Link: http://www.cavyspirit.com/care.htm
- Cage Size Too Small
- Male Guinea Pigs will Fight
- No Hay or Hay as a Treat ONLY or Wrong Hay
- Not Keeping Nails Trimmed
- Vitamin Drops in the Water
- Giant Exercise Balls and Wheels (Guinea Pigs are not rats!)
- Same old food, day in day out
- If I get two guinea pigs, they won't bond with me!
- Buying a Pig in Pet Store
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If your guinea pig hasn't had any babies before she reaches a year old, you should definitely not breed her thereafter. The reason for this is that as she gets older her pelvic bones fuse together and become less pliable which means that she may have trouble getting her babies out when the time comes. Not only will the babies die, but it will also mean a painful death for the mother as well.
Hope this helps and give your piggy a kiss for me!
Emily
It sounds like you love your piggy very much and are trying to make sure she has everything she needs :)
Some advice about her diet would be to make sure that you feed her hay and pellets that are made especially for guinea pigs and not the kind of mix that is mainly filled with seeds and molasses which is more like junk food for your piggy and can make her overweight. In addition to the hay and pellets, a variety of fresh vegetables (especially leafy greens) and some fruits should be offered daily. Leafy greens should make up the bulk of the vegetable supplementation, and fruits and other vegetable can be offered in small quantities. Avoid iceberg (head lettuce) as it has very little nutritional value. Good choices include kale, spinach, turnip greens, parsley, romaine lettuce, and dandelion greens. Avoid or limit cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, bok choy and other cruciferous vegetables as they can lead to gas production in the digestive tract. Also avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes. Carrots, carrot tops, green and red bell peppers, apple, apricots, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapes, oranges, strawberries, and tomatoes can also be fed.
If you feed a good selection of vegetables high in vitamin C along with a good, fresh guinea pig pellet, you can probably meet the vitamin C needs of the average guinea pig.
In regards to the white crusty stuff on her ear, it could be fungus or ear mites but the only way to be sure is to see a vet. The behavioural symptoms of parasitic infestation are frantic scratching of the ear and head shaking. Upon examination of the ear there is either too much wax in it, which of course attracts the parasites, or the skin is very dry and scurfy. If it is not treated the parasites quickly extend their territory to the other ear. She will need medication from the vet.
If she is biting you, first make sure you are handling her correctly and not doing things she may find annoying; be gentle If she is not feeling well, she may also nip. Some guinea pigs simply do not like to be picked up.
Good Luck!
Guinea pigs have lot of special needs.
Congratulations on your new piggy family members!
The article above lists things that people do or think that are not true about guinea pigs. One of the thoughts that are not true is that if you get two guinea pigs they won't bond with you. Your guinea pigs will bond with you regardless of how many you have as long as you are gentle and kind to them and give them what they require for a comfortable life :)
Good luck!
i'm getting a boy and a girl so that they can have a litter together then one male pup is going to live with the dad in one cage and one female pup is going to live with her mum in a seperate cage, but i'm not sure how the best way to introduce the male and female guinea pigs to each other so they don't fight, do you have any tips? i also have no idea what to call them do you know any nice names thanks alot!
lucy.
Just a couple of questions. What if you have more than one girl and more than one boy, or if they are all girls or all boys? Are you going to keep them and look after them all? If not where are you going to take them? There are a lot of things to consider when you choose to have your guinea pigs breed. It is recommended you read the following article which will make you aware of these things and help you make an informed choice: http://www.cavyspirit.com/breeding.htm