GUINEA PIGS

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

Guinea pigs are herbivores (vegetarian), which means they don’t eat fish or meat. Along with humans and monkeys, guinea pigs cannot manufacture their own vitamin C, their bodies cannot produce it. Because of this, vegetable matter is an essential part of a guinea pig’s diet.

The easiest way to achieve this is to feed your guinea pig plenty of vegetables and fruit daily, in a bowl they can’t tip over. Most of the fresh produce we eat is ideal for your Guinea Pig, see the table below:

• Vegetables, Fruit and Fresh Herbs
• Celery (with leaves)
• Radish, Cucumber, Carrots, Tomatoes, Capsicum, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Spring Greens and Spinach
• Snow Peas
• Corn on the Cob (in the husk)
• Banana
• Pears, Apple, Grapes and Paw Paw
• Watermelon
• Kiwi Fruit
• Strawberries

Guinea pigs will have their individual tastes, so don’t expect each one to like the same food. This is why it is essential to give a wide choice. After time, you will get to know the food your Pig likes and dislikes. Give about a large handful for each Guinea pig. All fresh food must be served at room temperature as chilled or frozen produce can upset a guinea pigs stomach and cause diarrhea.

The following foods are toxic to Guinea pigs and/or will give them an upset stomach and potentially make them seriously ill. These foods are to be avoided totally:

• Iceberg Lettuce, Daisies and Sultanas
• Rhubarb
• Buttercups & daffodils
• Green Beans
• Tomato Leaves, Seeds, Nuts and Dairy Products
• Mushrooms
• Chocolate
• Bread

GRASS & PLANTS

Hay stuffed inside an empty toilet roll makes for a good ‘food enrichment’ toy for your Guinea pig.

A favourite food for Guinea pigs is fresh grass. Ensure that any grass is free from pesticides, dog fouling and toxic plants. It is best to restrict grazing time on new spring grass because too much can cause diarrhea. Do not feed grass cuttings as these can cause digestive problems. Dandelions are also a favourite, but only give a few of these as they can also cause diarrhea.

Wild edible plants can be gathered. It is best to invest in a well illustrated handbook, but unless you know exactly what you are doing, play on the safe side: if in doubt, leave it out.

Guinea pigs like to eat constantly,  so it is essential they have something to nibble on such as hay. Hay is essential for guinea pigs; it provides roughage, and aids digestion. The hay should be good quality ‘Grassy’ or ‘Barley’ hay; preferably spore free treated and purchased from a good produce store. Poor hay is detrimental to the guinea pigs health if it is dusty, mouldy or has fungal spores.

DRY MIX

Never feed your Guinea pig on dry mix that contains EC permitted chemical colorants. Read the contents listed on the packet carefully. It is best to choose a good quality mix that has no colorants added. Such a mix will usually contain grains, flakes and pellets. The best type of dry mix for adult guinea pigs is ‘Oaten Chaff’, available in bulk from produce stores. Vetafarm Cavy Origins is a great complete pellet mix to add to the chaff.

All dishes used for guinea pigs should be clean, washed daily and non tip-able. The guinea pig is a creature of habit, so establish set times for feeding:

• Morning dry mix, hay and dried grasses
• Late afternoon fresh produce
• Bedtime more dried grass to nibble on throughout the night

Last of all, it is important that Guinea pigs work for their food; they are equipped with constantly growing teeth so hard food and roughage is a must!

HELPFUL TIP:
Rabbit mix is not suitable for guinea pigs, as it does not contain Vitamin C. Rat and mouse mix is also unsuitable as this contains peanuts and sunflower seeds. Peanuts are fattening and sunflower seeds are harmful in large quantities.

WATER

Your guinea pig should always have access to fresh water in a bottle attached to the side of the hutch. Check the water at least once daily. Water in a bowl in the hutch will get soiled very quickly or tipped over, leaving the guinea pig without water, so this is not a good idea.

