GUINEA PIG INFO
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About The Page
Right now, there isn't much here, hopefully that will change in the near future. Please, be sure to contact a professional if you have worries about your guinea pig's health. I try to keep this as acurate as possible, but I'm not perfect, and there may be errors in this text. When in doubt, contact a veterinarian. Other than that, enjoy this, and use it to keep your piggies happy and healthy.
Before You Buy
Before You Buy
Before you buy a guinea pig, answer these questions.
1. Can you commit to keeping the guinea pig for the next five to seven years (or even eight to ten)?
2. Do you have time to clean the cage, guinea pigs can suffer from respiratory infections if they are kept in a dirty cage.
3. Guinea Pigs need human companionship, especially if they are living alone, do you have time each day to care for, groom and play with you guinea pig?
4. Do you have time to groom your guinea pig regularly?
5. If you let the guinea pig run around on the floor (which is a good thing, it needs exercise) it may leave puddles and droppings and maybe teeth marks on the furniture, can you put up with this?
6. If the guinea pig belongs to a child, are you, as an adult, ready to take over most of the responsibility for the guinea pig?
7. Do you have someone who can take care of you guinea pig if you go on vacation?
8. If your guinea pig gets sick, can you afford to take if to a vet?
9. Are you willing to cancel a weekend trip or vacation if your guinea pig gets sick? Or do you have someone who is knowledgeable that could care for him?
10. Do you have house pets that could hurt your guinea pig? If so, can you keep the guinea pig in a separate room so if stays safe?
11. Can you give up smoking, or at least refrain from smoking in the same room as the guinea pig, for the sake of your guinea pig?
If you can answer 'yes' to all of these questions, you are probably qualified to own a guinea pig. To find more guinea pig information, check out the 'links'page.
Children And Guinea Pigs
I think it is excellent for children to have pets. I think it helps teach responsibility, and gives the child a sense or worth. However, it’s important to understand that, if left unsupervised, a child can seriously harm a guinea pig. If the child is under seven or eight (or a little younger or older depending on the child's maturity), they shouldn’t be allowed to handle their guinea pig without a parent or older sibling watching them. Guinea Pigs won’t scratch or bite if they are uncomfortable the way a cat would. They can also be hurt if they are dropped, so don’t allow young children to carry their guinea pigs around.
The best way for a child to hold a guinea pig, is for them to sit somewhere and have the guinea pig's feet against their chest. They then use both hands to support the guinea pig. Better yet, use a basket, a child can carry a guinea pig around in a basket for a long time without harm to the guinea pig. Be sure the basket is deep enough that the guinea pig can't jump out of it. Bottom line, if the piggy belongs to a child, it's your responsibility, as the parent, to make sure it is taken care of properly and handled correctly.
Male or Female, Singles or Pairs
There is a lot of debate about whether you should buy a male or a female. It really doesn’t matter. However there are differences between the genders that may make a difference in your decision. Basically the only difference I see is that boars usually grow larger than sows. Other than that, I have found boars are more affectionate than sows, but if you handle your sow a lot, that shouldn't be a problem.
I haven't ever been bitten by a boar either, and have been bitten by my sows a few times, though, guinea pigs hardly ever bite and the sows that have bitten me were very pregnant and I was probably irritating them.
You can’t keep two adult boars together, and if you keep a boar and sow together you’ll get a ton of babies, and you cannot just let nature take its course when it comes to breeding guinea pigs, if you let a sow and boar breed constantly, the sow will soon die. You can keep two sows together, as long as they are introduced as babies or as adult and baby. Other combinations to keep guinea pigs are, two neutered boars (Talk to your vet about neutering, it is not without a lot of risks) one sow and one neutered boar, or two sows.
Bottom line, if you have enough time to play with your pig, keep one, if not, keep two. However, if you don't have enough time for your guinea pig, maybe you shouldn’t buy one!
Grooming
Many people complain that their guinea pigs shed, if they spent more time grooming them, they wouldn’t shed half as bad. If you have a short-haired guinea pig, then use a medium-hard brush (The kind you would use on a small dog). If you have a long-haired guinea pig or guinea pig with rosettes, use a comb.
Age
What age of guinea pig should you buy? The best age is between four and eight weeks. Don’t buy a guinea pig that is younger that three weeks, when a guinea pig is that young, it still needs to be with it’s mother. Don’t buy a really old guinea pig either, but if you find a good breeder, who would like to sell/give you an older breeder, that may be a fine idea. While this guinea pig might be three or four years old, it still probably has a few years old, and may be a great way to be introduced to guinea pig ownership. The breeder will also be able to give you more information on possible health problems and temperament because he/she has known it longer.
Dangers In The Home
Dangers for guinea pigs in your home include, being stepped on, getting slammed in a door and electric shock. To prevent these, be sure to watch your guinea pig carefully while he is running on the floor, do not leave him unattended, you may forget he’s there and step on him, or someone who doesn’t know he is one the floor may step on him. If you are not paying attention to him, he may follow you through a door and you may shut it on him.
Make sure ALL cords are out of reach, a guinea pig only chews an electric cord once! Also, if he chews it only partway through, he may survive, but may put your house at risk for fire. Even cords that aren’t usually there could cause problems, so don’t do something like vacuuming, while your guinea pig is on the floor.
Other pets can also be dangerous to your guinea pig. There will be more on this later.
The Healthy Guinea Pig
How do you know if a guinea pig is healthy? A healthy guinea pig has:
1. Clear eyes, with no sticky discharge.
2. Nose, lips and ears free of inflammation or incrustations.
3. The coat should be shiny and clean, there should be no marked shedding, thin fur or bald spots because this usually means illness or old age.
