Care Tips From The Shire

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This information on cavy or guinea pig care is gleaned from experience and expert studies and sources, but it is not intended to replace veterinary care. These basic tips are intended particularly for The Shire cavies' new pet owner. Feel free to e-mail The Shire with additional questions, or better yet join or start a discussion on Cavy Society.com, which we monitor.

Choosing a Cavy

Sow or Boar?
Both are equally cuddly. Both can live with compatible same-sex pals. Sometimes youngsters can become incompatible as they grow older, so be ready to get an extra cage if needed. Since pigs are a colony species, they will be happier with the sight, sound and scent of another pig nearby, even if they can't live in the same cage.
Teddy or Texel?
Texels are a bit more laid-back, Teddies are a bit more quirky and active. Teddies in general never need grooming or baths. Texels, if kept as pets, do not need a lot of grooming. A light combing at the bottom, frequent checks and clips for mats, and maybe a trim underneath on the bum keeps them in almost-show condition. If you keep their cage clean they also may never need more than a spot-wash with a baby wipe, same as Teddies.

Housing

Caveat: Cavies can NOT be housed on wire floors such as in cages designed for rabbits, as they can break toes and legs and suffer foot infections. Because of their high urine output, porous cages, like those made of wood, are inappropriate as they cannot be properly sanitized. Cavies do NOT need (ferret-type) multi-level cages. They prefer not to use the upper level, can not climb steep grades, and are very prone to falls from unfenced-in ramps.

The only manufactured cages I recommend at the moment are Tommy Marchioro K series cages, because they have wide top-opening doors as well as front-opening doors and are not as deep as some cages. (Cavies don't jump or climb well!) You can find them on line or in some pet supermarkets. The K102 is a great size for two pigs. They can also come with stands I believe. Check them out and if you see a similar design in a cheaper brand, it is probably fine.

You can also custom-make a "C&C" cage which stands for cube & coroplast. Coroplast, corrugated plastic sold at sign companies, is cut and taped to form the tray. It sits inside or outside the wire sides, made from pieces that make up wire cube shelving, popular in college dorms. You can find them at Bed, Bath and Beyond and Target stores, among others. I don't care for them because the coroplast is a hassle to obtain, and I don't find the trays sturdy enough for large sized cages using pellet bedding. More information can be found at CavyCages.com. I don't agree with much of their philosophy, and their "minimum" size requirements are more than adequate, but they give pictures and plans for building your own C&C cages.

While I use clear plastic storage bins, I don't recommend them. Unless they are cleaned very thoroughly and often, ammonia can form and suffocate the pig due to lack of ventilation. A large enough size is hard to find, and open tops make them vulnerable to other pets. Appropriate bottle hangers are also hard to find. Plastic bins, are, however, ideal for travel, and for placing the pig in while you clean its cage. It's good to have one on hand.

NEVER use an aquarium. If big enough, they are too heavy to maneuver when cleaning and their tall sides and narrow shape makes them the worst in ventilation.

Bedding

Caveat: Cavies should NOT be housed on any sort of dusty or aromatic bedding as they are prone to respiratory distress. After trying many different beddings,The Shire Teddies are bedded on hardwood stove pellets topped with soft kiln-dried pine shavings sold for horse bedding. Our coated Texelsare kept on hardwood pellets topped with faux lambswool blankets. Soiled bedding is used as mulch and compost so it is overall quite cost-effective. Cedar should not be used, nor fresh aromatic pine or pine bark, as the wood oils may be potentially toxic. Another good bedding is compressed newspaper pellets like Purina's Yesterday's News cat litter, but clay and other cat litters are dusty and inappropriate. Care Fresh and Hunt Club beddings are also popular. Lambswool fleece is also great for birthing sows and ill pigs, as long as you have several pieces so they can be changed daily and washed frequently. Newspaper is inappropriate as it stays wet and needs to be changed several times a day to avoid foot ulcers and urine scald. It can be used as a bottom layer if needed, such as under fleece. Softwood (horse bedding) pellets are borderline too dusty, as is corncob litter.

 

Grooming

Texels need small mats gently combed or picked out by hand before they become big ones that need to be cut out. If they need bathing, use a good conditioner and comb out any mats before rinsing out the conditioner. Then towel and air dry, scrunching like a perm to accentuate curls. Teddies tend to shed; the loose coat may be combed out and then dabbed with wide tape to remove loose hairs. A bad case of shedding with dandruff can usually be eliminated with a bath. Baby wipes are great for foot dirt and a swipe over the body freshens and picks up loose hairs. Both breeds need frequent nail trimming and ear and foot checks for waxy dirt and calluses, respectively.

Nail trimming is easily done with a kitten-claw scissors. Do yourself a favor and learn to do it. Youngsters rarely need trimming until about 6 months old. Before that, just the points can be snipped. On older pigs, the front claws tend to curl to the side. In general, the part of the claw that starts to curve is the place to clip. It's best to have someone demonstrate the first time or two. I hold the pig on a towel on my lap, resting on its bum. I can trim all four feet this way with hardly a problem. Keep styptic power or cornstarch nearby in case a claw is clipped too short, which will cause pain and bleeding. Better to clip conservatively to avoid traumatizing the pig.

