Pet Habitat South Africa

Companionship

Guinea pigs love company and should ideally be kept in single sex groups or pairs – litter mates make the best companions. Males and females can live happily together, but should ideally be neutered to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Never keep guinea pigs with rabbits or chinchillas. They have very different food and housing needs and may fight. Firstly bullying and aggression often occurs between species, and secondly rabbits often carry asymptomatically the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica, which can lead to severe pneumonia in guinea pigs. Although guinea pigs, rabbits and chinchillas are all fibrevores, they do have different nutritional requirements.

Choose the right home

Traditional small hutches can compromise guinea pigs’ welfare as they do not allow guineas to behave normally. A hutch should actually only be viewed as your guineas’ ‘bedroom’. The hutch should be permanently attached to a much larger run or exercise area, so your guineas can decide when they go outside to stretch their legs. If a ramp connects the hutch to a run, ensure it is wide enough and not too steep so your guineas can get up and down safely and easily. A good quality hutch provides shelter and protection from extremes of weather and temperature, is draught-free and predator proof, and is a cosy place to sleep. Provide lots of Excel bedding for your guinea to keep them warm. In the wintertime when it’s particularly cold, you should consider moving your guineas’ home somewhere warmer such as a shed, unused garage or outhouse; and don’t forget to make sure they can exercise every day. The bedroom area should be as big as possible:

Big enough to allow guineas to lie down and stretch out comfortably in all directions.

Tall enough for them to sit (and ideally stand) up on their back legs without touching the roof

As guineas should be housed in friendly pairs or groups, their bedroom area should be enough to allow all guineas to perform all the behaviours mentioned above at the same time.

Cleaning

Clean the hutch out two or three times a week – especially in warmer weather, to keep flies away. In extremely hot weather, bedding may need to be changed even more often to stop it becoming mouldy and damp.

Out of the Hutch

Guinea pigs are hunted by predators in the wild, so they’re naturally frightened of big, open spaces. Your pets will spend a lot of time around the edges of a room or run, so a few well-placed upside-down cardboard boxes will give them extra space where they can feel safe and exercise.

If the weather is bad, you can arrange all these things indoors. But life can get more interesting in an outside run. Firstly, make sure it’s placed out of direct sunlight and that there is a shelter inside. Then fill it with places to hide, things to climb and tunnels to run through – making sure it’s not too tight a squeeze and that they can’t escape.

Guinea Pigs need to keep their digestive systems busy with a mix of two kinds of fibre moving through the gut at all times (these types of fibre are called digestible fibre and indigestible fibre). Guinea pigs get this fibre mainly from good quality hay, such as Burgess Excel Timothy hay.

Guinea Pigs can’t get enough nutrition from fibre when it passes through their gut the first time. Guinea Pigs excrete caecotrophs (soft sticky type droppings) which are then reeaten for vital nutrition.

Guinea pigs also need additional vitamin C in their diet as they cannot synthesize their own. Burgess Excel has been specifically formulated to have all of the vitamins and minerals your guinea pigs need.

Indigestible Fibre

Indigestible fibre is moved through their digestive system and excreted as separate, rounded, hard droppings. This type of fibre keeps the digestive system moving and their appetite stimulated.

Digestible Fibre

Digestible fibre is moved up into an organ called the caecum – which is like a giant appendix.

Good bacteria in the caecum ferment the fibre, making it easy to digest. This emerges in the form of clumps of sticky droppings – we call these droppings caecotrophs. Guineas then re-eat the caecotrophs directly from their bottom and the essential nutrients are then absorbed when the digestible fibre passes through for the second time.

If guinea pigs don’t get the right amounts of both digestible and indigestible fibre, it can rapidly lead to serious health problems. At Excel, we call the correct ratio of these two types of fibre ‘Beneficial Fibre’.

Sticking to The Excel Feeding Plan will ensure your guinea pigs get the right amounts of fibre in their diet. The Excel Feeding Plan was developed in conjunction with one of the world’s leading small-animal vets, to provide a perfect daily balance of fibre and nutrition.

The Excel Feeding Plan is a simple five step guide to help pet owners understand the high levels of beneficial fibre required by fibrevores. It is the only complementary range that, when used together, delivers extremely high levels of the right kinds of fibre needed in fibrevores’ diets and effectively promotes and maintains the dental, digestive and emotional health and longevity of these pets.

These premium quality Feeding Hay and Grass products should form the majority of your pets’ diet. They are especially good for dental health as the gnawing action required to eat them helps to wear down teeth. The teeth of rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas are constantly growing and overgrown teeth can be the cause of potentially fatal problems. Hays also play a vital role in digestive and emotional health as they provide the bulk of the diets’ indigestible fibre and encourage foraging.

Excel Tasty Nuggets are a single component food and are high in 'Beneficial Fibre' which means they're great for digestive health. All Burgess Excel Nuggets have added vitamins, minerals and prebiotics to help with healthy eyes, skin and coat.

These delicious, natural and healthy snacks are ideal for 'Fibrevores' as they promote emotional health, by preventing boredom. They can also be used to encourage bonding and interaction between you and your pet. They can be fed daily, because they're packed with 'Beneficial Fibre' and made with natural ingredients. Some are specifically designed to be fed by hand which helps pets to get comfortable with human attention.

Rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas can be fed fresh greens to give additional nutrients and to provide some variety. You need to be careful about what you feed them, and how much. Fruits can be fed, and are a great source of extra nutrients, but only feed in very small amounts as they can be high in sugar. Avoid feeding anything that grows from bulbs as these can be dangerous.

