Please tell me everything you know about guinea pigs ?

Question

Please tell me everything you know about guinea pigs ?

Answer 1

Do some research:

http://www.petinfopackets.com/guineapigs...

http://www.guinealynx.com/

http://www.cavyspirit.com/

http://www.guineapigcages.com/

http://cavymadness.com/

http://guineapigs.info/

Answer 2

Wow...that is a loaded question...lol!

Here are some great sites with tons of info:

http://www.guinealynx.info/index.html

http://www.cavyspirit.com/

http://www.guineapigcages.com/

Answer 3

I'll help you! hehe. I'm happy you chose to get a guinea pig! They are really great!

So as far as where to get them, if you want you can message me the place you live (don't post it, then an internet predator or whatever might see it) and I'll find your local shelter or a breeder. I don't trust pet stores. Or you can just look it up yourself. Go on google and type in "your city name" animal shelters or animal rescue

So my basic guide to guinea pigs:::::

Food)                 Guinea pigs need unlimited timothy hay. They also need unlimited food pellets with the first ingredient being timothy hay. A lot have the main ingredient as alfalfa, but alfalfa is too high in calcium. I'd reccomend the Kaytee stuff if you can't get oxbow, which is the best. But it has to be shipped, so it's harder to get.

Vitamin C)                      They don't make it so you have to give it to them some way. Kaytee food has it in it, so it's not as much of a worry, but you should give them fresh veggies so they get some of it fresh. Good fresh foods are romaine lettuce, parsley, mustard greens, carrots, bell peppers, and other stuff. Bad things are iceburg lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, and any dairy or meat. There is more to add to both lists, but that's just some simple stuff. They can eat almost all leftover veggie scraps, like the leaves you don't eat on carrots, corn, broccili, and celery. With celery make sure to chop it really small because it's stringy.

Cage)                I say c&c cages are the best. One guinea pig should have 7.5 square feet of space. Go to http://www.guineapigcages.com and it will tell you how to order of build a cage.

Friend)             Another guinea pig is not required, but reccomended. I'm guessing you're about my age, so you'll be needing to go to school every day. It will get pretty boring for your guinea pig. And if you get two both will probably be more active. That's more fun! So you don't need 2, but it's not much harder then one and will make them happier.

O yea. Just make sure they're the same s*x. Make sure the person sexes them with you watching, so you know they know.

Bedding)               You have some options. You can use wood ships, but make sure you get ones that are safe for guinea pigs. If you do I would say spot clean as often as possible by switching out their 'special corner' and then giving a full cage clean once or twice a week. Same if you use Carefresh. Tho other option is using fleece with towels or puppy pads under it. To clean this vaccuum the poops off the top and then throwing the whole thing in the washing machine. I use fleece because it seems soft for their feet. Carefresh is most expensive but makes it smell best. If they like a corner more then anywhere else, try putting a litter pan in that corner. They might become potty trained!

Water)          simple. Make sure they have enough fresh water at all times.

Hidey Home)            Each guinea pig needs a home to hide in so it will feel security.

Toys)               They like simple stuff like paper towel rolls, cardboard boxes, and paper bags. They really like running through those soda packs. And a lot of them like those hanging bell toys. Some ferret, rabbit, and cat toys are good too. Just make sure your guinea pig can't eat through it or there are no small parts.

Grooming)              They should be brushed about weekly, more if they're long haired and they need hair cuts if they have long hair. They need to get their nails trimmed about once a month. http://www.guinealynx.com has a good guide for nails. Also bathe them about twice a year, more if they get really dirty. Have some warm water in jugs. But your guinea pig in a sink or bowl it can't jump out of. pour the water over it, not on it's head and face though. Put small pet or possibly baby shampoo on it and lather up! But still not on the face. Now rinse with more of your warm water. Use towels to gently dry it off, then keep your baby in a warm-ish place until the water is all dry on it!

So I hope this helps! And you should know that you can ask me anything else you want to know!

Answer 4

-keep them in a warm room

- keep away from direct sunligh

-they do get sick easyily

-they cant get colds

-they are grazers

-pellit diet ONLY seeds can make them ill

-no ice lettice, tomatoes potatoe leaves

- some greens

-can dehydrate easily

-lives 4-6 years

-may need a cage mate

-a hunt for a bed

-chew toys are needed

Answer 5

WOW, i can't post everything you need to know here, but i can tell you some things, and some good sources are www.guineapiglynx.com and cavy cages.com. A good book is actually Your guinea pig, it is for kids, but it has a lot of health info and so on.

here are some basic things:

Food, there are lots of differant brands of guinea pig food. Some are really expensive, some will give them a tummyache. I recemed Kaytee supreme (any kaytee is good) or small world Guinea pig. They are both healthy and fairly inexpensive.

Bedding. There are lots of different beddings you can use, but i would use wood pellets. Wood chips get soiled too fast, recycled paper is GREAT, but expensive, peat moss is cheap, and comfy, and they love it, but they will roll in it and get very dirty. I tried Fleece bedding, but they pooped on it of course, then trampled the p**p and it stuck all over their coat.