Heathy pigs should not need teeth trimming. Check your pig's incisors periodically and if they seem overgrown or misaligned, see a vet. Overgrown molars is a life-threatening condition, but you cannot see them, you can only assume they may be overgrown by observing the pig. Again, this is a vet call. We strive to eliminate malocclusion from our breeding program, but it pops up and can also have non-heritable causes. Also check under the chin/neck area every so often for lumps and abscesses. These are not usually serious, but it wouldn't hurt to have a vet check and perhaps prescribe antibiotics. Cavies can also develop sebaceous cysts, usually on the back area. Scratching and patchy hair loss may indicate mites, lice, fungal or bacterial infection, all of which are fairly common. Mites in particular can be life-threatening if ignored.

Feeding

Pigs should get all the hay they can eat, every day. Grass hay is best; alfalfa/grass mix is good for younger pigs and breeding sows but alfalfa's higher calcium content may be linked to possible urinary tract stones and should be fed sparingly to adults to be on the safe side.

Pellets are alfalfa-based anyway, and should be fed free choice. Buy only Guinea-pig-labeled pellets with a mill date of 90 days or less, and preferably containing a stabilized form of vitamin C. Blue Seal is a decent brand if you can get it fresh enough; Purina's Mazuri or Oxbow is better and Nutritional Research Associate's Cavylets is what The Shire cavies eat. Grocery/dept. store pellets with colored "stuff" in them are not recommended and are usually too old to have much nutritional value. Begging a feed store manager to carry a decent brand of pellets sometimes works. Cavy club members sometimes co-op together to order food. You can also mail-order pellets and hay. Some mail-order companies include KleenMama's, Mazuri, and Oxbow. Store pellets in a cool, dry, dark place to preserve the vitamin C.

Vegetable and fruit treats may be fed daily; the equivalent of one baby carrot per pig per day is sufficient, so they have room for hay and pellets as well. Iceberg-type lettuce is nutritionally empty, but makes a good occasional treat in hot summer for its water content, as does watermelon. Grass, dandelions, burdock, plaintain and other plants may be fed; make sure you know the species is not toxic. Apple twigs are a great treat and keep teeth worn down; cherry leaves and bark are toxic. Good treats for run down or thin pigs are rolled oats and sweet (horse) feed. Pelleted Calf manna is also a popular treat.

Cavy digestive systems are easily upset and any diet changes should be gradual. A good treat rule of thumb is if it's edible for humans, it's probably fine for pigs to eat.

Pigs need a constant water source which must be kept very clean to prevent bacterial digestive ailments. Bowls become fouled several times a day and are not recommended. The correct way to fill a water bottle is to fill it extremely full with no air bubbles, using room-temperature water. Do not invert until the bottle is hung and thereafter avoid jostling it or it will need to be refilled to restore the vacuum so it wont leak. Top-fill bottles are often leaky unless they have the watering system-type sipper tubes. (Travel-type bottles.) Be careful with spring-loaded ball bearing bottles and the type with the little metal pin in the end of the tube and make sure the pig knows how to drink from them. With all bottles, check often to make sure the tube is not clogged and is working properly.

Cavy "Training"

Cavies by nature are extremely reactive, and will either scatter or freeze (with a warning "drr") in reaction to sudden sounds or movement. Hence, they may initially resist being picked up and can be hard to catch and hold, but once held will usually settle down and enjoy petting and new surroundings.

As cavies do not jump or climb well, start with a cage that is not too deep (14" high is great) and allows full access of your hands and arms. Opening at the top is best, but a cage at chest height with a full side opening is ok. When you reach in to pick up the cavy, use one hand in front and one hand in rear to quickly trap it, then gently lift with one hand around the chest and the other supporting the rear. Learning to do this quickly without chasing the pig will allow it to tame quickly. I also do not use hiding shelters in the young pig's cage so it won't think it can run and hide to get away. Thay can be added when the pig is tamer.

Let your cavy see you walk near the cage often. Several times a day, reach in, slowly follow the cavy with your hand and ruffle the fur on its forehead. Feed your cavy tiny bits of treats a day and offer them by hand to its mouth. If it runs, slowly approach as close as you can get and leave the treat in front of it. Work up to having it take it from your hand. Eventually it will boldly demand treats and you will have to be careful it grabs the treat and not your hand! Older pigs also love their heads scratched and will stay very still and close their eyes in bliss while you scratch.

Cavy Origins

The scientific name for our pet guinea pigs is Cavia porcellus. They do not exist in the wild. Recent studies suggest the Andean cavy species Cavia tschudii is its closest wild kin. Large guinea pigs are raised for meat in Latin countries and are called "cuy" (coo-wee).

Cavies inhabit grasslands and perhaps that's why ours love to run through their hay. They avoid extremes of light and dark and prefer to eat at dusk and dawn, resting in the night and midday hours in burrows dug by other animals. Pet pigs do best on a regular schedule but artificial light allows them to adapt to our habits.

Care questions? E-mail us anytime.
Read what others say about their guinea pig "kids" adopted from The Shire.