TEETH

Guinea pig’s front teeth grow constantly; unless the animal keeps the teeth pared down by chewing on hard things like carrots, turnips, chew sticks, branches or wooden blocks – they will grow so long that it hurts them to eat, and then they will stop eating altogether. Each week, check to make sure that your Guinea pigs teeth are not growing inward or getting too long. If you see that this is happening, take them to your veterinarian to have their teeth trimmed. Also, keep in mind that if a Guinea pig is not getting adequate nutrients, their teeth may break off. A trip to the veterinarian would be needed if this happened, as well as extra care with feeding until the teeth grew back.

HAIR

Long-haired Guinea pigs need to be brushed on a daily basis or else the hair will become so tangled it may need to be shaved. Long hair grows about one inch a month, so a bi-monthly trimming is also important to do. Cut the hair short enough that is does not get in the way of your guinea pig’s normal movement. It’s also a good idea to trim around the bottom area so it doesn’t get mucked up with faeces and urine.

Short-haired Guinea pigs will only need to be brushed every couple of weeks. This will get rid of any dead hair and keep your Guinea looking sleek and clean.

Long haired breeds need brushing every day to avoid matting.

NAILS

In the wild, a Guinea pig’s nails naturally file down with wear, however, in captivity, this does not happen. Just as with dogs and cats; nails that are too long can cause injury and pain to your Guinea pig and to you (when you are cuddling them). Ask your veterinarian or professional groomer to teach you how to clip your guinea’s nails. This is very important because Guinea pig nails contain blood vessels and if you cut them too short, your Guinea pig will bleed. It is not always easy to hold a Guinea pig still long enough to cut their nails and they don’t like it very much, but if it concerns you, have a veterinarian demonstrate some holds that make this process easier.

BATHING

Guinea pigs don’t like to get wet and baths make them very nervous. Only if your Guinea pig has lice or has gotten into something truly messy should you try to bathe them. If you do need to bath your Guinea pig, make sure you are well prepared before you begin by gathering the following items:

• A shallow wash tub (or you could use the bathroom or laundry sink)
• A mild shampoo such as baby or kitten/puppy shampoo
• A soft towel for drying the guinea pig
• A heater if the room or temperature is slightly chilly

Guinea pigs have very sensitive skin so make sure that the water is just warm but not hot and put about two inches of water into the tub/basin.

Pour a little bit of water over the Guinea pig to get them wet and then with a little dab of shampoo, lather their fur from the rear to the head, avoiding the face and eyes.

Rinse by pouring water along the their neck, so it stays out of their face and eyes. Make sure that all of the shampoo is thoroughly rinsed out and then gently pat your Guinea pig dry with a towel.

Under no circumstances should you use a blow dryer on a Guinea pig. Their skin is very sensitive and a blow dryer could burn them badly.

Unless it is absolutely necessary, try not to give your Guinea pig a bath during winter. A wet Guinea pig can get sick much more easily than a dry one, especially in cold temperatures.

Nursing, pregnant or baby Guinea pigs (under two months old) should never have a bath.

The best healthcare for your Guinea pig is PREVENTATION. This means preventing problems from happening by keeping them on a good, well balanced diet and checking them regularly for abnormal behaviour and/or signs of illness, disease or parasites. Keeping a close eye on your Guinea pig and giving them quality care as you would any other member of your pet family, should hopefully help you avoid expensive veterinary bills!

Be sure to establish that your veterinarian has experience treating small animals, as not all veterinarians know a great deal about Guinea pigs.

PARASITES AND DISEASES

Lice and mites live in Guinea pig hair and skin. Check their scalp and skin for signs of lice, which look like tiny white worms. Mites show up as small bumps along strands of hair. Ordinary fur mites are relatively harmless, though they do cause itching and eventual scratching that might make hair fall out. When faced with this sort of problem, bath your Guinea pig in a medicated shampoo referred to as ‘Malaseb’ shampoo, which is available from pet stores and online and follow the bathing instructions on the bottle, and by using the steps above.

