Guinea Pig Diet Basics

Guinea Pig Diet Basics
By Amanda Toop

The diet of a guinea pig should be made up primarily of Timothy hay, food pellets, fresh fruits and vegetables. When choosing pellets look for a blend that is 20% protein, 16% fiber, and contains a good portion of vitamin C as guinea pigs cannot produce this vitamin naturally. If you wish to find a food source for Vitamin C , consider carrots, red bell peppers, tomatoes, or untreated grass. Otherwise small doses of vitamin C are acceptable if you wish.

Its important to remember that guinea pigs, like other pets, thrive under schedules and routines. Your furry friend requires fresh food twice per day. Try to feed meals at the same hour(s) everyday. Deviating the time a little is okay but try to keep feeding times within the same hour. Also, if you want to introduce new foods, do so slowly and see how your pet reacts. Do not allow your guinea pig to eat too many fruits and vegetables as overconsumption can lead to diarrhea. Instead, monitor their intake and start with small portions.

Remember to remove any leftover pellets or fresh food after an hour or two. Guinea pigs like other pets will nibble on their food all day and this can lead to unnecessary weight gain. In addition, food left out can become spoiled and this can lead to digestion problems such as diarrhea.

While your guinea pig is an herbivore (plant eater) a good number of foods are going to be poisonous, indigestible, or not nutritious. Please look over the two lists below to get an idea of what is safe and what is not.

Safe Foods

Apples
Bread - slightly state, no mold!
Broccoli - flower clusters
Carrots and baby carrots
Celery - small cubes only
Dandelion Greens
Kale
Kiwi
Lettuce (NOT iceberg)
Mustard Greens
Oranges
Parsley
Spinach
Sweet Bell Peppers - red, green, and yellow
Tomatoes
Vitamin C

Food that MUST be avoided

Any product containing sugar
Celery stalks - the long stands in celery stalks are not fully digestible and can cause severe sickness.
Commercial pet treats - usually high in empty calories. Feed real food instead!
Corn
Dairy Products
Dried fruit (added sugar and poor for digestion)
Iceberg lettuce
Meat
Mineral Wheels - Have been known to cause bladder stones.
Multivitamins - Excess vitamins A and D can cause serious health problems.
Nuts and seeds
Potatoes and Potato Peels (there is some controversy that in small amounts peels are safe but when in doubt avoid.)
Raw beans
Rhubarb
Tomato leaves
And finally commercial snack sticks containing nuts, seeds, and honey. Unhulled sunflower seeds are a choking hazard and otherwise can cause stomach upset.

Water

Make sure you switch your guinea pig's water out daily and refill at least once per day. Stagnant water can breed bacteria which can cause illness. If you notice that your pet is not drinking water throughout the day consider adding a water dish. Even though guinea pigs tend to knock over objects in their cages, it is worth the extra mess if your pet needs extra encouragement to drink. If nothing seems to work you will need to sit with your guinea pig and feed him or her with a water dropper or needleless syringe.

Amanda is a lifelong guinea pig lover. For more great guinea pig care information, please visit http://guineapigresource.com/guinea-pig-care/

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Guinea Pigs 101

Guinea Pigs - Separating Fact From Fiction
By Amanda Toop

The release of Disney's new 3D animated feature film, "G-Force", is likely to result in a large increase guinea pigs and guinea pig ownership. Before you decide to add a furry friend to your family make sure that you know the REAL facts.

Prevent Injury

Part of what makes the guinea pigs in G-Force so exciting is that they can do a lot of cool tricks like parachute, drive cars, and do martial arts. In real life they are actually easily injured. Small children should not carry guinea pigs or hold them without supervision. Falls from relatively short distances can result in broken limbs and even death. Make sure that you do not try to pick up a guinea pig by its limbs - this can also result in injury.

Large Cages Not Fish Tanks

The guinea pigs in G-Force live with other animals in a fish tank. In real life your furry friend needs a large (at least 7.5 square feet for a single pet) well ventilated cage. If a cage is not properly ventilated the bedding will stay wet causing odor and illness. Avoid pine and cedar bedding as both contain resinous oils that can cause serious respiratory problems. Look for other options like Carefresh, fleece, or Timothy hay.

