Keeping Your Guinea Pig Happy!
Guinea Pig Needs and Facts - updated 29.5.10
Copyright: My aim on setting up this website was to share information for the purpose of helping rabbits, guinea pigs and their owners, and to that aim I am very happy for any of the material to be printed out for personal use. However, none of the material contained within the CottonTails website can be used for any purpose apart from personal use only without my express permission. Anyone found to be using any of the website content for non-personal use will be seen as an infringement of my copyright under the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and action will be taken. This is a huge waste of time and money that should be used for the good of the animals under my care, so please comply with this request.Many thanks!
(photo above supplied by owner)
Shopping List
- Hutch or inside cage
- Run or safe exercise area
- Dust extracted wood shavings
- Good quality hay
- Guinea pig pellets or good quality muesli
- Daily fresh vegetables
- Non-spill food dish
- Water bottle
Basic Facts
- Life span: 5-9 years
- Maturity: 3-8 weeks (yes, many really can breed at 3 weeks old!)
- Gestation: 59-72 days
Bedding
Use a deep layer of dust extracted shavings throughout the cage, with a good layer of hay on top. I also like to line the floor of the hutch with newspapers before adding the shavings.
Cleaning Out
It is best to remove soiled bedding daily and replace with fresh, thoroughly cleaning out the whole cage twice a week depending on how big the cage is, how many guinea pigs you have, and how often they are outside in their run. Use a spray disinfectant suitable for small pets, especially in the corners of the cage.
Company
Guinea pigs are happiest in the company of other guinea pigs. Either two females, two males if they have been brought up together (although occasionally fighting may occur as they get older), or a neutered male and female works well. REMEMBER THAT MALE GUINEA PIGS ARE FERTILE FOR A MONTH AFTER THEY ARE CASTRATED! Keeping a rabbit and guinea pig together rarely works long term and must not be attempted, as serious injury to the guinea pig is the likely outcome.
To see footage of match-ups, click on the links below (more will be added shortly).
Millie the female guinea pig is matched with another female, Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qACEwex9m20
Millie the female guinea pig is matched with another female, Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUCv9unieg8
Neutered male matched with female:
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwEVka_eD1k
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aemU-FVHN0
Part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkgWw7-Orm8
The following was written by someone who sought advice from me regarding matching their existing guinea pig with one that was given by a neighbour:
Hector was very subdued, just sitting there for about a month but now instead of two lonely guinea pigs in different homes we have one happy guinea pig couple who are are busy eating, running around and snuggling up together. Guinea pigs really do need company – they are social animals.
There were quite a few scuffles to start with lasting about an hour but they ended up laying stretched out together in the basket. Using a pen that was neutral territory with a bit of food in the middle worked the trick and just allowing them time to get to know each other with out us intervening.
Hector seems very happy and no longer lonely, and seems to like following her around! They have been in our kitchen because it has been so cold outside. The information on your website was really useful when we were planning the introductions
Best wishes
Liz
Feeding
Guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C and therefore need to eat large quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables daily e.g. carrots, spring greens, beetroot, banana skins, cucumber, broccoli etc. This is in addition to dried food and fresh hay (which should be available at all times). Small amounts of lettuce should only be given as an occasional treat and not on a regular basis. Potato peelings should not be given. Refill the water bottle daily. Guinea pigs do not eat vast quantities of dried food, and will enjoy good quality pelleted food as well as the muesli-type brands. Be careful with the muesli as this type of food does encourage selective feeding if given in too large quantities.
Handling
Your new guinea pigs will be nervous when you first get them home, so it is important to let them settle in with as little handling as possible. Gradually build up their trust in you by talking to them and gently stroking them in their cage. When they have settled in, you can pick them up gently but firmly by placing your hands around their middle. Guinea pigs enjoy sitting on your knee whilst eating vegetables and treats. Many guinea pigs are very scatty at first as they are afraid and have not been handled very much, but the large majority do respond very well to careful regular handling. If your guinea pig runs away all the time and you find it hard to catch him, try and corner him and then gently pick him up. Don't grab at him as this will makes things worse.
