Guinea Pig CareDo Guinea Pigs need a friend?
Guinea Pigs enjoy company. They are social animals. They do best when they are housed in groups of the same sex. Show animals will have to be kept separately. Guinea pigs have a tendency toward chewing on each other's coat. Here is a great site that goes into detail about behavior and communication. What is the best type of cage for my guinea pig?
There are lots of different options regarding cages for guinea pigs. The bigger the cage space the better within reason. Cages should provide enough space for 2 or more same sexed animals to move, eat and play. You can use coated connecting grids to create elongated rectangular cage areas for maximized space. To absorb waste material it is recommended that you use fleece over wood pellets. Other types of bedding gets caught in their fur. I cut down the coats on breeding animals and will use news paper and shavings for moms and babies. Texel Guinea Pig GroomingTexels are a long haired breed and are prone to developing knots or mats in their coat because their hair is thick, long, and curly. It is important to work your fingers gently through the coat to keep it free from dirt, debris and knotting. Occasionally, you can bath your guinea pigs by first getting them wet with luke-warm water. Then, gently massage a shampoo (do not use a conditioner it is too heavy) into the hair. Then, as you rinse be sure to remove all of the soap. Do not get water on the face and ears. Use two towels to dry. Use one of the towels to pat dry while you continue to finger through the curls to straighten them out. Wrap the guinea pig with the second towel until they coat dries.
This article discusses grooming and showing. Clipping Guinea Pig's nailsOccasionally, you will need to clip your guinea pigs nails to keep them from getting too long. It is best to get them used to this process when they are younger. If you do not clip their nails they will continue to grow out and will cause great discomfort to your guinea pig. It can become a health problem if left undone. It is wise to get help to gently secure the guinea pig then, using appropriately sized clippers careful cut back on the nail without cutting into the quick, which may cause bleeding.
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What should I feed my Guinea Pig?Guinea pigs need a freshly made well-balanced pellet diet, fresh fruits and veggies, and Timothy hay (daily) so that they get the proper amount of vitamins and minerals that they need. Offer foods that are a good source of vit C and avoid too much Calcium.
Note: Vitamin C degrades quickly. Store pelleted feed in a cool dry place. They also need to have access to water at all times. Watch out for hay getting caught in your texel piggies coat. Remember to gently groom their coats each day with your fingers to keep it free and clear to head off knots. List of Fresh Foods to offer: Parsley Green Leaf Lettuce Cilantro Clover Dandelion Dandelion Wheatberry Grass (grown from seed) Carrots Apples Celery Pears Tomato Squash Cucumber Green or red bell peppers (not spicy) Sweet Potato Do not offer sweet foods and milk products. The pictures below shows a sample of food we offer to our guinea pigs daily. Celery, tomato, carrots, peppers, apples grasses, dandelion, hay and pellet feed. We try to offer different fresh foods daily to ensure that they get a healthy diet. We grow our own wheat grass for our piggies. We buy organic wheat bury seeds from the local grocery store and plant them in common soil for house plants. It grows quicky and provides weeks worth of delcious healthy grasses. Just " What kinds of toys do Guinea Pigs like?Guinea pigs do like to play. Consider getting boxes, Snuggle sacks, paper bags, wads of paper, balls, wood chew toys, tunnels and toilet paper rolls stuffed with goodies.
Check out our "Pampered Piggie" boutique to see some of the home crafted items we make just for you! We have guinea pigs that love to push the ball around, some drag wooden blocks into their snuggle sack to chew on it and others enjoy trying to get food that is hidden in toilet paper rolls! The possiblities are endless! |