Tips On How To Care For Your Pet Guinea Pig » Small Animal Hospital » School Of Veterinary Medicine » University Of Florida

It is a rodent, not a pig, though they are a bit stout and will squeal and grunt. It isn’t from Guinea, a rustic in Africa, instead, they are native to the Andes Mountains in South America. They have lengthy played an necessary role in indigenous South American cultures, domesticated for food as early as 5,000 BCE. Guinea pig statues and artwork have been found in archaeological digs in Peru and Ecuador.

Long-haired guinea pigs need to be gently combed as soon as per week to forestall painful mats. Don’t use cedar or pine shavings, which are toxic to guinea pigs, for bedding. They can’t retailer vitamin C and should get it in their daily diets. You’ll have to ensure that the meals pellets you select are fortified and that your pigs are getting vitamin C by way of greens, such as pink bell peppers. But that’s typically nonetheless not enough, so PETA recommends purchasing guinea pig–specific supplements. Opt for Timothy hay-based food pellets with no added seeds or colored pieces.

Teddy Guinea Pig

Guinea pigs lack an enzyme that enables them to make vitamin C so it have to be added to the food regimen. Giving your pet some orange no less than weekly will meet the requirement. Insufficient vitamin C may end signs of disease in guinea pigs up in your guinea pig getting scurvy. Classic indicators include weakness, hemorrhages, reluctance to maneuver round, and even swollen joints.

This can forestall probably harmful self-imposed fasting by your guinea pig. Cavies have sensitive intestinal tracts and sudden alterations in their food plan may lead to severe GI upset and anorexia. Although pet shops and pet web sites sell many several varieties of rodent treats (e.g. yogurt drops), we don’t signs of disease in guinea pigs suggest feeding these to your pet guinea pig. The first ingredient is often sugar and this isn’t good for a guinea pig’s well being. Additionally, the recent greens and fruits that you just buy at your native market are cheaper and extra nutritious on your guinea pig.

Timothy Hay Wafer

The extra space, the better—and the cage size should increase depending on the number of Guinea pigs you’ve. The Spruce Pets uses only high-quality sources, together with peer-reviewed research, to help the facts inside our articles. Read our editorial process to learn extra about how we fact-check and keep our content correct, dependable, and reliable. Guinea pigs are moderately massive for rodents, weighing 500 to 1,500 grams and having a physique 20 to forty cm long.

• We know the different sorts of hay may be complicated, from 2nd slicing Timothy to alfalfa and all over the place in between.
• However, based on more modern excavations on West Indian islands, the animal must have been introduced to the Caribbean around 500 BC by ceramic-making horticulturalists from South America.
• Marketers tried to increase consumption of the animal exterior South America.
• A guinea pig pup can run when they’re 3 hours old, serving to them to evade predators at a younger age.
• Please check with your institution for steering if you are uncertain of native insurance policies.

Baby guinea pigs should obtain Timothy and alfalfa hay, but plan to wean your pig off alfalfa when she or he is about 6 months old. To prolong its freshness, store it in a cool darkish space away from all mild and hold out moisture utilizing an airtight bag or container. Spanish explorers discovered guinea pigs while exploring South America over 400 years ago. They brought these furry friends again with them to Europe the place they have been domesticated.