THE CARE AND HUSBANDRY OF CAVIES or GUINEA-PIGS

Guinea-pigs are excellent children's pets. They live, on average, four to six years and are very easy to keep in a healthy state. They are usually very docile and seldom bite, even in self-defence.

They are best kept out of doors in the biggest hutch you can get measuring at least 36 inches wide, 18 inches deep and 18 inches high - for an adult pair. This should be subdivided, 40: 60, into sleeping and outdoor compartments, respectively. The entire cage-front should be removable or there should be a wire-netting or weld mesh floor for easy cleaning. A hay rack should be provided, also a simple, easily cleaned water-bottle. If the hutch is to be kept out of doors it should face south or west, but never north or east, and it should be adequately roofed and lined externally to prevent draughts and dampness. It should be sited in a sheltered position and ideally placed in the garden shed in winter. A greenhouse or conservatory are NOT suitable situations. Many people keep their guinea pig with a rabbit although this is rather controversial - some rabbits can be aggressive towards guinea pigs, there are also theoretical concerns about disease transmission. The other side of the coin is they can be good friends and companions.

Litter in the hutch should be absorbent: peat moss is best; newspaper, woodshavings or sawdust are not suitable. Straw is a useful bedding material (shake out the seeds before placing it in the hutch) but shredded paper is not, because of the tendency of guinea-pigs to chew (and swallow) their bedding. Hay should also be well shaken to remove seed. (Guinea-pigs have very bulbous eyes which can easily become invaded by foreign bodies such as hay seeds and barley awns).

Grass is an essential ingredient of a guinea-pig's diet. This is best provided by a bottom-less pen (escape-proof and predator-proof) to allow your pets to graze on your lawn. This pen should have a sheltered water proof "end" containing the water bottle. A ball of hay or straw should be provided in the "open end" to allow cover and refuge from overflying birds and prowling predators. The pen should be moved frequently to allow access to all parts of the lawn and to encourage rotational grazing. Do not place your pets in their pen on a lawn that has recently been dressed or treated with herbicides or other chemicals.

During the winter, good quality, sweet-smelling hay should be available. Timothy hay is best. Buy this during the summer and store it in a rodent-proof well-ventilated place. A warm bran mash is always welcomed on cold winter mornings.

Concentrated powders and pellets are useful for feeding in emergency when your larder of natural food runs out but they should never be offered as the sole source of food for your guinea-pig as there is quite simply not enough work for its teeth in these foods. We recommend "Gertie Guinea Pig" as a processed food but make sure that this is fresh as the vitamin C content of all food deteriorates rapidly on storage. We recommend the use of Vetark ARKVITS as a routine, a small amount sprinkled on food daily will provide extra vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals such as calcium. -

Halfway foods that are useful (and cheap) include apple cores and peelings, dry bread crusts, raw potato and carrot and their peelings, brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale) leaves and stalks, and turnips (yellow turnips or swedes are a very good source of vitamin C in the winter months and make up for the lack of grass which is the principle summer-time source of this extremely essential vitamin for guinea pigs), but no single item of food should be fed to the exclusion of any other as dietary variety is very important. If you do not allow your guinea pig access to a variety of food it will become very selective and refuse useful food later in life.

Guinea-pigs are rodents, this means that their teeth are constantly growing - Veterinary surgeons frequently see them with sore mouths due to overgrown teeth. This is difficult to treat but natural tooth development can be encouraged by allowing access to hard foods, especially twigs and small branches from fruit trees - by rule of thumb, if the fruit is edible and non-poisonous, either raw or when processed as juices, wines, jellies, jams or medicines, the whole tree is safe for a nibbling guinea-pig! However, yew, laurel, laburnum, ivy, etc. being poisonous, should never be offered. Note that cherry and plum trees have a bark that is poisonous if chewed. The facility for chewing should be available EVERY DAY, it is almost as important as the provision of a daily supply of fresh water.

Guinea-pigs breed very easily but should not be allowed to do so until they are over 3-4 months old. Sows should be bred for the first time between 4 to 6 months of age. After 6 months of age they have great difficulties in delivery if they are being bred for the first time. The gestation period is surprisingly long (63 days) but the young are born fully coated with their eyes and ears open and are able to run almost immediately. The babies start eating within twenty four hours of birth and are totally independent of their mother at three weeks of age. Do be careful that the babies are not exposed to wind, draughts, strong sunlight or damp, and avoid stresses like the approach of predators or flying birds.

Long-coated guinea-pigs (Peruvian and Abyssinian varieties) should be groomed daily (brushed and combed) and a check should be kept on the nails to prevent overgrowth. Elderly guinea-pigs often have difficulties in passing their motions properly and their vents become badly soiled - keep a check on this in individuals over three years of age and offer extra roughage (bran mashes) as well as judicious use of toilet paper with or without a mild solution of sodium bicarbonate to keep the vent clean.

Obesity is frequently a problem in guinea- pigs especially females, and can predispose to many problems especially if they become pregnant. Prevention is better than cure (see the notes on diet above) but consult the surgery for advice if you are concerned about your pet in any way.

Skin diseases can be a major problem in guinea-pigs. Vetark Tamodine Wound dressing is useful for cleaning infected wounds etc. Some of these diseases are transmissible to people. Guinea pigs are particularly prone to mange especially along the back and on the shoulders. Frequently, mange-like lesions will respond to mild insecticidal shampoos, but severe cases, or any case that fails to respond within two weeks, should be attended to by a Veterinary surgeon who may advise a course of injections or very strong skin dressings. Chronic, well-established mange is particularly distressing. Early treatment is essential.

Coughs and sneezes, refusal to eat, heavy breathing and lethargy are all signs of serious disease in guinea-pigs and are an indication that the surgery should be contacted immediately.

Diarrhoea is potentially very serious, this is likely to require veterinary treatment but as part of this treatment Vetark Pro C or Avipro Plus can be extremely useful. These provide very useful 'support' whenever guinea-pigs are taken to shows or brought home.

Rabbit Welfare Fund