Bathe all of your Guinea pigs, even if only one of them shows signs of lice or mites. You will also need to clean out the cage, thoroughly.

‘Revolution’ is a product used to treat cats and dogs for mites, lice and fleas. You can keep mites off your Guinea pigs by treating them with Revolution used for puppies and kittens, available from pet stores, veterinary clinics or online. Use 1ml of Revolution per 1 KG of body weight.

HANDY HINT: Decant your Revolution into a dropper bottle for easier use:

SIGNS OF ILLNESS

In the wild, predators are quick to kill sick and injured Guinea pigs. As a result, Guinea pigs have learned to hide the fact when they are sick. You will have to keep a close eye on your Guinea pig’s general wellbeing and seek veterinary care when necessary.

Allowing your Guinea pig to reproduce is not only unethical – it is also extremely dangerous for the birthing female (called a sow). There is no need to bring more baby Guinea pigs into the world when so many pet Guinea pigs languish in shelters and pet shops, unwanted. If you are desperate to care for baby or pregnant Guinea pigs, then contact a Guinea Pig Rescue and see if you can foster a mum and babies. Not only would you be helping out the shelter staff, you would also be helping care for a Guinea pig that is most in need.

It is important to also keep in mind that breeding Guinea pigs always puts the mother’s life at risk. Studies show that twenty percent of all Guinea pig pregnancies are fatal for the mother and her babies.

IMPORTANT WARNING
A female Guinea pig cannot be younger than four months or older than eight months when she is first impregnated. After eight months, her hip bones fuse together creating a dangerous situation that may require a caesarian section and/or lead to death of her and the babies!

GENDER MIXING

While both male and female Guinea pigs make great pets, you MUST know what the gender is of each Guinea pig before you buy them. This is of the greatest importance, as you do not want your Guinea pigs to fight and least of all, you don’t want any unwanted litters!

Two mature males will fight for dominance, so the main thing to remember is not to put two mature males together. Even if one or both males have been desexed, they may still fight.

The second thing you want to watch out for is putting a entire male in with a entire female. If you want to keep a male and a female together, you must have the male desexed. Keep in mind that it is a far easier operation to have a male desexed than a female.

Perhaps the best and easiest pairing of Guinea pigs is two females. While they may squabble at first and from time to time over food and water, they will generally get along pretty well. A group of females can also easily get along with a neutered male.

Some people advise placing a young male Guinea pig in with an older male. This situation may be peaceful for a while, but when the young male reaches adolescent maturity, you may have a war on your hands. Whenever you add a new Guinea to your Guinea pig’s home, expect that they will tussle among themselves until they have established dominance. After that, they will usually become good friends.

PREGNANCY

If by chance your Guinea pig does fall pregnant, or you happen to adopt one that is already pregnant (which is a fairly common occurrence; especially from pet stores), you should take extra care to nurture your expectant mum.

If you think that your Guinea pig is pregnant, take her to the veterinarian right away. Your veterinarian will confirm or deny the pregnancy and give you an estimated due date. Gestation is only sixty to seventy days, so you don’t have much time to prepare if she is carrying babies.

Guinea pigs usually have litters of two to four pups. Prepare to give your pregnant mum more fresh produce, as she will be eating for herself and her babies. Also, plan on providing her with extra Vitamin C and fruits or fruit juice; this extra sugar prevents the female from developing a condition called Toxemia. Toxemia can be fatal to the mother and result in miscarriage and stillbirth.

Keep your pregnant Guinea pig as stress-free as possible, separating her close to the time of delivery. It’s hard to say exactly when a Guinea pig is going to give birth. You may notice that your pet is moving about less and interacting less. This usually happens about one or two weeks before she goes into labor.

The whole birthing process only takes between 15 to 40 minutes. If you are present when she goes into labor, you will see her ‘hiccupping’ or experiencing pre-labor pains. With each contraction, she will hunch up and then reach under her and grab the baby. The mother bites through the umbilical cord and cleans the embryonic sac off of the baby’s face. Four or five minutes later, the next baby should come out.