Guinea pigs also need friends, but these should be other guinea pigs not rats, mice, hamsters, or rabbits. Rabbits in particular can be quite dangerous and cause numerous injuries. Make sure that you do not accidentally house male and female together as pregnancies can be very risky and average litter size can range from four to eight puppies.

No Running in Plastic Balls

Why? Guinea Pigs lack the spinal flexibility to conform to the shape of the ball and they can become injured. For the same reason avoid rodent wheels. Instead clear an enclosed space in your home and allow your furry friend to run free and play at least once per day.

Greens and Veggies!

Your guinea pig will want to be fed at least one cup of tasty green leafy veggies every day. Your furry friend is also unable to make their own vitamin C, so save money on vitamin drops and provide parsley, kale, and red pepper. Also avoid offering additional types of foods like seeds and dried fruits. Seeds are not digestible and dried fruit contains too much sugar. The only other food your pet needs other than food pellets is fresh Timothy hay. Like other rodents, guinea pigs have teeth that grow continuously. If let without abrasive food to eat, teeth can overgrow leading to serious health problems.

Amanda is a lifelong guinea pig lover. For more great guinea pig information, visit http://www.guineapigresource.com

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Pregnant Guinea Pig Care

Pregnant Guinea Pig Care
By Amanda Toop

Guinea Pig Pregnancy
Female guinea pigs become fertile beginning as early as four weeks although pregnancy is not recommended until body weight has reached one pound. If the female is too small she may have trouble delivering the babies and special steps will need to be taken. Consult your veterinarian on the methods you can use to safely help a young sow if you find a pregnant one on your hands.

The average guinea pig pregnancy can last from 64 to 72 days. A female can give birth to one to six babies with three to four being average. Some sources indicate that the longer the gestation period the smaller the litter. By the time birth is eminent, the weight of the babies will account for 30% of the female's total body weight.

In order to support this growth expect your guinea pig to require more food and water as she could be supporting up to six babies. Be sure that the food being fed is particularly high in vitamin C as requirements double to 20 mgs per day during pregnancy. If food pellets are being used this is a good time to double check the quality of the product - look for 100% of the daily requirement of vitamin C as well as 20% crude protein and 16% fiber. Supplement her as usual with fresh fruits and vegetables focusing on foods high in vitamin C. Recommended foods include parsley, cabbage, and dandelion.

During this time be sure and remember to continue to let the pregnant female out for exercise and play. Be careful to avoid unnecessary stomach squeezing as well as stress on the female.

Advice about when to move the pregnant guinea pig into a separate cage is mixed. What is known for sure is that by the time the female gives birth, she'll need to be moved into a separate cage. Male guinea pigs will be a threat to the puppies and the female will be fertile again immediately. No female should have back to back litters as it is cruel and detrimental their health. Some sources indicate that if neutered the father of the puppies can remain in the cage with the mother. If the father is in the cage during birth he may assist with delivery by cleaning and warming the babies. Cooperation is not guaranteed and if the female appears distressed by the presence of the male - remove him from the cage. How early the female is moved is dependent on how much room there is in the existing cage and whether or not the pregnant female appears to be enjoying the company of others. If worried, move the female. In general though, a week before birth should be the minimum.

Amanda is a lifelong guinea pig lover. For more great guinea pig information, visit http://guineapigresource.com/pregnant-guinea-pig/

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Finding a Veterinarian

Guinea Pig Care - Finding a Veterinarian
By Amanda Toop

Finding a Veterinarian
One knows that as a responsible pet owner, one's guinea pig should receive regular veterinary checkups. Regular checkups will ensure that one's pigs health is monitored and not allowed to deteriorate. Visiting one's veterinarian according to a regular schedule will also allow one to determine if they are satisfied with the level of care provided BEFORE an emergency situation arises.

How does one find the best veterinarian?
Search either the phone book yellow pages or online in one's local area for a veterinarian that treats "exotic" animals. That's right - one cannot take a guinea pig to just any veterinarian as they may lack experience. Finding a specialized vet is not always easy so don't be afraid to contact local breeders and veterinarians to see if they know of anyone reliable in the area.

