Common Misconceptions about Guinea Pigs and their Care

[VoodooJoint]

I am starting this thread to address some of the common misconceptions about Guinea Pigs and their care.

I often see on the site some very poor information. This is usually caused by someone new who simply doesn't know better yet or actually believed the rubbish advice that a pet store or breeder gave them.

If you have something meaningful to add, please do. I would prefer well written and easy to read responses. Keep it concise but do try to back up your reasons. You are welcome to add reliable links to other websites to back up your words.

If bad information is given here it will be edited out. If you wish to start a discussion about one of the posts please start a new thread. Replies or discussions that break out on this thread will either be split into their own thread or edited out.

Who knows, maybe this thread will be so well done, if it stays on track, that it will get to become a sticky.

The next post is a basic example of how I would like to see posts written.

[VoodooJoint]

Guinea Pigs need Vitamin Drops in ther water.

FALSE

Vitamin/Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Drops drops in water are one of the worse and most useless things you can do for your GP. The only vitamin they may need from the drops is the Vit C. Vit C disintegrates in water and light within 15 minutes of putting it in. This effectively renders the drops useless nearly immediately after adding them.

What remains are the harmful minerals that GPs do not need. The minerals in the water can cause kidney and bladder stones and other health problems.

If there is sugar in the drops you are risking giving your GP diabetes.

Adding anything to the water can cause your GP to reject plain water in the future or cause them to not drink enough if they don’t like the vitamin taste.

In short NEVER add anything to your GP's water. They will get all the Vit C they need from a high quality pellet with a stabilized Vit C like Oxbow and fresh veggies.

[cavy-cool-crazy]

Guinea Pigs don't need vegetables


FALSE

Guinea pigs must have at least one cup of fresh vegetables each day each. Good veggies to offer daily include:

Lettuces - all types but iceberg (contains mostly water and very little nutritional value), Good lettuces are Romaine, Green/Red leaf, butterhead/boston, curly or belgian endive, raddichio and others.
Cilantro (coriander)
Peppers - all colours, no seeds
Baby carrots - one small/medium per pig or same equivalent of regular carrot.
Chard, Red or Swiss is most commonly preferred
Zucchini (Courgette)
Corn husks and silks
Cherry/grape tomatoes (no more than 1-2 per pig)

Good every other day foods:

Parsley
Celery - chopped up small plus leaves
Cucumber
Broccoli leaves
Dandelion greens
Green beans
Summer and Winter squash (all varieties)
Chicory Greens

Some fresh foods should be limited to twice per week:

Fruits - apple, plum, apricot, melon, cucumber, peach, grapes and a few others.
Cabbage
Broccoli
Herbs such as Dill, Chives, Basil, Mint, Thyme
Collard Greens/Turnip Greens/Mustard Greens
Kale
Spinach (in small amounts)
Asparagus
Beets
Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower
Sweetcorn on the cob
Pumpkin
Turnips

Other foods, such as radishes, banana, sweet potato and beet greens should only be given as occasional treats, say once or twice a month.

Vegetables are important to provide essential vitamins, and if provided with a good variety of fresh foods daily, there is rarely a reason for supplements of any kind to be given.

[daftscotslass]

Neutering a boar will alter his behaviour

FALSE

The only things that neutering a male will do are preventing him from impregnating females and slightly lessening the risk of impaction.

They are not the same as dogs, cats and several other species, neutering has little effect on the behaviour of a male. If two males fight, they will still fight post-neuter.

See http://www.cavyspirit.com/neutering.htm for more information.

[Ly&Pigs]

Cavies only need a handful of hay daily or no hay

FALSE

Cavies of all ages need green, good smelling, free from mold unlimited grass hay in their diet daily. Hay is essential for wearing down their molars and aiding in digestion. Cavies under the age of 6 months and pregnant or nursing sows can benefit from alfalfa hay in addition to the grass hay. Alfalfa is high in calcium. Alfalfa is fine as a once in a while treat for older cavies that do not have problems with stones or sludge.

Cavies need salt licks or mineral wheels

FALSE

Cavies get enough salt through their pellets and do not require additional salt. They also get enough minerals through the pellets and their vegetables.

Cavies need Exercise Wheels or Balls

FALSE

A cavy could easily break their back in a wheel or ball. Their spines are not designed to bend that way. The best way you can provide exercise for your pigs is to make them playgrounds consisting of tunnels, boxes or build a loft on your C&C or C&C alternative cage.

[suzilovespiggie]

Cavies have enough room in store bought cages, or can live in tupperware bins.

FALSE

Cavies need room to run and play. So they can popcorn and be happy.
Cavy Cages www.cavycages.com has the best information about size of cages and making a Guinea Pig happy.

[daftscotslass]

I got my guinea pig a friend and he/she doesn't like me any more.

FALSE

Guinea pigs NEED companionship. If you have one cavy and get a second, of course their behaviour will change. It doesn't mean they don't like their human any more. They will act differently because, previously, they will have been on their own for around 20 or more hours per day. It would be a bit of a shock to a human who had been in solitary confinement, too.

Cavies are social animals and, like humans, crave same-species companionship. With a pair or group of guinea pigs you will get to experience them playing, communicating and interacting, which is far more rewarding than having them sit on their own in their cage all day long.

You can't house two male guinea pigs together.

