Help and advice for Guinea pigs

The Ancient Incas may have eaten them for their meat and sacrificed them to their god but eventually they came to appreciate them as pets. Even then the guinea pig's engaging manners and friendly nature softened the most primitive of instincts and today the guinea pig continues in trail blazing popularity.
It is estimated that guinea pigs were first domesticated between the year's 900- 1300BC, making them one of the longest established "pets". Today its appeal lies in its complacent, gentle temperament, which makes it suited to all types of owners. Children are especially tailored to this pet; unlike other pets, the guinea pig has a deeply embedded reluctance to bite - either human or another animal. Guinea pigs are also very individual, quirky animals with a strange, entertaining expression.

Buying

It is recommended those owners buy two guinea pigs rather than one, as they are sociable rodents used to living in-groups. However, don't house two males together, as they will fight. Females are more tolerant and can live happily with their own sex. Guinea pigs live to the age of 5 - 8 years and pet stores will normally only stock young (around 5 weeks in age).
The various guinea pig breeds are distinguished from one another mainly by the colour and appearance of their coats. The smooth or shorthaired guinea pigs are those whose fur most resembles that of their ancestor the wild guinea pig. They are slender animals with shiny, smooth, close lying hair.
Shorthaired breeds include:

Agouti (wild, grey colour)
Monochrome (solid coloured: white, cream, chocolate, black)
Himalaya (white with a dark head, ears and feet and resembling a Siamese cat)
Dutch (a breed with the same colour on both sides of its head and the rear third of its body. Available in black, chocolate, red or agouti, and the rest all white).
Abyssinian or Rosette guinea pigs (longer, coarser fur than normal; shaggy, unkempt appearance).
Long-haired or Angora type.
Long silky soft fur, up to 8 inches in length.

Cage

Most guinea pigs live indoors and are housed in cages. The cage should consist of a firm plastic tray and a barred upper section. The cage should measure 32 x 24 inches and at least 14 -20 inches in height so the animal can stand upright. The tray should be sufficiently deep to hold all the bedding but not so high that the animal cannot see out. Sawdust or wood shavings are the best types of litter to use and should be changed at least twice a week. A layer of newspapers beneath the litter makes for easier cleaning. Good quality hay can be placed on top of the litter although it is best to fix a hayrack onto the cage to prevent the guinea pig eating soiled material. Guinea pigs living outdoors (in temperatures no less than 10°C) should be well protected from predators and should have good quality wire mesh surrounding their hutch. One side of the run should be enclosed ideally with a shelter to protect from the rain and the cold. Warm dry bedding is of course a must.

Location of cage

The best place for the guinea pig is a bright but not too warm, draught free room. Despite coming from tropical areas guinea pigs do not react well to excess heat which can bring about respiratory illnesses. Having better hearing than humans, guinea pigs dislike excessive noise. It will also dislike cigarette smoke and direct sunlight.

Diet

Guinea pigs are herbivorous mammals that eat small amounts of grass and plant matter at frequent intervals. In the wild guinea pigs eat high fibre, low nutrition grasses but in captivity the diet can obviously be improved upon - but the food types must remain similar. Hay is perfect for a guinea pig - it offers vital roughage in the diet and can double as bedding. However, the hay should not be too dusty, damp or mouldy, as this would affect a guinea pig's respiratory system. Guinea pigs will also appreciate clover, dandelions, stinging nettles and plantain. Vegetation to avoid includes bracken, hemlock, ragwort and foxglove. Plants should not be picked close to roads (for fear of lead poisoning), in fields that have been treated with chemicals or from parks or lawns where dogs may have transmitted diseases through their faeces and urine.

