{"id":24,"date":"2015-11-02T11:33:46","date_gmt":"2015-11-02T16:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.familypetvetpractice.com\/blog\/?p=24"},"modified":"2015-11-02T15:00:03","modified_gmt":"2015-11-02T20:00:03","slug":"veterinary-care-for-guinea-pigs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.familypetvetpractice.com\/blog\/veterinary-care-for-guinea-pigs\/","title":{"rendered":"Veterinary Care for Guinea Pigs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cavy,<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

At Family Pet Veterinary Practice (FPVP), we have a special interest in seeing rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, rats, hamsters, and other rodents, as well as the odd ferret, hedgehog, or sugar glider.\u00a0 We know that big hearts and personalities can come in small packages, and the value of a pet should have nothing to do with purchase price!<\/p>\n

One of the more frequent \u201cexotic\u201d small mammal pets we see is the guinea pig, so we will focus our first blog post on this adorable animal.<\/p>\n

Guinea Pigs as Pets<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Guinea Pigs make good pets, and are a good first choice for teaching pet care to children.\u00a0 They are gentle and interactive, and easy to keep in the home. \u00a0They love to eat, and some will squeal and chatter excitedly before meals! \u00a0If scared, they tend to freeze or run for cover.\u00a0 If housed, fed, and cared for properly, they rarely get sick.\u00a0 Their life span averages 5-6 years, with some living to 8.<\/p>\n

Housing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We recommend using cages with a solid bottom (wire mesh can cause foot injuries).\u00a0 They do not need a top if the walls are 10\u201d tall or more, since they are unable to jump or climb very high.\u00a0 A guinea pig should have a minimum of 7.5 square feet of space, but the more room they have the happier and healthier they will be.\u00a0 Use the following link for more specifics and some great pictures of cage setups:\u00a0 \u00a0https:\/\/www.guineapigcages.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

The substrate of the cage can be either wood chips (although avoid oil-containing products like cedar and pine) or paper (store bought paper pellets, or shredded newspaper).\u00a0 Guinea pigs should have a shelter for privacy.\u00a0 These are commonly store-bought huts, igloos, or tubes. \u00a0Cardboard boxes can be used, but as the pigs chew on everything, these won’t last very long!<\/p>\n

The cage should be kept out of direct sun, indoors between 65 and 75 degrees.\u00a0 The area should have good ventilation but not be drafty.<\/p>\n

Diet<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A sipper bottle should be provided with clean fresh water, and changed daily.\u00a0 Guinea pigs should be fed a small amount of pelleted food (about 1 Tablespoon per guinea pig per day).\u00a0 They should be provided plenty of timothy hay (ad lib, or unlimited!). \u00a0The diet should be supplemented with a variety of vegetables.\u00a0 Guinea pigs require vitamin C in their diet, so make sure to offer items such as peppers, broccoli, and leafy greens such as kale, cabbage, chard, or spinach.<\/p>\n

Guinea Pig Veterinary Visits?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"guinea<\/p>\n

We recommend bringing in new pet guinea pigs for a physical exam. \u00a0We want to make sure your pig is healthy, and we can discuss husbandry to try to prevent potential problems.<\/p>\n

Guinea pigs also require regular nail trims.\u00a0 The nails on their front paws often curl, and need to be kept short to avoid becoming ingrown.\u00a0 Their teeth also grow throughout their lives (both the incisors you can see, and the molars in the back of the mouth that are hidden).\u00a0 Some guinea pigs don’t chew enough hard foods or items, or have crooked teeth, and need to have their teeth trimmed or filed down.<\/p>\n

If you have multiple guinea pigs, you may need us to spay or neuter them to prevent unwanted breeding. \u00a0If female guinea pigs don\u2019t have babies when young (6-9 months), the fusion of their hip bones will prevent them from giving birth without emergency C-section later in life.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

\u00a0Guinea Pig Problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Many guinea pigs will hide their illnesses for as long as they can.\u00a0 If there is a decrease in appetite, thirst, fecal pellets, activity, or vocalizations, you should schedule a veterinary visit so we can check things out right away.\u00a0 Some of the common things we\u2019ve seen are:<\/p>\n

Gastrointestinal Problems \u2013 Guinea pigs cannot vomit, but they do develop diarrhea.\u00a0 If they stop eating altogether, lethal toxins can form in their gut (ileus).<\/p>\n

Growths \u2013 Older guinea pigs may form cysts and skin tumors that can be surgically removed.<\/p>\n

Injuries \u2013 From fights with other guinea pigs, accidents in the cage or house, falls, etc.<\/p>\n

Parasites \u2013 We often see guinea pigs who have acquired lice or mites.\u00a0\u00a0 These cause itchy skin and fur loss.\u00a0\u00a0 Severe itch can also trigger seizures.<\/p>\n

Respiratory Infections \u2013 These cause wheezing, sneezing, and conjunctivitis.<\/p>\n

Urinary tract infections \u2013 These cause frequent urinations, pain, and bloody urine.\u00a0 Some guinea pigs also develop bladder stones.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  At Family Pet Veterinary Practice (FPVP), we have a special interest in seeing rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, rats, hamsters, and other rodents, as well as the odd ferret, hedgehog, or sugar glider.\u00a0 We know that big hearts and personalities can come in small packages, and the value of a pet should have nothing to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,1,10],"tags":[13,16,11,12,14,15],"class_list":["post-24","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exotic-pet-care","category-family-pet-vet-news","category-guinea-pigs","tag-cavy-vet","tag-chinchilla-vet","tag-guinea-pig-care","tag-guinea-pig-vet","tag-guinea-pig-veterinarian","tag-rabbit-vet"],"yoast_head":"\nVeterinary Care for Guinea Pigs | Family Pet Veterinary Practice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"guinea pig care, 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