General Guinea pig care:
Food:
We give them pellets by the brand Oxbow which makes their small animalfoods with mostly hay. Hay is the #1 thing in their diets and should be made available for them 24/7. Giving them enough vitamins and minerals through their daily intake of leafy greens is also important.
Grooming:
Bathing should be a rare thing for them as they are prone to getting sick when they are not at optimum temperatures. Trimming their nails when they get long is important because it can affect their whole body. Making sure their glands and buttocks are clean is important as they are prone to clogged glands as well.
Housing:
For their houses and toys, we try to find guinea pig safe wood like applewood or hard woods that do not shred easily. They like to chew a lot to keep their teeth from overgrowing (because their teeth are constantly growing like a beaver) so making sure that what they are chewing on is safe is key to their health as well. We like to give them floor time as well, which is when we let them roam around a room to let them explore and have some time outside of their known areas. Giving them a chance to explore an d use their senses is a great way of keeping them active and alert.
Guniea pig care in 5 steps!
Taking care of animals can seem like a lot of work but it really comes down to 5 steps:
- Feed them lots of veggies
- Provide them with entertainment
- Clean up (lots) of poop
- Give them some love and treats
- Repeat!
Some important things to note for extra care:
Make sure to give each guinea pig one vitamin C tab a day to keep their immune system and bones healthy. Also Make sure to train them slowly too keep their brains active and young! I like to have them do a trick for me before they get their treats. This usually gets them to do the trick pretty fast
If you want more information about Guinea pig care, or just want to see some more cute Guniea pigs, visit Kona and Suba Youtube Channel!
Some simple vocabulary
- Wheeking: A high pitch noise Guniea pigs make whenever they are really excited, especially around feeding time.
- Oinking: A little noise they make when they're really happy