FALSE

Males can be introduced to males very successfully. Often two adult males can be paired without problem, but there are less dominance issues when a younger or more submissive male is introduced to an existing male. Fighting generally only occurs when two overly dominant adult males are paired, or where two neutered males are paired with female(s).

[twofinepigs]

My guinea pig runs when I try to pick him/her up - he/she doesn't like me!

FALSE

Guinea pigs are, by nature, prey animals. Their instinct tells them if something large looms over them, they need to run for safety! Some pigs will learn not to do this if you approach them slowly, but some pigs will always run. Once you pick them up safely, they will really enjoy lap and play time with you.

Be sure to pick your guinea pig up carefully, supporting all four feet as soon as possible and bringing him to your body right away. No pig likes dangling in the air!

[DocDolittle]

Guinea Pigs are able to contract wet tail

FALSE

Wet tail is a stress induced ailment in hamsters. Many people confuse it with diarrhea in other rodents, but it is entirely restricted to hamsters. Please note, while guinea pigs cannot get wet tail, they can still get diarrhea, which can be fatal.

For more info on wet tail, visit: http://www.petwebsite.com/wettail.htm
For more info on diarrhea in guinea pigs, visit: http://guinealynx.info/diarrhea.html

[JennG]

My sow is pregnant and should be housed alone.

FALSE

Separating the pregnant sow from the rest of the group may bring on unnecessary stress for the pregnant sow. Most cagemates may help out with the pups after birth and act like aunties or they will ignore them.

If there is a boar in the cage with the sow, he should be taken out to avoid back breeding. Remember that a sow can become pregnant again right after giving birth and should have no contact with the boar. Also male pups should be weaned from their mothers at 21 days to avoid the male impregnanting the mother and any sisters there may be.

[cavy-cool-crazy]

Rabbits and cavies make good companions


FALSE

Rabbits and guinea pigs must never be mixed. A single kick from a rabbit, whether accidental or not, can seriously injure or even kill a cavy. Even a dwarf rabbit can cause serious harm to a guinea pig.


Rabbits and cavies also have different nutritional requirements. Guineas cannot manufacture their own Vitamin C and need plain pellets containing this vitamin as well as regular fresh veggies. Rabbits do not need the extra vitamins in their dry food as they can create their own Vitmain C.
By feeding just rabbit pellets, the cavy misses out on essential nutrients. By only feeding pellets designed for cavies, the rabbit misses out on the nutrients required to maintain their health. It is virtually impossible to keep rabbits and cavies together because of this reason alone.

Rabbits also carry certain organisms which can be passed onto the guinea pig, potentially causing life-threatening symptoms. While the organisms may not be so harmful to the rabbit, it can prove fatal to a different species of animal.

For more detailed information on reasons not to mix rabbits and cavies, visit http://www.cavycages.com/rabbits.htm

[iLoveDusty]

It is best to get a guinea pig from a pet store

FALSE

You should NOT get your guinea pig from a pet store. Most of hte guinea pigs in the pet stores have some type of disease or problem. Buying from pet stores also encourages breeding, just to get money. Guinea pigs in pet stores are not treated well, with four or three guinea pigs to an aquaruim size cage.

It is best to get your guinea pig from a shelter or rescue.

[C&K]

There are no homeless Guinea Pigs where I live

FALSE

Just because the local shelters are not overflowing with guinea pigs does not mean that you cannot find one or more needing a loving home in your area.

Many shelters do not house guinea pigs, and if they get them in, put them to sleep almost right away, or turn them away at the door. If you are looking for guinea pigs, start at your local shelter or Petfinder.com If you cannot find one available, contact the nearest rescue to you; some are willing to drive a distance to place a Guinea Pig in the right home. Other places to check are newspapers, pet supply store posting boards, Freecycle listings, Craigslist, and of course, the adoptables section on both Cavy Cages and Guinea Lynx!

With a little waiting you will have more Possible Guineas to take in then you know what to do with!

The sad fact is, Guinea Pig overpopulation is often not a behind the scenes problem.

[C&K]

Any Store bought Pellet is ok

FALSE

Most pellets available in stores contain ingredients that are not suitable for consumption by your pet cavies.

Any pellet that contains dried fruits, vegetables, nuts or seeds is not a quality food. The extra pieces are either too high in fat and / or sugars, and present a choking hazard.

As for the plain pellets, for an adult cavy (over 6 months) you want to find a pellet that is made with Timothy Hay as the primary ingredient. Read the label, some pellets claim they are Timothy Based, however it is the 2ND, 3rd or even further down the list ingredient after Alfalfa, wheat, or corn.

A young cavy (under 6 months) and pregnant or nursing mothers should be fed an Alfalfa based pellet.

A pellet should also not contain animal products, such as meat, fat, whey, egg, animal digest, or bone meal. Guinea Pigs are strict herbivores.

The pellets should also be Ethoxyquin free, Ethoxyquin is a carcinogenic, cheep preservative.

While this is not the most comprehensive list available, it should be enough to get you started. More information in how to spot a quality pellet can be found at Guinea Lynx:
http://www.guinealynx.com/pellets.html

As a general rule, any pellet that can be purchased in a grocery store or Walmart / Discount department store is not a quality product. Many people do not understand why poor pellets are available, however it must be kept in mind that pet food is often a clever way to dispose of non human grade product, and waste products from food processing plants.

Any "Plain Pellet" is OK

FALSE

Just because the pellet you are feeding does not contain any fruits / nuts / seeds / or other coloured pieces, does not make it a quality pellet. See above.