4. Check the toes and claws, older animals may have calloused toes that are in abnormal positions, a result of claws that have grown to long. This does not harm the guinea pig, but is best avoided.
5. Anal area should be clean, diarrhea is a sign of serious illness in guinea pigs.
Before you buy a guinea pig, answer these questions.
1. Can you commit to keeping the guinea pig for the next five to seven years (or even eight to ten)?
2. Do you have time to clean the cage, guinea pigs can suffer from respiratory infections if they are kept in a dirty cage.
3. Guinea Pigs need human companionship, especially if they are living alone, do you have time each day to care for, groom and play with you guinea pig?
4. Do you have time to groom your guinea pig regularly?
5. If you let the guinea pig run around on the floor (which is a good thing, it needs exercise) it may leave puddles and droppings and maybe teeth marks on the furniture, can you put up with this?
6. If the guinea pig belongs to a child, are you, as an adult, ready to take over most of the responsibility for the guinea pig?
7. Do you have someone who can take care of you guinea pig if you go on vacation?
8. If your guinea pig gets sick, can you afford to take if to a vet?
9. Are you willing to cancel a weekend trip or vacation if your guinea pig gets sick? Or do you have someone who is knowledgeable that could care for him?
10. Do you have house pets that could hurt your guinea pig? If so, can you keep the guinea pig in a separate room so if stays safe?
11. Can you give up smoking, or at least refrain from smoking in the same room as the guinea pig, for the sake of your guinea pig?
If you can answer 'yes' to all of these questions, you are probably qualified to own a guinea pig. To find more guinea pig information, check out the 'links'page.
Children And Guinea Pigs
I think it is excellent for children to have pets. I think it helps teach responsibility, and gives the child a sense or worth. However, it’s important to understand that, if left unsupervised, a child can seriously harm a guinea pig. If the child is under seven or eight (or a little younger or older depending on the child's maturity), they shouldn’t be allowed to handle their guinea pig without a parent or older sibling watching them. Guinea Pigs won’t scratch or bite if they are uncomfortable the way a cat would. They can also be hurt if they are dropped, so don’t allow young children to carry their guinea pigs around.
The best way for a child to hold a guinea pig, is for them to sit somewhere and have the guinea pig's feet against their chest. They then use both hands to support the guinea pig. Better yet, use a basket, a child can carry a guinea pig around in a basket for a long time without harm to the guinea pig. Be sure the basket is deep enough that the guinea pig can't jump out of it. Bottom line, if the piggy belongs to a child, it's your responsibility, as the parent, to make sure it is taken care of properly and handled correctly.
Male or Female, Singles or Pairs
There is a lot of debate about whether you should buy a male or a female. It really doesn’t matter. However there are differences between the genders that may make a difference in your decision. Basically the only difference I see is that boars usually grow larger than sows. Other than that, I have found boars are more affectionate than sows, but if you handle your sow a lot, that shouldn't be a problem.
I haven't ever been bitten by a boar either, and have been bitten by my sows a few times, though, guinea pigs hardly ever bite and the sows that have bitten me were very pregnant and I was probably irritating them.
You can’t keep two adult boars together, and if you keep a boar and sow together you’ll get a ton of babies, and you cannot just let nature take its course when it comes to breeding guinea pigs, if you let a sow and boar breed constantly, the sow will soon die. You can keep two sows together, as long as they are introduced as babies or as adult and baby. Other combinations to keep guinea pigs are, two neutered boars (Talk to your vet about neutering, it is not without a lot of risks) one sow and one neutered boar, or two sows.
Bottom line, if you have enough time to play with your pig, keep one, if not, keep two. However, if you don't have enough time for your guinea pig, maybe you shouldn’t buy one!
Grooming
Many people complain that their guinea pigs shed, if they spent more time grooming them, they wouldn’t shed half as bad. If you have a short-haired guinea pig, then use a medium-hard brush (The kind you would use on a small dog). If you have a long-haired guinea pig or guinea pig with rosettes, use a comb.
Age
What age of guinea pig should you buy? The best age is between four and eight weeks. Don’t buy a guinea pig that is younger that three weeks, when a guinea pig is that young, it still needs to be with it’s mother. Don’t buy a really old guinea pig either, but if you find a good breeder, who would like to sell/give you an older breeder, that may be a fine idea. While this guinea pig might be three or four years old, it still probably has a few years old, and may be a great way to be introduced to guinea pig ownership. The breeder will also be able to give you more information on possible health problems and temperament because he/she has known it longer.
Dangers In The Home
Dangers for guinea pigs in your home include, being stepped on, getting slammed in a door and electric shock. To prevent these, be sure to watch your guinea pig carefully while he is running on the floor, do not leave him unattended, you may forget he’s there and step on him, or someone who doesn’t know he is one the floor may step on him. If you are not paying attention to him, he may follow you through a door and you may shut it on him.
Make sure ALL cords are out of reach, a guinea pig only chews an electric cord once! Also, if he chews it only partway through, he may survive, but may put your house at risk for fire. Even cords that aren’t usually there could cause problems, so don’t do something like vacuuming, while your guinea pig is on the floor.
Other pets can also be dangerous to your guinea pig. There will be more on this later.
The Healthy Guinea Pig
How do you know if a guinea pig is healthy? A healthy guinea pig has:
1. Clear eyes, with no sticky discharge.
2. Nose, lips and ears free of inflammation or incrustations.
3. The coat should be shiny and clean, there should be no marked shedding, thin fur or bald spots because this usually means illness or old age.
4. Check the toes and claws, older animals may have calloused toes that are in abnormal positions, a result of claws that have grown to long. This does not harm the guinea pig, but is best avoided.
5. Anal area should be clean, diarrhea is a sign of serious illness in guinea pigs.
