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General Care |
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Home > Cavy Information > Basic Care Guide
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| Cages |
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You need to get a cage with about 2 square feet for the first guinea pig. Add one additional square foot for every guinea pig after the first one. Don't get a cage that has a wire bottom because guinea pig's feet are too delicate to withstand the pressure of standing on wire and if the wire is too big then the guinea pig's feet might slip through and get stuck. Be sure not to get an aquarium for a cage, even if it's big enough. The air will not be able to circulate as well as it should, possibly causing respiratory problems if you don't clean the aquarium often enough. You need to get a cage with a solid plastic or metal floor. Wooden floors will soak up the urine and be very smelly. It's best to get a cage with high, solid sides so bedding will be less likely to be kicked out. You can buy cages at pet stores or garage sales.
If you buy a cage at garage sale make sure that you wash it thoroughly to kill any germs or smells that were left over from the previous occupant. About once a month you should scrub out the cage with a solution of 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water to keep it germ free. You can wrap the guinea pigs in a towel and put them in a cardboard box while you clean the cage to keep them happy. Always clean the cage as soon as it begins to smell. To help keep the smell down you can put a little bit of baking soda on the bottom of the cage.
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| Bedding |
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There are many kinds of bedding available for guinea pigs. Cedar bedding in any form is very dangerous. Cedar is dangerous because the wood has very strong aromatic oils that may smell nice to you, but is too strong for your guinea pig's delicate noses and the smell will slowly kill them. Pine bedding can be dangerous, but only if it's not correctly treated. White, kiln dried pine bedding is fine, but green or non-kiln dried pine bedding is very dangerous because of its strong scent. The other main kind of wood bedding is Aspen. Aspen is a safe choice for bedding since it has the same amount of absorbency and odor control as pine and cedar, but there's no danger from it's scent to your guinea pigs.
There are many alternatives to wood bedding. Such as bedding from wood pulp or newspaper that's available in pellet form. Although these types of bedding are very safe and environment friendly, they tend to lean toward the more expensive side. If you don't want to pay a bundle you can use towels or newspaper for bedding. The main drawback with this is that you have to change the bedding two to three times a day so the cage doesn't get too soiled. You can also get corn cob for bedding. The main drawback is that you have to clean the cage every 3 to four days so that the corn cob doesn't mold, which can be dangerous to your guinea pig's health. Many people will put Baking Soda under the bedding to help reduce the odor. Some people even train their guinea pigs to go in bowls to reduce the amount of bedding needed to fill the cage with. Just remember, no matter what kind of bedding you get make sure that as soon as it starts to smell, clean the cage because a clean cage is one of the best ways to prevent illnesses.
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| Food and Water |
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Your guinea pig needs fresh water every day. You should provide this by giving them a water bottle that holds at least 8 ounces of water. You shouldn't give them a bowl of water because it can be easily tipped over and bedding can be kicked in it.
The main part of your guinea pig's diet should consist of hay and pellets. You should feed your guinea pig about 2-3 tablespoons of guinea pig pellets every day. You should also be feeding your guinea pig about 1-2 handfuls of hay every day. Make sure that the hay isn't alfalfa hay because alfalfa can cause bladder stones that may require an expensive and risky operation. Instead use timothy or other grass hay. You should also feed your guinea pig 1-2 fresh vegetables or fruit treats each day to help your guinea pig get all the nutrients it needs.
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| Vitamin C |
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Guinea pigs can't make vitamin C. Because of this they need food or pills to supplement their diet. Without vitamin C guinea pigs will get bald patches of skin and have less resistance to diseases. Your guinea pigs need about 20 milligrams of vitamin C every day. If your guinea pig is pregnant she will need 30-40 milligrams of vitamin C during the pregnancy to help ward off complications in the babies.
You can provide this by giving them a small fresh vegetable or fruit treat that has vitamin C in it every day, or you can feed them chewable vitamin C pills, sprinkle crushed vitamin C on their pellets and other foods, or put crushed vitamin C in their water. If you put vitamin C in the water make sure there is no chlorine in the water because chlorine will neutralize the vitamin C, making it useless. To get rid of the chlorine let a jug of water sit for 24 hours or run the water through a filter. If you want to give them treats to fulfill their vitamin C requirements take a look at the Vegetable and Fruit Nutritional Chart provided by S.A.L. Cavies.
