| Nutrition
Guinea
pigs cannot manufacture their own vitamin
C. Even though the guinea pig food does
contain vitamin C, it isn’t always
enough. Supplementing a teaspoon of
vitamin C liquid to a 12 ounce water
bottle is recommended. Vitamin C
deteriorates quickly, so it should be
added to fresh water daily.
Guinea pigs should be fed a diet of hay,
pellets, fresh fruits and vegetables. Hay is
important because it aids in their
digestion of foods. New foods should be
introduced slowly and one at a time.
Broccoli and cauliflower are great
vegetables because of their high vitamin C
content.
Fruits
also have vitamin C, but they should only
be given in small amounts.
Housing
A
guinea pig cage must have good
ventilation, a solid bottom and be large
enough for the guinea pigs to freely move
around. The cage should also have a hide
box. A cardboard or wood box with an open
bottom and hole cut in the side work well.
Even with a large cage, guinea pigs need
daily exercise. Be sure the guinea pig is
under supervision at all times when out of
cage.
Bedding
Start
with a layer of newspaper at the bottom of
the cage. Hay is a cheap and safe bedding
material to put on top. Cedar chips are
not recommended. Any bedding used should
be changed daily. A thorough cleaning of
the cage should be done at least once a
week.
Food
and Water Dishes
Ceramic
dishes are the best food dishes because
they do not tip easily. Water bottles with
sipper tubes are better than water dishes,
because bedding cannot get into them.
However, guinea pigs do spit into their
water bottles, so they should be cleaned
daily.
Baby
Guinea Pigs
Guinea
pigs may become sexually mature as early
as four weeks, so it is important to
separate the different sexes by then. They
are born with eyes open and a full coat.
Biological
Data
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