If your pet begins to squeal in pain, bleed or collapse due to exhaustion then rush her to your veterinarian. Never, never try to deliver the babies yourself!

Born with fur, teeth and nails, Guinea pig pups will be exploring their new home with open eyes two hours after being born. Within twenty-four hours, they will begin to eat hay, fresh produce and feed like their parents. Every two hours or so they will drink milk from their mum. Guinea pigs wean from their mother after 3 or 4 weeks of life.

After 3 or 4 weeks, the pups will be independent of their mother and it is at this time that you must separate the males from the females. The females will have reached sexual maturity and the mother will also be able to become pregnant, so it is vital that all males be removed from the same cage as the females.

Like any pet, a Guinea pig is a big commitment. Before you take on this 4 to 7 year responsibility, you will want to learn about the general behaviour and temperament of Guinea pigs. They certainly are interesting little characters, each with individual and distinct personalities that can be very amusing and entertaining!

COMMUNICATION

The sounds that a Guinea pig makes are quite distinct and fun to learn. Here are seven of the most common. Please note, some sounds are accompanied by specific body language as well.

Low rattling sound – This deep, constant sound signals to the Guinea pigs of the opposite sex that he or she is ‘in the mood’. Also, if you have two or more female Guinea pigs, you may hear this noise when the dominant pig greets the others.

Rumbling sound – This sound is a signal that your Guinea pig doesn’t like something. If you are petting them, then that means it doesn’t feel comfortable with how you are touching them. If they is alone in their cage, it might mean that there is a loud sound they don’t like.

Squeals/Whistles – Normally, this sound is never used with other Guinea pigs. The animal has developed it for one purpose: to ask humans for food.

Clacking teeth – If you have several Guinea pigs in a cage together, you’ll definitely want to listen for this sound, which is a warning and a signal of aggression.

Shrieks – Guinea pigs make this sound when they feel afraid, lonely, or in pain. If your pet makes it, then you need to figure out why and resolve the situation, so your Guinea pig can return to being happy.

Grunts/Squeaks/Chirps – You’ll hopefully become all too familiar with these noises, since the Guinea pig uses them to let you know they’re happy and comfortable. It’s also the basic sound used between Guinea pigs as they communicate with one another.

Purrs – These soft sounds may remind you of a cat as they rub on your leg, and both the cat’s and the Guinea pig’s sound means pretty much the same thing: they like whatever you are doing a lot!

HANDLING YOUR GUINEA PIGS

Often, a child’s natural inclination is to grab a Guinea pig around their middle, or lift them by their feet, which could injure your Guinea pig. The best way to pick up your pet is in a cradle-like manner. Put one hand against their chest and with the other hand gently cup their rear. Now, slowly lift your Guinea pig out of their cage and then place them on your lap, on the floor or against your chest. As long as the Guinea pig is near you or their feet are on something solid, they feel safe.

If your Guinea pig wiggles and squirms, that means they are scared and you are probably not holding them correctly.

GUINEA LYNX

This is a great website all about the health and care of Guinea pigs. It contains some very useful information about the various medical conditions piggies can suffer from and can help you diagnose and treat illness in your piggie if they gets sick.

GUINEA PIGS AUSTRALIA

This is a good website for general information about Guinea pig care, health and products. It has a useful pictorial chart that can help you diagnose common Guinea pig health conditions.

The following Rescue Organisations also have lots of Guinea Pigs available for adoption!

• Gold Coast Guines Pig Rescue
• Cavy Angel’s Guinea Pig Rescue

GUINEA PIG BREED INFORMATION

• Animal Lovers Web
• Pet Education
• Guinea Pig Resource

If you have any questions about your new Guinea Pig, please contact AWLQ’s Education Department for advice and referrals:

Phone: 07 5509 9034
Email: [email protected]