Handling: They are very shy animals, they need to be handled often, but gently. They love mazes, grazing and running outsideo n the lawn, and just being cuddled. You should hold them everyday.

For more info, email me at [e-mail].

Congrats on choosing a guinea pig.

Answer 6

Did you know?



Guinea pig body info

bullet Body temperature is 99 - 103°F

bullet Heart rate is 240-350 beats per minute

bullet Respiratory rate is 40-150 breaths per minute

bullet An average adult male weights 900-1200 grams or roughly 2 - 2.5 pounds

bullet An average adult female weighs 700 - 900 grams or roughly 1.5 - 2 pounds

bullet Life span is 4 - 8 years

bullet Guinea pig's teeth are open-rooted, that is they continue to grow

bullet Guinea pigs are strict herbivores.



Common Cavy Mistakes and Misconceptions





While this is not intended to be a care list, we would like to share some of the common mistakes, misconceptions, and lack of information people have about cavy care and cavy management.

#1  Cage Size Too Small

This is the most common problem we see at our rescue. Please see Guinea Pig Cages for lots of great cage info and proper size requirements.

#2  Male Guinea Pigs will Fight

Wrong. It depends on the personalities of the guinea pigs. Many, many males live together in pairs or trios and are quite happy with no fights. Some sows will not get along and cannot be housed together. It all depends on the individual guinea pigs.

#3  No Hay or Hay as a Treat ONLY or Wrong Hay

Not giving guinea pigs unlimited Timothy Hay around the clock is a big mistake. Many people don't seem to know that guinea pigs NEED hay. Many people buy the hay they find at the pet store, the most commonly found packaged hay is Alfalfa hay. Many people buy Alfalfa hay because that is what the pet store people told them to buy. Alfalfa hay should only be given to pregnant mothers and growing babies. Alfalfa hay has too much calcium and other nutrients which can cause bladder stones in guinea pigs. Timothy hay helps their digestive system and is the best way to help keep their molars ground down and healthy.

#4  Not Keeping Nails Trimmed

This is a common problem. Guinea pig nails need to be trimmed about once every 4-6 weeks. They can curl and grow back into the pad causing pain and infections. It's very easy to do on your own. See this Guinea Lynx page for more info.

#5  Vitamin Drops in the Water

    DO NOT USE the vitamin drops in the water!

    The only supplement a healthy cavy needs is Vitamin C. The vitamin drops that you buy at the pet store contain additional vitamins and minerals which can potentially be toxic to them.  

    Vitamin C deteriorates rapidly in WATER and in LIGHT.

    Cavies drink varying amounts of water. There is no way to know how much Vitamin C your cavy is actually getting.

    Adult cavies need 30-50 mg per day of C. The drops make the water taste bad, thereby discouraging many cavies from drinking water---not good!

    Suggested Vitamin C supplementing:

    Your healthy cavy shouldn't need additional Vitamin C supplements IF your cavy is getting proper fresh greens and some fruits and high quality, fresh guinea pig pellets on a daily basis. You should not give your cavy a diet high in fruits to ensure they get adequate vitamin C.

    To supplement, get the chewable 'Vitamin C only' tablets for adults or children. To ensure proper dosage, divide up the tablet and then crush it, or crush it and then divide it up. If you have a 500 mg tablet, then one cavy needs 1/10 of that daily. It's best to divide it up into two doses, one in the morning, one in the evening. You can mix the powder or chunks in with their pellets or sprinkle it on their veggies. An easy way to crush a tablet is between two tablespoons.

    You can also dose the C directly, especially if you have a sick or needy cavy. Purchase some liquid vitamin C from a health food or drug store. We use a flavored GNC brand and the piggies like it. It says one teaspoon equals 5 ml and that is 500 mg of C. So we divide 500/5 and we get 100 mg in 1 ml. So, for a 50 mg dose (divided in 2--am and pm), we give .25 ml in the morning and .25 ml in the evening. Of course you need a little syringe to do this--also available at a drug store or vet. (1 ml = 1 cc) If you have a very sick or pregnant cavy, you can double the dose.

#6  Giant Exercise Balls and Wheels

Wrong. These are big health hazards to your guinea pig. They can cause spinal injuries and foot and ankle injuries leading to very difficult, life threatening problems. DO NOT USE these products.

#7  Same old food, day in day out

Guinea pigs like and need a variety of fresh vegetables and some fruits, just like we do. Make sure you focus on high-quality greens and veggies which are high in vitamin C and low in calcium. See this Guinea Lynx page for more info.



#8  If I get two guinea pigs, they won't bond with me!

Guinea pigs are a social, herd animal and normally do much better, and are healthier and happier in pairs or trios. They will still bond with you. By having two, you give them a happier life when you are not around. The cost and care of two is not much more than one.

#99  Buying a Pig in Pet Store

Do you have any idea how many people come to our rescue with stories of unknowingly buying sick guinea pigs from pet stores only to have them die a week later? Quite a few. You should ALWAYS check the shelters and rescues first. For information, please see either the Adopting or the Surrendering page on finding a guinea pig to adopt.

HOPE THIS HELPS,

-Amanda