Vitamin C

One of the most important dietary considerations for a guinea pig is Vitamin C.
Guinea pigs, like humans, apes and marmosets are the few mammals unable to produce their own Vitamin C so it is necessary to feed them foods rich in Vitamin C on a daily basis. This is necessary for optimum health and warding off infection. Foods which are agreeable to the guinea pig include most lettuces (iceberg causes flatulence), broccoli, apples, carrots, cucumber, melon and cauliflower leaves. These foods are also rich in other vitamins, protein and calcium. Raw beans and potato peelings are poisonous.
Guinea pigs also eat ready prepared foods as part of their balanced diet- oats and oat flakes are particularly good as they are high in energy and can be distributed during the winter months to animals that live outdoors. Guinea pigs must be supplied with fresh drinking water daily, ideally from a bottle attached to the cage.

10 Golden Rules of Feeding

Get the guinea pig used to a routine by feeding it at the same time each day.
Never give too much food at one time and discard uneaten food after an hour. A guinea pig will eat out of boredom and get fat!
Only give it fresh food - nothing rotten, wilted or mouldy.
Hay and green food will get ruined on the cage floor. Install a food rack instead.
Wash and dry fruit and vegetables thoroughly before giving them to the guinea pig.
Serve food at room temperature - nothing from the fridge.
Guinea pigs like nibbling- from time to time place unsalted bread, or unsprayed willow or fruit tree branches in the cage.
For the wellbeing of the guinea pig - treat it from time to time with food titbits from the hand.
Provide exercise for the guinea pig. A fat guinea pig should be placed on a hay and water diet one day a week.
Don't feed guinea pigs rabbit food - it contains no Vitamin C and has inadequate levels of protein for a guinea pig.

Guinea pigs are not generally viewed as robust mammals but with careful observation owners will be able to detect the early symptoms of illness.

An animal with scruffy or dull-looking fur or scaly patches is not healthy. Hairless patches are often the result of fungal infection or mite infestation. Vitamin C deficiency cannot be ruled out. Dull fur can be caused by Vitamin C deficiency.
Guinea pigs should have a compact body build veering on the plump but not very thin or fat. Obesity, especially in later life can lead to heart or liver damage.
The eyes should be shining and slightly moist. Runny, sticky, or inflamed eyes indicate serious health problems.
The nose should be dry without a crust or discharge. Discharge indicates respiratory disease.
The anal area should be clear of faeces.
A healthy guinea is a lively, inquisitive one.

Grooming

To keep the fur in good condition guinea pigs such as the Peruvian need groomed on a daily basis. Short-haired or Abyssinian types only need grooming in the shedding season (spring and autumn). Grooming also allows early detection of skin parasites.

Teeth

A guinea pig's teeth are constantly growing (the young are born with their incisors already developed) and to keep them short, hard food, stones or branches should be available for gnawing. A common problem in guinea pigs is overgrown incisors. With well-formed teeth the lower and upper teeth should just touch; overgrown teeth will not touch. In severe cases the animal should be taken to the vet for dental correction.
A final word of warning - guinea pigs breed like the proverbial rabbit! This is due not only to their very early maturity but also to the mother becoming fertile again within 1¾- 13 hours of giving birth.

What's in a name?

The guinea pig is a curious little creature and its name does little to disguise this fact. It is identified by many names - bricks with corners chopped off, squakies and cavies.
A guinea pig is a member of the rodent family as opposed to any pig connection as the name might suggest. The name "guinea pig" is likely to have come from the animals uncanny to squeal like a pig and the fact that it originated in South America. This furry little rodent is believed to have been on the earth for 35 to 40 million years. Then 500 years ago the Ancient Incas domesticated these rodents. They were used for food, sacrificed as fodder for the sun god and kept as pets. The fate of the guinea pig changed when the Spanish conquered South America. They noticed the animal's ability to trot and squeal like a pig, and thus it was named. The "guinea" part of the name is believed to result from the port from which the guinea pig was transported to Europe - New Guinea. Others believe that when newly imported to Britain the animals were so expensive to buy, they were worth one guinea in price.

Did you know...

The Ancient Incas may have killed all black guinea pigs after birth - black represented evil and was generally a colour to be feared.

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