy scratching repetitively in the same place over the cause of a day, then it would be wise to give them a quick and easy body inspection which will determine whether or not their excessive starching is due to a parasite or fungal infection.
Simply brush through the hair of your guinea pig fungal infections are usually patchy, itchy and scaly spots of skin where hair loss has occurred. Parasites such as lice can be discovered by also brushing through you guinea pigs hair and looking at their skin. Lice are usually a brown type color.
If you find signs of either head to your local vet, for lice you will most likely be given a medicated shampoo. Also make sure you clean and disinfect your guinea pigs cage, toys and equipment, while removing all bedding.
Coughing or Any Type of Wheezing
Coughing is not always the cause of an allergic reaction, sometimes it can be much more serious. If your guinea pig is constantly coughing and his or her cough is followed by laboured breathing or wheezing.
Then chances are your guinea pig has a respiratory infection, where congestion has occurred within the lungs. It is urgent that you get you cavy to a vet ASAP because if you do not this congestion will most likely become pneumonia if not treated.
Sneezing and Discharge of the Nose
If is common for a guinea pig to have allergic reactions. The most common cause of this reaction will be the bedding you have used. If you see you cavy sneezing try changing the bedding you have given him or her. If the sneezing continues after having changes their bedding and a discharge has started coming from their nose.
Then take you cavy to the local vet as it maybe more then an allergic reaction.
A Small Tip
For bedding never ever use Straw bedding has it contains a fine dust which will in many cases cause sneezing and respiratory problems for you cavy. Straw is also a very rough and can cause injuries to your little friend.
Guinea Pig Food Tips, What Can and Cannot Be Eaten!
So you need to know what’s safe for your guinea pig to eat. If you don’t think you need to know, you’re wrong – because guinea pigs can’t eat just anything.
They have a diet, and they like it. Knowing what is and is not safe for your guinea pig to consume is important, because you don’t want to accidentally poison your pet with a normal, household item that you thought he would enjoy.
For the most part, guinea pigs have a wide variety of foods they eat. These range and include fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots, spinach, kale, tomatoes and timothy hay, just to name a few.
What Guinea Pigs Can’t Eat
There are very specific things that your guinea pig can’t eat, so keep these in mind as you’re searching for the Next Great Treat for your loveable guinea pig.
These foods include:
- Meat
- Dairy products
- Corn
- Tomato leaves
- Anything that has sugar in it
- Potatoes
- Raw beans
- Rhubarb
- Iceberg lettuce
Many owners like to experiment with guinea pig ‘treat sticks’ that are commercially available. Made from nuts and seeds with honey holding it all together, they look like a good option, but these often have sunflower seeds in their shell, which are a big choking hazard.
What Foods and Treats to Absolutely Avoid
What should you steer away from completely, or risk poisoning and even killing your innocent little guinea pig? A lot, but we’re going to cover the basics.
For one, you should avoid potato peels. Some books say they’re fine in small amounts, while others claim they’re poisonous. Simply avoiding them altogether is a very easy way to avoid the confusion that arises.
Mixed treats that have nuts, seeds, or any dye at all should be avoided completely, because it really give your little guinea pig bad stomach problems.
Dried fruit often has sugar added, and it’s simply not good for digestion. Give them fresh fruit if they really want something sweet.
Mineral wheels have been known to cause bladder stones, which can make urinating extremely painful for a guinea pig. While not definitive, you should still avoid them.
Multivitamins aren’t healthy for your guinea pig, as excess vitamins A and D can cause serious health problems. Giving small doses of plain vitamin C is safe, however.
Long celery stalks are something that should be avoided at all cost, because the long strands are nearly impossible for the guinea pig to digest properly. This means that they can get severely sick eating them.
And finally, most commercial pet treats for guinea pigs should be highly avoided. The empty calories in the fat and sugars will end up depriving your pet of the essential foods that he really needs to stay healthy and feel good. Natural treats are always a better choice and often times cheaper.
You’re Guinea Pig Diet
Timothy hay and commercially manufactured pellets are very important components for your pet’s diet and should make up a large proportion of what you feed them.
When looking for a pellet to feed you guinea pig, look for one which has about 20% crude protein and 16% fiber.
Compliment this diet with fresh fruit and vegetables as a treat. As I mentioned previously fresh fruit and vegetables are a much better alternative to commercially produced treats. A small note is to make sure that the pellets you give your cavy has plenty of vitamin C, as your guinea pig is no able to produce it by themselves.
A Small Note
Guinea pigs love a routine, so you need to be sure to feed them at the same time (or times) every day, as this will give them comfort and security. You should vary minutes, not hours, with the exact time.
You should also remove the pellets after an hour or two of them being in there, or your guinea pig is going to nibble on them all day long. Because pellets are high in protein, they can cause your guinea pig to gain weight excessively.