Curran - Raising a Healthy Guinea Pig

Wanda L. Curran

Guinea pigs make wonderful pets, even for children as young as 5 years old. Adult guinea pigs weigh 2 to 4 pounds, which makes them easier to handle than larger pets, and if given good care they may live 5 to 7 years. Guinea pigs also have very good temperaments. They are not as likely to bite as hamsters, mice, gerbils, and other rodents kept as pets; they do not have the annoying, strong, musky odors for which other rodents are known; and they are not particularly inclined to climb, jump, or chew. The personality of guinea pigs is A+.

Guinea pigs are strictly herbivorous, which means plant-eating. They have a continuous breeding season, though they do not breed as often as other rodents. At birth, guinea pigs can see and hear, have a full coat of hair, have teeth, and are able to walk and nibble at food within hours.

Before bringing a guinea pig home, youll want to make sure its the right one. Although this is usually a choice of the heart, here are a few tips that will help guide you through the selection process.

Probably the most important thing you need to decide is how much time you have for grooming. This will help determine which breed of guinea pig you should choose. A breed is a class of guinea pigs that reproduces young with its distinctive characteristics of markings, texture, type, size, and coat pattern. At present, there are 11 recognized breeds of guinea pigs.

American. The American guinea pig is the most common breed available. It is also the easiest to groom, with a short and smooth coat that lies close to the skin. Grooming is as simple as rubbing its hair from head to rump with your hand.

Abyssinian. The Abyssinian guinea pig is not as common as the American. The coat of the Abyssinian is short but wiry and has a distinct growth pattern its hair grows in whorls and ridges that stick out from its body. The whorls are called rosettes. On a good, showable Abyssinian, these rosettes require some special grooming procedures that can take a little time.

Peruvian. A Peruvian guinea pig has a long, smooth coat. Its hair grows from the shoulders, parting down the, middle of its back and spreading over the sides and rump and over its head and face. If you cant tell the front from the back, youre probably looking at a good Peruvian. The Peruvians long hair takes a great deal of time to care for even when the guinea pig is still young.

Silkie. The Silkie guinea pig also has a long, smooth coat, but its head and face are not covered by its long hair, and there is no part down the middle of its back. The Silkie needs to have its hair wrapped often and to be bathed and blow-dried.

Teddy. The Teddy is a very popular breed of guinea pig. It has a short, wiry, kinky coat that sticks out from its body. Its coat has a very plush feeling, much like a good stuffed teddy bear. Routine grooming of this breed is as simple as rubbing the hair backward from rump to head, but deep cleaning with combs and brushes takes more time.

White Crested. The White Crested guinea pig has a short, smooth coat much like the American, with a single white rosette on the forehead. Grooming a White Crested is similar to grooming the American, though a little extra care is needed for the single rosette.

Satin breeds. There are also American Satin, Abyssinian Satin, Peruvian Satin, Silkie Satin, and Teddy Satin breeds of guinea pigs. Satins are just like the above-mentioned breeds, except that they have a hollow hair shaft that gives their hair a wonderful sheen. Satins grooming needs are the same as their like-named non-Satin counterparts.

Crossbreeds. Crossbreeds are guinea pigs whose parents are of different breeds. Crossbreeds do not reproduce young with their distinct characteristics of markings, texture, type, size, or coat pattern. Crossbreed guinea pigs may have long hair, short hair, or an unusual combination of hair growth.

Choosing a pet that has a good personality as well as eye appeal is not difficult; however, you naturally want to choose the healthiest guinea pig possible. Take a few minutes to study the parts of a guinea pig you are interested in owning. The following is a simple step-by-step guide to help you choose a healthy guinea pig.

1. Examine the eyes. They should be bold and clear, with no signs of film over them or discharge.

2. Examine the ears. They should be clean on the inside, with no wax buildup and no dirty, reddish brown, waxlike matter, which is a symptom of ear mites. Check for lice and mites around the ears.

3. Examine the nose. It should be free of any signs of discharge.

4. Examine the teeth and mouth. The mouth should be clean. The teeth should be straight, without chips. When the mouth is closed, the top front teeth should be just in front of and overlapping the bottom front teeth. There should be no signs of slobbering or drooling.

5. Examine the chin and neck. You should feel no lumps or bumps.

6. Examine the legs. All four legs should be straight when you feel along the bone. Examine the hair on the inside of the front legs near the feet to see if there is any sign of matting. Matted hair on the inside of the front legs tells you that the guinea pig has been cleaning a runny nose there and should not be considered for purchase.

7. Examine the feet and toes. There should be four toes and toenails on each front foot and three toes and toenails on each rear foot. The nails should be trimmed neatly. The foot-pads on the bottoms of the feet should not have any sores or tender spots.

8. Examine the genitals. The genital and vent area should be clean, with no signs of diarrhea or other discharge. There should be no pimples, sores, or bad odors.

9. Examine the chest and abdomen. There should be no lumps, bumps, or hernias as you feel along the chest and abdomen.

10. Examine the hair and skin. The hair should be clean, shiny, and even all over. There should be no bare patches or areas that look chewed. The hair should not come out when you pet the guinea pig. The skin should look healthy, with no dandruff or scaliness. There should be no sores or scratches. Look closely for lice (tiny bugs) around the rump.