Guniea Pig Care Help?
Can someone please give me some quick pointers to care for a gunea pig as this will be my first guinea pig
i will just mention i can care for an animal as i have 2 dogs and a cat at the moment and they are all doing great
i will also mention that i realize it is better for the guniea pig if i have 2 but i can only get one at the moment so what would be the best way to keep one by itself happy?
i want to keep it in my room so it is away from the dogs and i thinik it could be best to keep it in a big fish tank in my room as i do have the cat indoors but i keep my bedroom door shut all the time so my cat doesn’t come in…i only want to keep it in a fish tank for the day that my cat COULD come in my room….i DO plan to lock up the dogs once a day so the guinea pig can have a bit of a run around the back yard without worrying about the dogs
so what other ways could i care for the guinea pig?
food, bedding, smell, etc.
would the above ideas i have planned work or could i make them work?tks
4 Responses
discosaur
23 Feb 2010
Kim L
23 Feb 2010
Do NOT use wood chipped bedding. Keep on recycled or something like carefresh or soft-sorbant. Soft is better because it has natural smells like lavender. Use Vit C drops in its water 24/7. Don’t forget it because Vit C is very important to their survival seeing as they can’t hold or produce it themselves. Use pelleted food that has timothy hay and vit c in it such as nutraphase or Timothy complete(thats what i use for my old pig and now my chinchillas). Also, always have a handfull or two of timothy hay for a good fiber source for….pooing. They love hay so that is going to be,to them, their number one source of food. Also they love veggies such as kale, carrots, green bell peppers, and fruits like apple, grape, melon, and oranges(duhh). Make sure you have a cage long enough for running because they do a thing called ‘pop corning’ where they jump in happiness. Also, DON’T put them in your backyard because of some pesticides can get into their system and cause damage or death. Instead, go to walmart or somewhere and get a kiddy plastic pool for like…..$7-$10. They love this to run in and sometimes add a small amount of water and critter shampoo and they run and bathe. Good luck!!!Anymore help email me at ka_razy49@yahoo.com.
♥ρ я g♥ (
23 Feb 2010
As your Guinea pig is a small rodent, keep it indoors with a secure cage. Place a deep tray below your cage to collect the hay / bedding strewn about by your pet’s burrowing. You need to clean its cage and change its bedding weekly. Cleanliness is preventive medicine against diseases. Divide your Guinea pig’s house into quarters for eating, sleeping and playing. This makes its house tidy.
Commercial Guinea pig food pellets are available. You need to supplement with fresh fruits, hay and water. Place fresh food in a separate container and discard these daily to avoid feeding your pet decayed food. Some people think that Guinea pigs are disgusting because they eat their own feces. Actually, their feces are re-ingested to digest them again. All rodents need chewing toys and your Guinea pig is no exception.
Groom your Guinea pig weekly just before its bath. A long hair coat need regular trimming. As with all pets, clean its body and clip its nails. Once a Guinea pig is accustomed to grooming and handling, it is calm and co-operative.
As Guinea pigs are gentle rodents, they are prone to shock and dehydration. Take care of your pet well. Abnormalities that signal illness include runny nose and eyes, loss of appetite, excessive salivating, diarrhea and skin disease. Small animals are expensive to treat so it is best to bring your pet to the
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Vee
23 Feb 2010
I wouldn’t advise keeping your guinea pig in a fish tank. The cage will require good ventilation, so I’d suggest going out and buying a guinea pig or rabbit cage. If you don’t want to spend all that money, you can build your own cage out of metal organizing shelves that have 1" by 1" squares. You can fasten the squares together with potting wire or metal rings. Then you would need to purchase a bottom for the cage. We used an "under-the-bed" style plastic container. Do not use wood shavings. We use Yesterdays News, which is made of recycled paper that is pressed into pellets. You can buy it in bulk for about $15 at PetSmart in the kitty litter section. They do, however, sell it in the rodent section, but it’s alot cheaper to buy the kittty litter section since it’s the same thing. Do make sure that you add vitamin C drops to your guinea pigs water, as they can get scurvy if not enough is given to them. You’ll also need hay for your pig, Timothy hay is the best for them though. Other things for pig care would be are a hiding box or house, a water bottle, a basic ceramic food bowl, guinea pig food that does not contain peanuts, sunflower seeds, or other seeds in the shell as they can die from choking. Chewing items should be provided to keep their teeth short, fresh fruit and vegetables such as oranges, apples, strawberries, bananas, kiwis, melons, grapes, and carrots should be provided. Though, rhubarb is poisonous, as are germinating potatoes, and uncooked beans. Stay away from celery and dairy products also. I wouldn’t let your guinea pig openly run around the yard. A small animal play pen would be the best, though do makes sure the yard hasn’t been sprayed with any chemicals. If you need you, an old blanket can be placed under the pen to ensure that the pig isn’t coming in contact with the grass. Guinea pigs love to play. Boxes and tubes with hidden treats inside and obstical courses are great ways to keep your guinea pig entertained.
Guinea pigs can’t be kept in fish tanks. Even the biggest tanks they sell at pet stores don’t provide enough space for a pig, and the ventilation won’t be enough. Guinea pigs eat and drink a lot, and consequently they produce a lot of waste. They need lots of fresh air, which a tank doesn’t provide.
A good homemade guinea pig cage can be made with shelving grids ("cubes") that snap together. It’s cheaper and bigger than any of the cages they sell in pet stores. Make sure your cage is big enough or the guinea pig won’t be happy! He needs enough room for toys and room to run around. For one guinea pig, you’re going to want a cage that’s about 8 square feet. Here’s a good website about that type of cage: http://www.guineapigcages.com
For very good info about diet and care, check out http://www.cavyspirit.com and http://www.guinealynx.com.
The basics of a guinea pig’s diet will be timothy hay, fresh vegetables, and a limited amount of high-quality timothy pellets, like Oxbow. A guinea pig will need an unlimited amount of hay, about 1-2 cups of vegetables, and about 1/8 of a cup of pellets each day.
If you want a pet that you CAN keep in a fish tank, have you considered a hamster? Also, a guinea pig won’t be very happy alone, but a hamster will. One Syrian hamster will be perfectly happy in a 10 gallon fish tank with a mesh lid, and they make just as good a pet as a guinea pig does!