Guinea pigs are rodents like rats, and they are rats anyway, so most people in the breeding of guinea pigs will choose the Buddhist breeding method. But can guinea pigs really be bred carelessly like this? The answer, of course, is no, we also need to be very careful in raising guinea pigs, otherwise it is very difficult to raise a guinea pig well. Today we will talk about the breeding, nutrition and disease of guinea pigs, so that everyone can have a correct understanding of raising guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs are actually an ideal pet suitable for children, because guinea pigs are easy to deal with, basically do not appear to bite, when guinea pigs find their owners close to them, they will make a squeaky welcome sound. If guinea pigs live well and eat well in feeding, they rarely get sick, but once guinea pigs get sick, they quickly deteriorate. Therefore, we must learn the relevant knowledge before raising guinea pigs to recognize the signs of poor health of guinea pigs and deal with them in time, because once some diseases worsen, they will endanger the lives of guinea pigs.
<h1>What we need to know about guinea pigs</h1>
Lifespan of guinea pigs: up to 8 years, but usually 4-5 years.
Normal body temperature of guinea pigs: 38.3 ° -40 ° C
Weight of guinea pigs: birth weight 75-100 g, adult average weight of 1 kg (1000 g).
Sexual maturation of guinea pigs: 4-6 weeks of age (suitable for both male and female).
Weaning age of guinea pigs: 3 weeks.
Gestation period of guinea pigs: 59-72 days (varies according to the number of litters).
<h1>The basics you need to know before raising guinea pigs</h1>
Guinea pigs are actually social animals that like to be kept together. Female guinea pigs will live together; two male guinea pigs will also live together, but when there are no female guinea pigs around – the smell of neighboring female guinea pigs may trigger a fight between male guinea pigs. Heterosexual couples usually do not live together unless it is for the purpose of reproducing offspring, or male guinea pigs are neutered. In any group of guinea pigs, the phenomenon of "fighting mouths" can occasionally occur – often by providing additional tunnels or shelters, multiple food sources, and temporary hay for food and digging.
When raising guinea pigs, it is extremely unwise to keep guinea pigs and rabbits together (many people keep guinea pigs and rabbits together). Even the best-tempered rabbit will kick and injure the guinea pig's ribs with its powerful hind legs. Rabbits may also be subclinical carriers of bronchodilosis in guinea pigs, and the most critical problem is that the nutritional needs of these two species are also different, so guinea pigs and rabbits must not be raised together, or even fed the same food.
The most common way to raise guinea pigs is to keep them in cages, but we need to know that when the weather is right (summer) – to give guinea pigs the opportunity to move outdoors. We can choose to get a big fence in the yard to trap the guinea pigs, so that we are not afraid of guinea pigs escaping. If it's in the city, we can use a large fish tank on the balcony, which is covered with cotton balls, sand and soil, so that guinea pigs can move freely inside.
The cage where guinea pigs are kept should be covered with newspaper, which can be covered with cotton balls, and wood chips should not be used, as wood chips may enter the eyes of guinea pigs and cause ulcers. We should also lay enough good quality hay in guinea pig cages (guinea pigs will nibble on hay and dig holes in haystacks). Because guinea pigs prefer fresh food with rich water content, guinea pigs will produce a lot of urine, so the cage of the guinea pig should be cleaned regularly, and special care should be taken in the winter to prevent ice formation in the place where the guinea pig diaper wet, because this will lead to hypothermia and sudden death in guinea pigs. In the summer, the guinea pig's cage should be placed in a cool place, not exposed to direct sunlight, because guinea pigs are also prone to heat stroke.
<h1>Basic diet of guinea pigs</h1>
Guinea pigs are very fond of eating (nibbling), the basic food is hay, and a special dry mixture (commercial feed) can also be used, as well as unlimited grass, wild plants and fresh vegetables. Guinea pigs are able to consume a lot of fresh food while rarely experiencing indigestion. We can use high-quality hay, guinea pig feed, root vegetables (carrots or beetroot), green food (cultivated plants), grass and fresh fresh water (drinking water using a drinking fountain for guinea pigs).
The most important principle for giving guinea pigs nutrition is that guinea pigs also need to supplement with vitamin C every day, because guinea pigs cannot synthesize vitamin C. Subclinical vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs may be a trigger for many other guinea pig diseases, and vitamin C is one of the most important factors for the recovery of any sick guinea pig. In general, guinea pigs can meet the needs of vitamin C intake if they have a balanced fresh diet, including vegetables such as carrots. Many guinea pig feeds contain vitamin C, but over time, the vitamin content in any guinea pig feed will decrease, which is important and we must be aware. Normally, adult guinea pigs require 10 mg/kg of vitamin C, and guinea pigs increase their vitamin C requirements to 30 mg/kg during pregnancy or illness.
If guinea pigs develop anorexia then we should pay attention to it, which is a very urgent situation, because guinea pigs (especially obese guinea pigs) will also develop fatty liver like cats because they stop eating (more than 24 hours), so some serious guinea pigs will also have toxicemia. Once guinea pigs develop anorexia, we need to give nutritional support to guinea pigs immediately. Diagnosis of the disease is carried out after the guinea pig's nutrition is given.
<h1>Signs of guinea pig health</h1>
It is important to recognize the physical symptoms of guinea pigs so that any problems can be detected as early as possible and treated in a timely manner.
Guinea pig fur: Guinea pig fur should be clean and shiny. Separating the guinea pig's fur makes it possible to look for any scratches or scabs that may be signs of early scabies, but these scratches, along with the scabs, are often considered by their owners to be "fighting" traumas between guinea pigs. Lice and hair mites moving on the fur of guinea pigs we can observe with the naked eye. Any hair removal in guinea pigs should be investigated, but keep in mind that guinea pigs have a hairless area behind their ears, which is normal. Guinea pigs have a fat gland on their butt, which is more pronounced in males, and this fat gland produces a lot of black oil.
Guinea pig teeth: Guinea pigs have two upper incisors and two lower incisors, they are open roots and will grow all the time. The guinea pig's upper and lower incisors should be at a level – if the guinea pig's teeth are shifted, this may indicate that the guinea pig's bite is not correct.
Guinea pig eyes: Guinea pig eyes should be bright and clear. The guinea pig's cloudy cornea may indicate an ulcer that requires treatment.
Guinea pig's foot: Guinea pigs have a blood vessel in the center of each toenail, and if the guinea pig's nails are cut too short, it will cause bleeding. Many guinea pigs also grow corns (an increase in the amount of matter from the mats), which we can leave alone.
<h1>How to care for a sick guinea pig? </h1>
A sick guinea pig needs to be fed every 2-4 hours, feeding the guinea pig is very beneficial so that the guinea pig can get the best chance of recovery. Guinea pigs rarely get sick, but when guinea pigs get sick, the disease quickly worsens. As the first principle of caring for sick guinea pigs – we should keep sick guinea pigs in cages and warm them with heating pads if necessary. If guinea pigs develop anorexia, they must be forced to feed with a syringe (once per hour) regularly, using a highly nutritious mixture. We also need to inject guinea pigs with vitamin C.
Finally, keep in mind that the more treatment and stimulation guinea pigs receive, the more intensely they will respond to treatment.