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| Nail Trimming |
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In the wild, guinea pigs will naturally wear their nails down, but in a cage guinea pigs don't have this opportunity. So you must trim them yourself when they grow too long. You can put a flat rock in the cage to help wear down the nails, but you will still have to trim them. You can trim the nails with human nail clippers, small dog clippers, or small cat clippers. Most guinea pigs hate to have their nails trimmed. To take their mind off this you can feed them a treat, pet them, and/or put their head under a blanket. You should trim the nails every other week so they don't get too long. Frequently trimming your guinea pig's nails will let your guinea pig be more comfortable with the procedure. If you can't or don't want to trim the nails, then ask a vet to.
When trimming the nails you have to be careful not to cut the quick, which is a vein in the nail. You can see the vein in lighter colored nails and sometimes in black nails if you use a bright light. It's important not to cut the vein because doing so will make it bleed, which is very painful to your guinea pig. You can use flour, corn meal, or a powder sold at some pets stores to clot the blood and stop the bleeding as fast as possible. Always keep a small handful of powder nearby when you cut your guinea pig's nails so you will be able to administer it quickly if you ever need it.
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| Bathing |
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You need to bath your guinea pig about once every six months. You can use guinea pig or baby shampoo. You should put a wash cloth on the bottom of the sink and fill the sink up with warm water. The water should be just below the neck of your guinea pig. Be careful not to get water in your guinea pig's eyes, ears, or nose when you wash them. I found that if you bath you guinea pigs in one bucket and rinse them in the other bucket the guinea pigs will be less stressed. A bucket is more enclosed than a sink, which creates a feeling of protection to your guinea pig. Some guinea pigs enjoy bathing together and will be less stressed with a partner.
To dry your guinea pig you can use a towel to get most of the water off and a blow dryer on low to completely dry your guinea pig. You should routinely brush short hair guinea pigs about once every other day and longer hair guinea pigs about once a day. This keeps the coat in good condition and helps get rid of dead or loose hair.
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| Exercise |
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Even with a large cage most guinea pigs will need 30 minutes to an hour of exercise time every day. Even if your cavies don't run around during this time the change of scenery adds a bit of variety to their lives. It's easiest to block off one room or a section of a room for the guinea pigs to play in. You should put all electrical cords, magazines, books, and newspapers above their reach. You can get stains from the guinea pigs out of the carpet with most stain removers.
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| Training |
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Every guinea pig is different and therefore no one way of training your guinea pig is guaranteed to work. Some guinea pigs appear smart and catch on fast, while others want to cuddle and eat more than learn. Guinea pigs can be very smart and are trained in the same ways that you would train a dog. If you want to teach your guinea pig something then work on making a consistent routine, speak in a stern voice when the guinea pig misbehaves, and reward the guinea pig with treats on a job well done. If you keep this up the guinea pig is sure to learn what's expected, but watch out. Most guinea pigs will go back to their old ways if you don't keep the routine going.
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| Toys |
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Guinea pigs enjoy a variety of toys. A proven favorite is a PVC pipe. Guinea pigs also like paper towel tubes, bricks stacked in a pyramid shape, mirrors, bells hanging from strings, wooden blocks, plastic baby keys, paper or plastic sacks, old towels, small boxes, and even a string of paper clips hanging down to the cage. Garage sales are great places to find toys for guinea pigs. Just make sure you sanitize any toy that you give your guinea pig.
Although toys will entertain your guinea pig for short periods of time, there is nothing that comes close to a good cuddle. Wrap your guinea pig in a towel and cuddle and pet them until they have to go to the bathroom. This is one of a guinea pig's favorite activities and it's the highlight of the day for them so be sure to cuddle with your guinea pig and enjoy the pleasures of your pet.
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| Disclaimer |
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Any information on Cavies Galore should not substitute a veterinarians' advice. Cavies Galore claims no liability to this information, use at your own risk.
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