Care of Guinea Pigs

Although colony or harem breeding arrangements are often successful, strange males placed together, especially in crowded conditions or in the presence of a female, will fight. Older animals frequently chew on the ears and hair of young or subordinate animals.

HOUSING

Guinea pigs may be housed in colony pens on the floor, in tired bins, or in large "shoe box" cages. Young and breeder animals will occasionally climb out of the bins. Cages may be plastic, metal, or wire, but if guinea pigs not raised on wire are placed on wire, limbs are often broken. Some guinea pig breeders prefer the square mesh, but others recommended a rectangular 1,3 by 3.8 cm (0.5 by 1.5 in) mesh. Open bins should nave sides 25 cm (10 in) high, and covered cages should have sides 17.5 cm (7 in) high. Breeding animals should be provided with at least 625 cm² (101²in) of floor space per animal.

Bedding of wood shavings, shredded paper, or other plant origin material may be used; however, wood shavings and cacuminal gland secretions can form a hard wad of material which irritates the prepuce.

Guinea pigs housed at temperatures between 18° and 29° C (65° to 85° F) with the median ambient temperature at 24°± 1° C (75°± 2° F). High ambient temperatures without adequate air flow predispose to heat stress; low temperatures and wet bedding predispose to pneumonia. The environmental humidity should be between 30% and 70% saturation.

Outdoor Housing

Guinea pigs can be housed outdoors at temperatures bellow 18° C or above 29° C, susceptibility to disease increases and production decrease. The young, particularly those on wire, are susceptible to cold stress.

FEEDING AND WATERING

Guinea pigs are notorious at chewing on and otherwise blocking sipper-tube waterers. They mix dry feed and water in their mouths and pass the slurry into the sipper tube, thereby blocking the tube. Guinea pigs suck from sipper tubes while rats lap; if the large, open-ended rat tube is used with guinea pigs, water crocks, feeders and waterers should be suspended above the bedding.

Guinea pigs, which are fastidious eaters and may refuse to eat or drink if the consistency or taste of the feed or water or the feeding or watering devices are changed, should receive a freshly milled and properly stored pelleted, complete guinea pigs chow. Whether this feed should be supplemented with hay or fresh greens is a matter of debate. Adult guinea pigs will consume approximately 5 gm body weight daily; these amounts, however, vary with ambient temperature, breeding status, food and water wastage, and humidity. Guinea pig chows contain approximately 18% crude protein and 16% crude fiber.

Guinea pigs require dietary ascorbic acid at approximately 10 mg/kg body weight per day for maintenance and 30 mg/kg body weight per day for pregnancy. If ascorbic acid is not supplied in the feed, vitamin C may be added to the water (200 mg/L) or each guinea pig may be fed approximately 50 gm (one handful) of fresh cabbage daily. In water in an open crock the activity of vitamin C in solution decreases as much as 50% in a 24-hours period.

GUINEA PIG SYNDROMES

Common clinical syndromes in the guinea pig include bite wounds, cervical abscesses, pregnancy associated alopecia, malocclusion, anorexia, pneumonia, abortion, torticollis, scorbutus, weight loss, and sudden death.

Guinea pigs, if gently handled, make excellent pets. They rarely bite or scratch but do scatter feed and bedding. Guinea pigs seldom climb or jump out of open pens. They respond favorably to frequent handling and become conditioned to squeal before reward situation.

The breeding life of a laboratory housed guinea pig is from 18 months to 4 years, and they have been known to live 9 years; however, they rarely survive in the home more that 3 years and their litter size is reduced to 1 or 2 per litter by 2 years of age.

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