guinea pig care

Guinea Pig Care

They are cute, furry, and funny. Guinea pigs though a small pet need love and care as
would any other household pet. Their average life span is between 4 and 7 years, but can
live as long as 11. With good guinea pig care they will live a good long time.

A healthy diet is most important when caring for your new pet pig. You want to
make sure they have a balanced diet of quality hay, such as Timothy Hay, veggies like
lettuce, carrots and certain weeds and grasses. Also in your guineas diet you should
be including a quality food pellet. You can get suggestions from you veterinarian on
which pellet would be best for your guineas care. Food pellets are important because
they are full of the vitamin supplements your furry friend will need to stay healthy.

It is ok to spoil your piggy a little also. There are healthy pig treats
available at most pet shops. Don’t over do it though, an over weight guinea pig is
unhealthy. The best treats would be real veggies. You can monitor your pigs
weight with an ounce scale. Keeping track of weight gain and weight loss is a great way
to make sure they are healthy. You will want to report any major weight loss or gain to
your veterinarian.

You will need a big cage for your guinea to live in. I say a big living space
because they need room to move around and exercise. Being part of the rodent family
guinea pigs also have a natural need to burrow. You will need quality bedding for the
floor of the cage as well. It is important to keep their cage clean and always change the
bedding. Soiled bedding can result in an infection on the underside of your guinea pig
called “wet tail”. It is an infection that looks like warts and can become serious if not
treated.

When changing the cage bedding you should also wash the cage out and dry it completely before spreading the new bedding down. You will notice that guinea pig urine has a very strong odor; so keeping a clean cage will also help you keep a clean odor free house.

Some other things you should know about guinea pig care are how to handle you guinea
pig. You want to have a soft but protective hold on your furry friend. Just secure
enough not to drop them. Nail trimming is also important. This will also keep them
clean. Guinea pigs need some free range running space also. You can purchase a circular gate that you can set on the grass so they can get fresh air and a sense of freedom to run around.

If you have a Peruvian guinea pig (long haired) you may need to handle some extra
grooming responsibilities. This may entail checking the longer coat for debris and
tangles. Also you will want to check for fleas if your guinea pig is around any other
flea carrying pet.

Although a small pet, guinea pigs need a lot of care and affection. It is important to
bring your pet in for a health check up when it is due. Remember pets are a privilege so
take good care of them.

By: Lee Martin

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