Once one has found a veterinarian that appears qualified be sure to ask the following questions at a minimum:
1. "Are you an "exotic" veterinarian?
2. "Do you have experience treating guinea pigs?"
3. "What are your hours?"
4. "How does your office handle emergencies?"
5. "If you were to prescribe antibiotics for an adult guinea pig upper respiratory infection which would you select" Answers to look for: Baytril, Chloramphenicol, or Doxycycline. NOT penicillin. Penicillin is extremely toxic to guinea pigs. Every time a prescription is assigned, take the time to verify that the medication does not contain penicillin. People make mistakes and it is a good idea not to make assumptions.
6. "Would you prescribe Baytril for puppies?" Answer to look for: "No."
7. "What guinea pig food do you recommend?" Answers to look for: Good quality pellet brands, Timothy hay, fruit and veggies. Bad answer: Alfalfa.

Remember that this veterinarian needs to be someone who is confidence inspiring and is willing to meet the needs of one's guinea pig. If this individual seems unwilling to take time to discuss issues or answer questions, keep looking until you find someone who does.

Amanda is a lifelong guinea pig lover. For more great guinea pig care information, visit http://www.guineapigresource.com

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Guinea Pig Grooming Basics

Guinea Pig Grooming Basics
By Amanda Toop

Nails

In the wild, guinea pig nails would get naturally worn down due to the constant abrasion from wood and stone. The cage environment with its soft bedding, wood, and bricks, will simply not prevent your pet's nails from growing long and painful. The additions of rough materials like rock and stone can keep nails short under ideal circumstances but this must be monitored. If your guinea pig's nails grow too long they can actually curve around and pierce the paw, which leads to pain and infection.

Unlike us, guinea pigs have blood vessels which run through parts of the nails. If you clip the nail too short you can pierce this area and cause pain. There are two solutions to this problem. The first is if your pet has clear nails, simply avoid the pink area extending from the bone. If your furry friend has opaque black nails, this area will not be visible. Instead you will want to just cut the smallest portion off the tips but you will want to do this more often as with just a little neglect the nails could grow too long.

If you do pierce the quick, a product you will find useful is "Quick Stop" which can be found at most pet stores. Quick stop will stop the bleeding immediately. If you do not have Quick Stop, use iodine instead.

Cutting your guinea pigs nails is not going to be easy, especially right at first. Expect your pet to squirm and generally be uncooperative. We recommend making the task easier on both of you by wrapping him or her in a towel leaving only the feet exposed. Have one person hold the guinea pig and the other person cut the nails.

Teeth

Guinea pigs, like other rodents, have teeth that grow continuously longer over the course of their lifetime. If the teeth grow too long your pet will not be able to eat and suffer pain and discomfort. Please do not attempt to cut your his or her teeth yourself. This is a task for a trained veterinarian. Instead, your attention should be focused on providing objects for your guinea pig to chew on which will keep his or her teeth shorter naturally. We recommend providing hard foods, toilet paper tubes, stale bread, and hay cubes. Just keep in mind that you will need to continually monitor tooth length.

In addition to monitoring tooth length, also keep an eye on tooth condition. Check for chips, breaks, etc. Anything of this nature will require a vet visit.

Brushing

To keep your guinea pig's coat shiny and healthy you will want to brush it regularly. If your pet is long haired, plan to brush every day. Short haired guinea pigs can get away with brushing every few days or so. All you need for this task is a soft bristle baby brush. Longer hair might require a metal comb (metal grey hound combs do the task well) - something that can actually comb through tangles.

Bathing

Guinea pigs do not need to be bathed on a regular basis unless they get into something. If you do need to bath him or her, please fill a dish with warm water - making sure the water level is not above your pet's head. You will need to be present and monitor the bath at all times. Lightly wash your guinea pig's fur until clean using gentle baby shampoo. Medicated shampoos may not be necessary unless recommended by your vet. After bathing, wrap your furry friend in a towel and keep warm until dry.

Amanda is a lifelong guinea pig lover. For more great guinea pig care information, visit http://www.guineapigresource.com/guinea-pig-grooming/

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