Good Guinea Pig Greens: Apples (pipless), asparagus, banana, basil, brussel sprouts, cauliflower leaves, celery, chicory, dill, fennel, green pepper, kale, mint, oregano, parsley, Savoy cabbage, spinach, turnip, watercress, strawberries, honeydew melon, kiwi fruit, mangoes, red leaf lettuce, Romaine lettuce (large amounts of iceberg lettuce can lead to diarrhoea). Citrus fruits are a good source for extra vitamin C for guinea pigs.

Bad Guinea Pig Greens: Apple pips, avocado, potato and potato tops, rhubarb (leaves and stalks), tomato leaves.

A plentiful supply of fresh water should always be available. Change it daily in warm weather and ensure it hasn't frozen over during winter months.

It’s easy to scare your guinea pigs when you approach them, so it’s best to crouch down and talk softly as you get nearer. Let your pets come to you – offer your hand to sniff, perhaps – then gently place your hand across their shoulder with the thumb tucked between the front legs on one side.

You should then be able to slowly lift your guinea pigs and support their weight by putting your other hand under the bottom. You should then hold your pets on your lap or, if you’re standing, close to your chest.

Guinea pigs like to play, so make sure there are plenty of toys for them. Play makes them exercise, which is good for their physical health, and keeps them contented, which is good for keeping them happy and healthy.

Guinea pigs are natural foragers, so hide some food and your pets will enjoy looking for it. For example, try hiding some Excel Nature Snacks around their hutch or in Excel Herbage. In addition to providing nutrition, Foraging mimics their natural behaviour, keeps them occupied and prevents boredom.

Grooming

If your guinea pig is a long-haired breed, groom daily to keep the coat in good condition. But every breed likes some grooming – and it helps to strengthen the bond of friendship between you and your pets.

Cleaning

Clean the hutch out two or three times a week - especially in warmer weather, to keep flies away. In extremely hot weather, bedding may need to be changed even more often to stop it becoming mouldy and damp.

Health

There are many different health problems that guinea pigs face, but most can be avoided by good diet and a healthy lifestyle. The rest need medical attention, so quick attention by a vet is vital. Although there are no specific vaccinations that your guinea pig should have, there are viruses and infectious diseases which can make your pet very unwell. Once they become ill, guinea pigs can deteriorate very quickly, so if you think your pet is off-colour, always see your vet as soon as possible.

Medical Emergencies

Poorly guinea pigs will often show a set of non-specific symptoms. As soon as you see any of the symptoms on this list, which may be a sign of serious problems, take your guinea pig to the vet as soon as possible:

Refusal to eat or drink; lethargy; difficult or laboured breathing; sneezing; crusty eyes; limping; loss of balance; excessive scratching; hair loss; uncontrollable bleeding; extreme drop in body temperature; diarrhoea; blood present in urine; signs of temporary paralysis.

You should also know that penicillin-based medication is poisonous to guinea pigs.

Problems caused by poor diet

The following problems are often due to poor diet, lack of exercise and lack of general care. They're easily avoided by giving your guinea pigs the right food and plenty of exercise and, most importantly, by carrying out regular health checks.

Dental problems

Your guinea pigs’ teeth will continue to grow all their lives and overgrown teeth can be the cause of potentially fatal health problems - typical symptoms are excessive drooling and loss of appetite.

To wear down your guinea pigs’ teeth and help to keep them healthy, feed a naturally-abrasive, fibre-rich food like Burgess Excel Herbage or Forage and check the teeth regularly

Hypovitaminosis C

This condition is more commonly known as scurvy and it stems from a lack of vitamin C. It's something that your guinea pigs can't produce naturally and the result can be lameness, loss of teeth, rough coat, loss of hair, pain on handling and anorexia. So you must be absolutely sure your pets’ diet compensates - check that the nugget food you're feeding them has added vitamin C. There are extremely high levels of protected vitamin C in Burgess Excel Tasty Nuggets for Guinea Pigs. Incidentally, this is why you should never feed your guinea pigs on rabbit food – there's nowhere near enough vitamin C in it for a guinea pig’s needs.

General problems

Abscesses – guinea pigs are very susceptible to abscesses which can be caused by knocks or fights.

Skin complaints – these are very common, particularly mange, which is caused by a mite burrowing under the skin. Look for the symptoms: little raised spots which are itchy and cause your pet to scratch, and that leads to scabs and loss of hair. Always see your vet for a correct diagnosis and treatment.

Health Checks

Every guinea pig is different, and it's good to get to know how. Once you're familiar with your pets’ normal habits and behaviour, it will be easier to spot when they're ill.

You can help to maintain your pets’ good health by learning to do some simple health checks every week. It's a good way to increase the bond between you and these quick and easy checks are best done when your guinea pig is feeling comfortable and relaxed – you might find that an Excel Nature Snack helps.

And never forget: if in doubt, always consult your vet immediately.

Ears – gently look inside and make sure they're clean and free from mites and fleas.

Eyes – make sure the eyes are clear and shiny. Dull, swollen eyes are often a sign of illness and can lead to blindness.

Teeth – check to make sure there isn't any excessive drooling which can be a sign of dental problems. Be careful with this health check: your pet might not be comfortable with having its mouth inspected and may bite.

Feet – gently hold and feel the feet to make sure you pet hasn't injured itself. Check their claws too – they need to be clipped to keep them at a safe length; ask your vet to show you how to do this properly.

Fur – gently feel and look to check that there are no bald patches, no signs of mites or fleas and no injuries.

Weight – weigh your pet on a regular basis to see that it is maintaining a constant weight that is healthy for its age. Regular visits to your vet will tell you what the weight should be. Watching the scales is important – obesity is a serious illness that can lead to other health problems.

Neutering

Vets recommend that all guinea pigs should be neutered. It not only prevents unwanted pregnancies, it will also make your pets calmer and less aggressive. Please ask your vet about the correct age for neutering.