What breed? Is Bear a Cuy guinea pig?

Amanda Marie · May 1, 2015

Hello, I have a guinea pig that I rescued from a person off craigslist several years ago, and i have been doing some research on him because he is somewhat different than any pig i have ever had. When i went to get him, the lady said she was re-homing him due to having a female. But i suspect that it was because of his very terrified skittish behavior. He was a baby when i got him and he was small and so scared. Within a few months he doubled in size so i put him on a diet, of the minimum pellets and mostly hay and veggies, but he continued to gain weight. He is about 4lbs now and he is only 3, and no matter what i do he will not lose weight. he is absolutely huge. I don't think this picture does him justice. i know that cuys usually are orange or red, and that they may have extra front toes, but he obviously doesn't have those, here is the website i found, he fits everything but the top two and the last one, on this list. https://www.laguineapigrescue.com/cuy-reports-and-sightings.html I wanted to ask you all and see if he is, he is somewhat not as skittish and scared but its only if you hold super super still and allow him to make all the moves and things. Other than that he freaks out, right after i took this picture he ran and hid under my blankets. Please let me know what you think, he is about 3 years old. And he has a huge nose and ears that hang down.

joys_cavies · May 1, 2015

That looks more like a Dalmatian guinea pig then a cuy. I think he's just big. My guinea pig Bailey is long and chubby (finally), but my other Emmy is a cuy.

He may have been eating that many pellets because he was a *baby*. I had a baby that would empty her pellet bowl without the others.

Amanda Marie · May 1, 2015

Here is another picture, he is like always paralyzed with "fear" and he always puts himself in danger and runs away and hides. he is doing better but its been a long road and he still isn't a 100% if he ever will be.

3littlepigz · May 1, 2015

He's so handsome!

bpatters · May 1, 2015

Every cuy picture I've seen is of a red or red and white pig. I've never seen a dalmatian cuy, or any other color, for that matter.

I'm guessing he's just a big pig. Limit his pellets to no more than 1/8 cup per day, but otherwise feed him all the hay and veggies he wants.

Amanda Marie · May 1, 2015

He is on that diet as we speak and he has been on it for over a year, but thanks

bpatters · May 1, 2015

I suppose it's possible that he could be a cuy. Not much is known about them in this country, and we don't know whether the red coloring is typical of all cuy, or whether the cuy in this country have come from breeding pairs that just happen to be that color.

Amanda Marie · May 1, 2015

Yeah, i thought that he may have been breed with another guinea pig, causing his color, but the website where i found the info has many colors, and i will try to post a pic of him next to a guinea pig his age, as well as me holding him, to get a better since of his size. If i can catch him, hahaha, when i got him he was originally called Little Bear as he was so small, but i have now dropped the Little from his name as he is the biggest pig i have.
(broken link removed) here are their cuys and other pigs.

Amanda Marie · May 1, 2015

Shadow is the other guinea pig, he is about the same age, and eats more than Bear. In the picture of Bear you can see his chin fat, he is so big and if i reduce food again i am afraid he will stop eating.

joys_cavies · May 1, 2015

He may well be a cuy. Breeders are breeding cuys with other guinea pigs to seem of they can make them less tame.

Still, considering though that your in Oregon it's still in likely as it's said most cuys in America are in California.

Paula · May 1, 2015

I presently have and have had several Cuy pigs, and I doubt Bear is, although he's very handsome.

There are some other varieties and colors of Cuys in South America besides the red and white variety but I've never seen a Dalmatian, and those that have been introduced to the pet market here in the US are almost exclusively a variation of red and white or a tan and white.

Your pig looks to be the product of a Dalmatian to self pairing, and neither of those likely being red or tan, so it's just pretty unlikely on the whole that he's Cuy or a mix.

I've had "average" sows weigh up to 3.75 lbs and "average" boars at or near 4 lbs, so while it definitely isn't the norm, it's also not unheard of.

He is a very handsome boy, in any case!

Amanda Marie · May 1, 2015

Thank you for your help, and yes he is handsome, i love him to bits even though he really doesn't like to be held or looked at for that matter. He is also a bit temperamental but i love him anyway. Well in any case he is very very big, even though he has been on a diet for over a year, and he still packs on the pounds. But thank you for your insight @Paula and @joys_cavies

Easefirst · May 7, 2015

Hmm, that makes me wonder. I just got my piggies five days ago, they are both about 5 months old, and one is double smaller than the other one. Large one is red and white, smaller one -black/white/brownish. How long do they grow?

joys_cavies · May 7, 2015

Easefirst said:
Hmm, that makes me wonder. I just got my piggies five days ago, they are both about 5 months old, and one is double smaller than the other one. Large one is red and white, smaller one -black/white/brownish. How long do they grow?

I have a sow that is about 10'' and about 12" when she stretches out. I've heard they can grow up to 10" - 12" though.

pinky · May 7, 2015

I have a female dalmation that's just a little over a year. She's 2.9 lbs and is pretty stocky. I think genetics probably have a lot to do with it. I feed all of mine the same amount but they're all different sizes and shapes.

Amanda Marie · May 7, 2015

Bear is 13 inches long when he stretches out. He's so big

Easefirst · May 7, 2015

joys_cavies said:
I have a sow that is about 10'' and about 12" when she stretches out. I've heard they can grow up to 10" - 12" though.

I meant until what age do they grow? My larger one is also very shy, and squeaks, when I pick her up. Little one is more tame and doesn't squeak. But they are close to adulthood, so if red one would be cuy, she would probably be very large by now.

joys_cavies · May 7, 2015

Easefirst said:
I meant until what age do they grow? My larger one is also very shy, and squeaks, when I pick her up. Little one is more tame and doesn't squeak. But they are close to adulthood, so if red one would be cuy, she would probably be very large by now.

They stop growing at about 11 months - 12 months

Easefirst · May 7, 2015

Hmm, then it is still possible, that she might be. We just have to see. And try to tame her. Other one is taking now food from me, even though very carefully, but not the Lola (large one).

joys_cavies · May 7, 2015

Easefirst said:
Hmm, then it is still possible, that she might be. We just have to see. And try to tame her. Other one is taking now food from me, even though very carefully, but not the Lola (large one).

Can you post a photo?

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What breed? Is Bear a Cuy guinea pig?

Amanda Marie

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