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Basics
of Cavy Care
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Caging
& Housing
- Large,
solid-bottomed cage at least 2' x 4',
suitable for 1 or 2 cavies NO wire
cage bottoms!
Note: Petstore cages are not made
with enough
room for a cavy to get exercise in.
That's similar to you living in your hall closet.
See the
Cage Page
- At
least one hiding house per cavy
Anything larger than they are is considered a predator.
Make your cavy feel it has a safe place.
Some popular choices:
"Pigloos"
(you may need to cut the door off for larger pigs)
Wooden Houses
- Pellet
dish
- Cage
mounted water bottle
- Optional:
- Hay
rack/dispenser
- Litter
pans
- Fleece
-type beds (they LOVE these!)
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Food
- Guinea
pig pellets, plain
(no dried veggie bits, seeds or colored
pieces)
- 2x daily or free choice
- Vitamin
C - 25 mg daily - Required! Give 50mg daily to sick cavies.
Do NOT put Vit. C in the water. The
Vit. C is dissipated by minerals
and becomes useless. Some Vit. Cs for water change the taste
in the
water and the cavy won't drink it, leaving it dehydrated
- Timothy
Hay - free choice - Required!
- Alfalfa
Hay - for pregnant or nursing cavies or babies under 6 mos
- 1
cup fresh vegetables per day
Free
choice means available in the cage 24/7.
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Bedding
- Kiln-dried
Pine shaving (air before use)
- Aspen
shavings
- Carefresh
Recycled paper bedding
- Eco-Straw
- large
bath towels
- a
few yards of fleece
NO
- Cedar shavings or granule, clumping type litters!
Cedar contains phenols which are toxic to cavies, and
clumping litters can cause fatal intestinal blockage.
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Exercise
& Toys
- Provide
floortime in a safe environment free from electrical wires,
choking hazards, or small spaces they could run behind and
get stuck
(or not come out willingly).
- Chewable
toys: Natural wood items (no cedar), toilet or paper towel
rolls,
cardboard structures or boxes (soda or tissue boxes)
- PVC
pipe tubes and tunnels
- A-frame
grid "tunnels" w/ fabric laid over the top
- Paper
bags filled with hay
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Companions
- Sex
your cavy correctly before getting them a friend.
- Females
look like 'Y' and Males look like ' i ' and penis
protrudes with gentle prodding
- Guinea
pigs are sexually mature at 3-4 weeks
of age
- Get
a same sex friend, or spay or neuter
- Make
sure your cage is large enough for multiple cavies
- Quarantine
the new friend at least 2 weeks in a separate
room to detect any health problems,
and deal with those first before making any introductions
- Make
introductions slowly in a neutral environment
- Watch
them carefully during their first few days of living together
- Dominance
battles may occur, rumblestrutting, sniffing and
circling is normal
- Separate
if there is any bloodshed
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Health
& Common Illnesses
The
following knowledge is by my own experience and of others in the
international cavy community. I do NOT claim any certification
in the
veterinary medical field. If you are not experienced in the health,
ills,
or treatment of your cavy, I certainly advise you to consult
your exotic
vet for diagnosis and treatment. If you treat your cavy at
home based on
the info here, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK.
- Cavies
do not produce their own Vit. C in their bodies, it must be
supplemented in their diet. I have found that liquid Vit.
C applied
with a needleless syringe works well for up to 3-4 cavies.
Divided Vit. C tablets work well also. Be sure the Vit. C
you give is pure and without additives, artificial colors
or
flavorings. Orange slices can be given sparingly,
though veggies
high in Vit. C are best.
Dose 25mg per pig daily. - 50mg daily if sick or malnutritioned
Other
common ailments:
- Mites
Internal parasites that -cannot- be seen by the naked eye.
Symptoms: intense scratching, hairloss, sensitivity to touch,
open or scabby sores from scratching. Highly contagious.
Treatment: Ivermectin dosed orally, topically or by injection.
If the mite infected pig is with other pigs, all pigs must
be treated
simultaneously to prevent reinfestation.
- Lice,
Biting or Crawling
Worm-like surface parasites, most commonly seen at the base
of
the hair, under legs, and behind or in ears. They lay
eggs (nits)
attached to hairs. Highly contagious.
Symptoms: intense scratching, sensitivity to touch, open or
scabby
sores from scratching
Treatment: Bath cavy normally. Use low dosage pyrethrin sprays
for small animals. Use as directed on
the package (pyrethrin products
can be fatal if not used correctly, if in doubt, consult your
vet).
Clean the cage thoroughly during treatment. If the lice
infected pig
is with other pigs, all pigs must be treated simultaneously
to prevent
reinfestation.
Note: Crawling lice are usually treated effectively this way.
Biting
lice can be difficult to treat and may need veterinary treatment
by
injection.
Ivermectin and Advantage have been used
successfully on cavies
for the treatment of lice, but it is always best to consult
your vet for treatment options first.
- Bumblefoot
(pododermatitis)
Blister-like sores that plague the feet. Most often caused
by wet
bedding, and/or course (rough) bedding materials and wire
bottom floors
Symptoms: obvious sores on the pads, reluctance to walk, favoring
a foot, aggressive grooming of the feet
Treatment: Keep bedding as clean and dry as possible at all
times.
Can be treated with proper wrapping of the feet. Consult your
vet for options.
- Upper
Resiratory Infections
This most common of cavy illnesses can be fatal if left untreated.
Symptoms: lethargy, hiding, facing the corner of the cage,
discharge from the eyes or nose, clicky sounding breathing
Treatment: Seek veterinary assistance immediately! Most
commonly treated with a diligent course of antibiotics.
- Fungal
Infection
Fungus
appearing flaky, white and scaley on the skin .
Symptoms: intense scratching, hairloss, sensitivity to touch,
open
or scabby sores from scratching. Highly contagious.
Treatment: Can be treated with tea tree oil applied with a
cotton ball.
Disinfect the cage and bedding thoroughly and often until
fungus
disappears. If the fungus infected pig is housed with other
pigs,
remove and quarantine until healthy. Disinfect their caging
as well.
Watch other pigs closely for possible cross-infection. Severe
cases
of infection should be treated by your vet.
- Impaction
Common
affliction in boars (males).
Symptoms: Seemingly enlarged, or spread testes, caused by
build
up of fecal pellets in the pereneal sac.
Treatment: Most commonly treated with a frequent warm soak
to
loosen the clumped pellets from the surrounding skin, and
gently
removing the remaining debris with a cotton swab. Can also
be done
utilizing mineral oil in place of or in addition to a bath.
Routine cleaning
may be necessary on a daily, weekly or monthly schedule, depending
on the boar.
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