GUINEA PIG CARE

Nails

It is important to cut your pet’s nails regularly, approximately once a month. Get him used to having his paws and nails handled from a young age and reward him with his favorite fruits or vegetables. This will make cutting the nails easier for you and more enjoyable for him.

Cleanliness

Guinea pigs do not defecate in a specific area of their cage. On the contrary, they urinate and defecate anywhere in their environment. Thus, it is important that the bottom of their cage be completely covered with a substrate that is absorbent and dust-free, such as soft recycled newspaper litter (specifically made for small mammals), which is ideal. Unscented aspen wood chips are also a good choice for a litter.

Stools, urine and soiled litter need to removed many times each day and the litter must be completely changed once a week.

My guinea pig’s urine is thick and whitish. Is this normal?

No! A guinea pig’s urine is normally yellow and clear. However, urine can sometimes become more opaque if there is a lot of calcium in it, which is usually due to a diet too rich in calcium, as this species excretes calcium through their urine. If this is the case, then the diet should be modified because an excess of calcium can lead to the formation of urinary stones, among other problems.

What about if the urine is red or orange?

That can be normal and caused by the presence of a red pigment in the urine called porphyrin. On the other hand, urine that is red, pink or orange can also be a sign of a problem within the urinary system. Thus, a veterinarian should be consulted when a change in the appearance of the animal’s urine is noticed.

The cage

Guinea pigs do not climb or jump. For this reason, the use of a horizontal cage that is spacious or of a roofless enclosure with vertical walls that is approximately 25 cm in height is appropriate. However, if other animals have access to your guinea pig’s cage, it should stay closed for safety concerns.

It is also important to provide him with hiding spots in the cage so he can have a quiet space to relax.

Fur maintenance

Your guinea pig should be brushed regularly to limit hair ingestion. Certain breeds have very long fur and a “hair trim” might be sometimes needed. Again, get him used to this kind of handling at a young age by rewarding him with his favorite vegetables or fruits like you did with the nail trimming.

Social interactions

Since guinea pigs are anxious by nature and stress very easily, it takes a lot of kindness and patience to tame them.

They can live alone but because they are very sociable and they appreciate the company of their peers, they can also be kept in groups.

BE CAREFUL! Guinea pigs can reproduce at a young age, even with their brothers and sisters, so it is important to be vigilant when many of them live together. In fact, males are fertile as young as 3 months of age and females, as young as 2 months of age. Thus, it is recommended that the animals’ sex be determined early on by a veterinarian and that males be kept away from females at all times to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Sterilization is not performed routinely in Guinea pigs because this species does not tolerate general anesthesia very well and frequently develops postsurgical complications. In certain specific circumstances however, the procedure can still be done. This is the case with shelters who have guinea pigs fixed from the outset, specially males.

Guinea pigs are considered prey animals. Therefore, contact with ferrets is to be avoided at all times! Interactions with cats and dogs are possible however, but still should be supervised closely.

Even though guinea pigs and rabbits can have friendly interactions, it is not recommended to put them in contact with one another. Indeed, rabbits can be asymptomatic carriers (being infected without developing symptoms) of a bacteria known as Bordetella bronchiseptica, among others, and can transmit it to guinea pigs, who are particularly sensitive to it. They can develop pneumonia because of this bacterial infection.