What does the
doctor look for in a healthy guinea pig?
Vital Statistics:
Body Length: 12 inches (310mm), Body Weight: 750-1200g, Sexual Maturity:
Male 3-4 mo, Female 2-3 mo, Average Life Span: 5 years.
What Should You Feed Your Guinea Pig? Unlike many other animals, guinea pigs are not
able to synthesize vitamin C on their own; therefore, a supplemental
source of vitamin C must be provided daily. Commercial pellets specially
formulated for guinea pigs contain vitamin C, but storage conditions or
time may affect the level. You can provide supplementation with a quarter
of an orange or a small amount of kale or cabbage daily to ensure adequate
vitamin C intake. There are also vitamin C liquids and pills that are
widely available. Fresh timothy or alfalfa hay may be offered for
additional fiber. Purchasing hay through a farm store helps ensure
freshness.
Guinea pigs should have fresh, filtered
drinking water in a water bottle with a sipper tube at all times. Check
the water bottle frequently because they like to play with the sipper
tube, which may cause leakage. Sometimes they even push food up into the
sipper tube and will be unable to drink from the bottle.
If the nails or teeth of guinea pigs need
to be trimmed regularly, evaluate the diet, as it may be inadequate.
Where Should I Keep My Guinea Pig? Your guinea pig’s cage should be at least 1
x 2 feet, but the larger the space, the better. The sides of the enclosure
should be at least 12 inches high to prevent escape. Because guinea pigs
do not jump or climb, they can be housed in an open-topped enclosure, like
a small children’s pool, as long as dogs or cats do not have access to
it.
The best flooring for guinea pigs is a
solid structure, covered with dust-free bedding of soft wood shavings,
shredded paper, hay, or commercial bedding pellets. While their fecal
pellets are relatively odorless, bedding should be changed weekly to
control urine odors; cavies are very sensitive to the ammonia in urine.
