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The guinea pig (home coffee) comes from South America, where for thousands of years it has been… a culinary delicacy. However, in our country it is a common pet. Check out how to take care of a guinea pig, what it can eat, how long a guinea pig lives and what is its price.

Contents:

  1. Guinea pig - breeds. Peruvian, skinny and rosette
  2. Guinea pig - diseases. What can you get infected with?
  3. Guinea pig - how old does a guinea pig live?
  4. Guinea pig - nutrition. What can he eat?
  5. Guinea pig allergy (allergy) to guinea pig
  6. Guinea pig - how to care for it?
  7. Guinea pig - care
  8. Guinea pig - cage or aquarium?

Guinea pig (house coffee)comes from South America. Before the guinea pig became a pet, it was used as ritual animals, in natural medicine, and also bred for meat.

Currently, it is still a delicacy in South America, which you can try in Peru (it is the national dish of Peru - its meat is even served on the occasion of the Last Supper), Bolivia, Colombia and, above all, in Ecuador.

Guinea pig - breeds. Peruvian, skinny and rosette

There are many breeds of domestic coffee. They come in a variety of colors. They can differ in color, structure and length of the hair.

One of the most popular breeds is thePeruvian guinea pig . It'slonghair guinea pig- her hair is spread outwards in all directions. There are two rosettes on the back parts of the body. Hair can grow up to 50 cm, but in natural conditions they rub against the ground and reach several cm in length.

Another well-known longhair guinea pig is thesheltie guinea pig . It is characterized by short hair on the face and long hair on the body, but unlike the Peruvian woman, it does not have any rips.

In turn,guinea pig rosetteis a short-haired guinea pig whose hair is arranged in different parts of the body in the so-called rosettes.

On the other hand, among the smooth-haired guinea pigs, the most famous is the American (smooth-haired) breed - it has smooth, smooth-hairedclose-fitting fur, approx. 17 mm long.

Another popular breed is theskinny guinea pig.This is a hairless guinea pig (bald guinea pig). This breed was bred artificially. It is characterized by the absence of hair with small, single tufts of spiky fur on the face, ears and feet. Her skin is delicate and soft.

Guinea pig - diseases. What can you get infected with?

Guinea pigs most often carry parasites, both internal and external, such as lice, biting lice, ticks, mites, shadows and flukes.

In caviar living in the wild, internal parasites often attack the liver and small intestine. The most frequently detected parasite in domestic coffee beans is scabies (Trixacarus caviae). If left untreated, it can lead to death.

  • Brucellosis - an animal-borne disease
  • Cat scratch disease after scratching or biting a cat
  • Leptospirosis - zoonotic disease caused by water pollution
  • Spotted typhus (typhoid fever, typhoid fever) - a disease transmitted by lice and fleas
Worth knowing

Guinea pig - how old does a guinea pig live?

Guinea pigs live relatively long: 5-8 years and even longer. The record holder was the Snowball pig from England, who lived 14 years and 10 months. This record was entered into the "Guinness Book of Records".

Guinea pig - nutrition. What can he eat?

Domestic coffee is herbivorous. It should be fed with hay and ready-made, specialized food for guinea pigs. An addition to the daily meals of these rodents can be vegetables, e.g. parsley, carrots, dandelions, red and green peppers, radishes, beets, cucumbers, rutabaga, spinach, celery, cabbage leaves.

Household coffee can also be fed with fruit (e.g. apples or grapes), but they should be considered an additive, not a staple diet.

Household coffee should not eat foods with too high a calcium content (e.g. alfalfa). It is also not recommended to give pigs ready-made treats, which are rich in carbohydrates, as they can lead to digestive disorders and difficulties.

Household coffee has a very sensitive digestive system, so you should suddenly change their diets drastically.

Guinea pigs should be fed twice a day at fixed times. When the pig is used to it, it may squeal when it is approaching feeding time. You should also not forget about the constant access of the pig to fresh water.

See the gallery of 8 photosWorth knowing

Guinea pig -allergy (allergy) to guinea pig

The most common symptoms of a guinea pig allergy are rash, rhinitis, itching, conjunctivitis, and sinusitis.

However, it is not true that the allergy is mainly caused by fur. Urine is the most sensitizing because it contains the highest concentration of allergens (proteins and pheromones). Therefore, males are much more likely to sensitize than females. Guinea pig saliva is also allergenic. Hair and epidermis are the least likely to cause allergic reactions.

Guinea pig - how to care for it?

House coffee is very social, so they should be served a daily dose of caresses. Lack of interest on the part of the owner of the mumps can lead to boredom or wildness.

Guinea pigs love to be petted and cuddled. They like to rest on their owner's hands or lap. However, they do not like squeezing and tugging.

The guinea pig is a herd animal, so it should be kept at least in pairs.

Guinea pigs are extremely contactable. They communicate their emotions and moods through the sounds they make. In addition, guinea pigs are very attached to their owners. They can also distinguish individual members of the household.

Guinea pigs should be kept in cages, but do not forget to provide adequate amounts of exercise outside the cage. For this reason, these rodents should be released on the paddocks or (under supervision) at home for at least one hour a day.

Worth knowing

Guinea pig - care

It is worth buying a special transport bag, which is used to move and transport the pig (e.g. to the vet).

In the case of long-haired pigs, all kinds of brushes and combs for combing, as well as shampoo and conditioner are necessary.

Guinea pigs usually grind their claws on their own in the paddock, but from time to time they should have their claws cut by themselves.

Guinea pig - cage or aquarium?

There is much less air circulation in an aquarium (or terrarium) than in a cage, and therefore - a guinea pig can be too stuffy (especially in hot weather!).

The guinea pig cannot socialize well with its surroundings through the built-up walls of the aquarium (it does not smell the smells from the house, and the sound is accompanied by an echo reflected from the glass walls).

Guinea pigs have a very sensitive sense of smell, therefore the reduced air supply may cause the animal to feel the bad smell of its own faeces even more, which is very uncomfortable for it. Besides, cleaning the cage litter box is providedmuch easier, because you only need to unfasten the metal top.

It is also easy to attach various accessories (including a drinker) to the cage, which in the case of an aquarium must be equipped with special suction cups.

Guinea pigs are 20-25 cm long, therefore the cage for one pig should not be smaller than 80 cm in length. Smaller cages are available in pet stores, but rodents can tire in them. Guinea pigs are not jumping and climbing animals (like hamsters, for example), so they don't need a tall cage.

The most important equipment of the cage is, first of all, the floor. For guinea pigs, linings made of sawdust or special granules are the best. The cage should not be made of hay because it is soft and very absorbent, which in turn leads to rapid rotting and an unwanted odor.

It is important to choose the right bowls for our rodent. It's best to choose ceramic or metal bowls, as the plastic ones can be easily chewed by pigs. Hay should be fed in special feeders.

A guinea pig house should also be attached to the cage for shelter and a bit of intimacy. It's best to buy a wooden house, which the pig will be able to chew safely.

The guinea pig cage can also be equipped with various accessories and toys. Examples include fleece sofas or hammocks. Guinea pigs like tunnels too. However, remember that the tunnel opening should be adapted to the size of our rodent.

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Pets