Housing
Guinea pigs can be housed outside all year round so long as the hutch is weatherproof and has a separate draught free sleeping area. It must be at least 6 inches off the ground and should be sited out of direct sunlight and draughts. However, during the cold winter months it is best to bring their cage into a shed or similar sheltered area that has a window to allow natural light to come in. The two photos below show an alternative way of housing guinea pigs inside, the lower photo featuring Hannah and Polly. The photos were taken by their devoted owners.
An escape-proof run or exercise area is enjoyed during good weather, and guinea pigs can be out on the grass from Spring right through to Autumn during the day. Make sure the run has a covered over area so that the piggies can get out of the sun and rain, and ensure the top is firmly secured so that other pets cannot get in. A top on the run is very important as it has been known for birds of prey to swoop down and carry off a guinea pig.
The photo below is an example of the sort of hiding place guinea pigs like - and it is all completely edible too!
Common Problems
Matted fur - This is common in long-haired guinea pigs if they are not cared for properly. In most cases it is best just to keep the fur cut short (especially around the rump area), and this only takes a few minutes to do every 3-4 weeks. Make sure you are aware of where the legs and ears are, as well as the sensitive area around the rump! It is only in cases where you plan to show the guinea pig that you should consider grooming with brush and comb, as most guinea pigs hate being brushed and it is also very time consuming. The photos below show a guinea pig that had not been groomed for about 6 months.
Diarrhoea - Rare in guinea pigs but potentially fatal, contact your local vet immediately. It is usually caused by a gastric infection but can also occur after the guinea pig has eaten something inappropriate or has gorged on fruit.
Overgrown Teeth & Claws - Guinea pigs claws grow at different rates so some individuals need their claws trimmed every few weeks, whereas others hardly ever need trimming. It also depends on whether their run is situated on a patio or grass. Overgrown teeth is a very serious condition, and can be caused by an inherited problem, an injury to the mouth, or can be a result of illhealth in general. A vet must be consulted as soon as possible.
Extra toe on hind or front feet - This is something that occasionally occurs, and as the extra toe is often only just attached by a thin piece of tissue, it may be best to have it removed by a vet in case it catches on something and then tears off, causing injury, pain and possible infection.
Scratching and/or bare patches - Often caused by a mite (Trixacarus caviae) that causes sever skin irritation. The treatment is usually an injection once a week for 4 weeks of Ivermectin administered by the vet, or a one off application of Stronghold, also available from the vet. Ivermectin is also available from large pet shops, but may be in a diluted form so it is important to read the instructions carefully. Mites must be treated seriously as this condition can be so severe that it can kill.
Below is a guinea pig showing the typical signs of mites. Notice the bare patches where he has scratched away his fur.
The photo below shows the same guinea pig 3 months later after successful treatment with Ivermectin
Compacted Rectum - A common problem in some boar guinea pigs is compacted rectum. What happens is that the sphincter muscle and surrounding tissue loses tone and becomes slack, and instead of the droppings being forced out and on to the floor, they build up at the exit and form a ball. Depending on the extent of the problem, you will have to gently squeeze out this area either every day, or two or three times a week, whatever is needed. I also use gentle massage oil or vasaline on a finger (or cotton bud if you don't fancy that!) and very carefully coat the inside of the dilated area after it has been emptied. This makes it easier to empty next time. You don't need the oil every day, just now and again to keep it lubricated. There is no cure for this condition, but so long as the ball is removed very regularly it does not seem to bother the pig and they get used to the procedure. I have found that if this procedure is carried out regularly to start with, the problem often resolves itself with only an occasional emptying procedure required thereafter.
