We are seeing more and more small furries in practice, guinea pigs being a very popular pet for many households especially with small children.
Although guinea pigs are a great first pet for children it needs to remembered that ultimately a child’s pet is always the responsibility of the parent.
Careful consideration should be taken before deciding whether these sociable pets are right for your family.
Guinea pigs love company, in the wild they would usually be in groups so you would always want to pair them up if possible.
Neutering is a must if you are mixing a male and female as with any other animals they will soon multiply!
Very importantly they require a diet which includes vitamin C, guinea pigs cannot synthesise vitamin C so they must have this in their diet. All good quality pellets for guineas will have the correct amount included.
They also require a high fibre diet so lots of good quality hay should be available at all times.
Limit the amount of veg you feed them as overfeeding this can cause illness, only give this as a treat.
Any changes in droppings should be reported to your veterinary surgeon as this can be an indicator that your guinea pig is unwell. Don’t be concerned if you see your pig eating his poo, this is completely normal!
When considering where to house your guineas you need to consider the season – in summer the cage should not be kept in direct sunlight and it’s very important to make sure the cage is regularly cleaned to avoid attracting the flies. In winter they will require extra bedding to keep warm and in very cold weather they need to be moved indoors if possible.
Water bottles can soon freeze during the winter so keep changing the water regularly and do check on it a few times during the day, the cage needs to kept dry and away from draughts to avoid illness.
Guinea pigs are very active animals so being kept in a cage is just not enough for them, they should have access to an exercise area which should be regularly checked to make sure they can’t escape, guinea pigs do love to gnaw!
Guinea pigs really do have great characters and make fantastic pets, they can be very vocal creatures though and will often “talk” to each other.
They are also active for about 18-20 hours a day so it’s not always a good idea to house them in your bedroom!
For any further advice on guinea pig care please phone your veterinary practice and have a chat with a vet or veterinary nurse.
Alder Veterinary Practice, 58 Bourne Road, Spalding, PE11 1JW. Call 01775 766646. Opening hours 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 10am alternate Saturdays. 24 hour emergency cover.
