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Guinea pigs are rodents that are closely related to porcupines and chinchillas. In the wild, they originate from the Andes Mountains in South America. They are very social animals that live in large groups in the wild.

There are eleven different varieties of guinea pigs, but only the Peruvian, the English, and the Abyssinian are commonly sold as pets. The Peruvian are longhaired, the English are shorthaired, and the Abyssinians have short, rough, whorled hair coats. Guinea pigs have become very popular as pets due to their easy availability and good temperaments.

Guinea pigs cannot make vitamin C within their own bodies, so they must obtain it through their diet. Every day you should feed your guinea pig a fresh, high quality pelleted guinea pig food that contains vitamin C.

To keep the food fresh, you can store the unused portion in the freezer. However, even when the food is stored properly, half of the vitamin C is lost within the first six weeks after opening the bag. Owners should therefore supplement the guinea pigs diet with 200 mg of vitamin C per one quart of water.

Make up fresh water/vitamin C solution daily as the vitamin C does break down quickly. You can also add Tang or orange juice to the water to make it taste better. Guinea pigs also can eat fresh greens, alfalfa hay and small amounts of fruits and vegetables, but these should make up no more than 10%-15% of their total daily diet. Guinea pigs do not tolerate changes in food or water.

Any new taste, texture or odor may cause them to stop eating, so any needed food changes should be done very gradually. Ceramic food dishes should be used as they are less likely to be tipped over, lessening the chance of contamination from urine or feces. A water bottle with a sipper tube should be used to provide water and as mentioned before, should be changed and also cleaned daily.

Guinea pigs may be housed in a stainless steel, plastic or glass cage. Wire cages are not a good choice as guinea pigs small legs can become caught between the wires leading to possible infections and/or fractures. The top of the enclosure can be left open if the sides are at least 10 inches high.

A “hide box” should be provided so your guinea pig has a place to escape to when frightened. Cage lining should be clean, non-toxic, dust-free, and absorbent. Shredded butchers paper or newspaper works well. Whatever lining material you use, it should be cleaned at least every 2-3 days.

While guinea pigs do not receive annual vaccines like dogs and cats do, they will benefit from regular veterinary care. Some of the more common health problems seen in guinea pigs are:

• Vitamin C deficiency - The clinical signs include loss of appetite, swollen, painful joints, reluctance to move and bleeding of the gums.
  
  
• Malocclusion (back teeth don’t meet properly) - The clinical signs include tongue being trapped by the teeth, interested in food but physically can’t eat, weight loss, and drooling.
  
  
• Heat stroke - Most commonly caused by environmental temperatures over 85 degrees, inadequate shade or ventilation, humidity over 70%, and/or too many animals in one cage. Heat stroke can effect any guinea pig but those most susceptible are overweight or heavily furred pets. Signs include panting, slobbering, weakness, refusal to move, delirium, and convulsions.

In addition to the above signs, other things to watch out for are nose, eye, or ear discharge, diarrhea, labored or rapid breathing, incoordination, sores or lumps, a decreased appetite or activity level, weight loss, and hair loss. If you observe any of these signs in your guinea pig, he/she should have a veterinary examination as soon as possible.

Never try to medicate your guinea pig yourself with leftover human or veterinary products. Guinea pigs are very sensitive to many antibiotics and improper use of these medications could result in the death of your pet. In addition, it is recommended that you take your guinea pig to the veterinarian for an examination each year. This will help to ensure that your pet will live a healthy normal life span of 4-5 years.

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