Scabs around the mouth and/or nose - Some guinea pigs develop a distressing condition where sore scabs develop around the mouth and nose, starting in the corners of the mouth and spreading outwards. The condition can also spread to their bottoms as well in severe cases. It would appear to be fungal in origin. You may find the following link useful: http://www.guinealynx.info/cheilitis.html This condition needs urgent attention, and the guinea pig should either be taken to the vet (the vet may prescribe Nystatin cream which is known to be effective) or you could try treatment at home initially if you have the time and knowledge to do so. The scabs need to be very gently soaked off (this must be done with extreme care and lots of patience as it is very painful) and tincture of iodine (such as Betadine, from the chemist) applied sparingly and gently with cotton wool to the affected areas. Daktarin oral gel available from the chemist is also very effective but must be used for at least 2-3 weeks, and is most effective again if the scabs are removed first. Blistex Relief Cream (again available from your local chemist) can be effective as well, and this gives real relief as it has some local anaesthetic effects which soothes the raw areas. This should be done twice a day for at least 2-3 weeks, even after you are confident that the area has healed. In stubborn cases I also use a product called Surolan (available from vets) which I use sparingly once a day in place of the Blistex for three or four days and then swap to the Blistex. Surolan contains a mild steroid which is why it can only be used for a short time as after that it can actually delay the healing process, but I have found that it is useful at getting rid of the condition permanently, so if you are dealing with a persistent and reoccurring problem it is worth a try. Imaverol, available on line or from farm supply shops, is also effective and the scabs do not need to be removed first. It is used at 1:50 dilution. Feeding very acidic foods such as grapefruit, apples, tomatoes and beetroot can predispose some guinea pigs to this condition so it is wise to avoid such foods if your guinea pig has this problem.
The photo below shows a guinea pig with scabs all around his nose.
Swollen foot - This condition is called Bumble Foot and is very serious and painful and also very difficult to cure. It is caused by bacteria entering the foot via a wound, pulled claw or other injury and setting up an infection which will rapidly spread if not treated. Even after treatment the paw may not go back to its original size. Treatment by a vet is required urgently. Secondary fungal infections can also cause additional problems and if not treated the guinea pig will become very ill and probably die.
Bald patches behind the earsIt is absolutely normal for guinea pigs to have small bald patches behind the ears. A photo of a healthy guinea pig is shown below.
The only time you should worry is if the skin is red and inflamed, crusty with scabs, or looking sore in any other way. See photos below.
This is likely to be a fungal infection (also see the section about mites, above) and needs urgent treatment as the condition is very itchy and causes deep distress to affected guinea pigs. As ringworm is also a fungal infection, you need to take suitable precautions to make sure it is not passed to any other animals or humans, including yourself! Ringworm can only be confirmed by your vet, but it is as well to take precautions just in case. This means washing your hands every time you handle the guinea pig and completely isolating him from others, although it is very likely that all the guinea pigs kept in the same cage will also be infected but won’t necessarily show symptoms. In this case, all the guinea pigs in the cage would need to be treated too. Veterinary assistance should be sought in most cases, but if you are experienced with guinea pigs and confident with handling them, it can be treated by using an antifungal shampoo and anti-fungal cream, both of which can be obtained from your local chemist. The affected guinea pigs need to be shampooed every four days for 2-3 weeks (leave the shampoo on for 5 minutes before rinsing off, keeping the guinea pig wrapped in a warm towel whilst waiting), and the cream applied to the affected patches of skin twice daily. The cage would need to be kept very clean too, washing it with dilute bleach to make sure that there are no fungal spores left lying around.
If you do shampoo your guinea pig, make sure that no water or shampoo goes into the eyes or ears, rinse thoroughly and dry off well in a warm towel, using a hairdrier on a low setting to make sure the guinea pig is properly dry before you put him back outside again.
Greasy or smelly patch on the rump in males Male guinea pigs can often have a very active scent gland on their rumps, just above where their tales would have been. In some cases, the scent gland becomes over-active and releases such quantities of oil secretions that the fur around the area becomes matted, and if not trimmed back the skin underneath becomes sore and red due to a fungal and/or bacterial infection setting in. Once the fur is cut away and air allowed in to the area, this problem often resolves itself, but you may need to wash the area in warm water and shampoo to remove the oily deposits. The photos below illustrate this problem.
Dental Issues - Although malocclusion/dental disease in guinea pigs is not that common, when it does occur it usually has devastating and often fatal consequences. The commonest form is where the front incisors do not meet properly and therefore grow out of control. If the teeth are not filed down correctly on a very regular basis by a vet, the guinea pig will literally starve to death. The back teeth can also cause problems if they overgrow and form a bridge across the tongue, preventing the guinea pig from eating. The back teeth can be trimmed back by a vet, but often there is another reason why the teeth have grown like this and as a result the prognosis for survival is not good.
A condition that can occur at the same time or separate from dental issues is arthritis of the jaw. As a result of pain in the jaw, the guinea pig does not eat properly and the teeth overgrow, causing a cycle that can only be resolved by veterinary intervention. In one case that I know of personally, the vet administered a long acting injection of Vore 14 (0.15ml subcutaneous injection), which is a long acting corticosteroid. This treatment is extremely effective, and does not need to be repeated until symptoms start appearing again (loss of weight, inability to eat properly).
Barbering (chewing another guinea pigs fur) - This is a relatively rare behaviour but it can be a real problem if it starts. The problem often appears out of the blue, and suddenly you are aware that one guinea pig is systematically eating the fur of his or her companions, effectively giving them a short back and sides! Some guinea pigs on the receiving end will not stand for this and will chase the barberer away, but others seem to tolerate it, although something needs to be done if the fur chewing starts to get down to the skin. There is no fixed cure as far as I am aware, but the following could be tried: have both individuals (or all if there are more than 2) thoroughly checked over by a vet to rule out mites and ringworm; smear a tiny amount of vic vapour rub or olbas oil or similar onto the rump of the one that is being chewed every few days; hang up some salt/mineral blocks around the cage in positions where the piggies usually sit; provide a new source of hay, and make sure it is of really good quality; source some apple branches and make sure there is always one available in the cage with bark on; provide some new tunnels, wicker balls and other objects that will provide some stimulation and entertainment.
Change in behaviour - I am often asked to give advice in situations where a guinea pig has suddenly become aggressive for no obvious reason, and has showed no sign of the behaviour before. The following is the advice I gave to someone recently who contacted me about this problem, where one of their female guinea pigs had suddenly started attacking the other one, as well as biting her owner:
It is very rare for a guinea pig to start biting like that or change in behaviour towards other piggies without a very good reason. The first thing to rule out is mites. Mites are extremely common and can make guinea pigs very cross, and as their skin becomes tender they often bite when handled, but as both guinea pigs had their ivomec injections when they arrived here that would seem unlikely although not impossible. The second possible reason is pain of some kind, and this could be caused by a tumble or some other minor accident. A guinea pig so young is unlikely to be suffering from arthritis, which is a consideration with older guinea pigs. Is there a discharge from the back end of either pig? This may indicate that one of them has a uterine infection or is in breeding condition, which can upset the other pig but can also upset the pig that is feeling “fruity” so much so that she would become moody. Otherwise we need to be looking at some kind of behavioural issue, such as a change in the hierarchy for some reason. The onset of breeding condition could well cause a change in the dynamics, and we get the same issues in rabbits in February as the days are becoming longer and this triggers all sorts of behaviours that we don't see normally (even although all our rabbits are neutered as they still respond to the lengthening days).Once you have checked both of them thoroughly to make sure there is nothing obviously wrong (I am happy to do that for you), then I think we need to consider putting a bit of Vic vapour rub or Olbas oil on the rump of each pig as this works very well in such situations and often stops one pig picking on another as they can't smell each properly. A very small amount is applied daily for a few days to see if it helps. As to the biting when held, is she handled lots or only now and again? Has she learnt that if she nips she is put straight back down again? I always "listen" to a guinea pig if it starts nibbling on my coat or whatever, but not if it does it shortly after being picked up. Some guinea pigs just don't like being held very much, so if she is being picked up a lot, this may be the cause so it would be best to cut back on the frequency. Is the biting severe, or just little warning nips? (I know even a warning nip can give you a fright so I am not condoning the behaviour).
Give the above some thought and let me know if you want me to check them over for you. This is more than likely a passing phase and will sort itself out, and as long as neither pig is getting hurt badly i.e. no broken skin, split ears etc. then it is something that can happen without being too much of a significant problem. Sometimes having two little "houses" (plastic or otherwise) within the hutch can resolve some issues, and this is what I do with some males that decide they would rather not be sat next to someone else all the time!
