How to Care for a Guinea Pig

This is Mr. Pickles, my pig.


Pigs can be great pets, but only if you know how to care for them. Start by finding a proper cage- your pig will be happy if the cage is at LEAST four feet long by 1 ½ - 2 feet wide. Next, get the proper supplies-nail clippers, bedding, a water bottle, a place for your pig to hide ( a pigloo™, or find a wood one at a pet store near you, even build one out of non-treated, Non-toxic wood if you have the time), a chew stick from your local pet store, a food bowl, and a book about Guinea Pigs. Then, buy various foods for your guinea pig to try- High Quality guinea pig food pellets, I recommend Oxbow, (NOT ones for any other rodent, special guinea pig pellets have just the nutrients pigs need), fresh fruits and Veggies- (use no more than 2 times a week if an * is beside it, and if a ! is beside it, it is toxic if used more than 2 times a week)
• Alfalfa, Radish, or clover sprouts
• Basil
• Beet Green tops*
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli (mostly leaves and stem)*
• Brussels sprouts
• Carrot (including tops- one carrot per week is ideal)*
• Celery
• Chard
• Cilantro
• Clover
• Collard Greens*
• Cucumber
• Dandelion (greens and flowers- no pesticides)*
• Endive*
• Escarole
• Green Peppers
• Kale !(1 leaf) !
• Mint
• Mustard Greens*
• Parsley
• Pea Pods (flat and edible kind)
• Peppermint leaves
• Radicchio
• Radish tops
• Raspberry leaves
• Romaine lettuce (NO ICEBURG)
• Watercress*
• Wheat Grass
• Blueberries
• Apple
• Papaya
• Peach
• Pear
• Pineapple
• Plums
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Melon
• Orange (with peel)
• Tomato
NO CHOCOLATE, COOKIES, CRACKERS, CEREAL, BREAD, PASTA, YOGURT DROPS, OR OTHER HUMAN TREATS AT ALL, THEY ARE NOT GOOD FOR GUINEA PIGS!!!

The key to good nutrition is to always provide some fresh fruit and vegetable options along with a supply of Timothy Hay (I recommend Oxbow) and good quality Guinea Pig food (again I recommend Oxbow). Timothy Hay should be 75% of their diet, 15- 20% veggies and the other part pellets. They should get fresh water in their bottle daily.

If your pig or pigs don't drink freely, hold them and hold the water bottle to their mouth and give a VERY GENTLE squeeze every time the pig swallows until the pig seems satisfied, if they don't drink freely in your arms. Eventually they will drink on their own. As long as they are not drinking freely, give them a water session at least once daily.

Make sure your pig gets lots of vitamin C! Drops in the water DO NOT give them enough to survive, because Vitamin C is very unstable and doesn't work for long. By the time they drink their water, they're not getting enough Vitamin C, so I recommend getting some Oxbow stabilized vitamin C tablets (for small pigs half a tablet and for large pigs a whole tablet), if they don't like them at first, keep trying, but don't force the pig, because they cannot spit out or throw up obstructions, and will choke. Make sure they get lots, you should try for 25-50 milligrams of this per day(25 milligrams for small pigs and 50 for larger pigs). I did not know this, so my piggy, Mr. Pickles, got Scurvy! We have to feed him with a syringe and nurse him back to health! I hope he gets better soon!

Guinea Pigs are very social creatures and express themselves by making very cute noises:

Squeaks – Happy Piggy!
Garble – Mildly Happy Pig
Vibrating – Un-Happy Pig
Nothing – Normal

Since they're so social, it would be nice to try to get them a friend if you can. Male pigs should NOT be housed with other males, because they may fight and get hurt. Females should not be housed with males, because they will have offspring, but Females and other Females are a good match.

For more good tips on taking care of your pig, look at these videos:

Guinea Pig Bathing Video

Guinea Pig Nail Clipping Video

Guinea Pig Cage Cleaning Video

The average temperature of a pig is 103⁰F.
Bald Spots behind the ears are normal. Most pigs have them. If your pig does not, don’t worry! It may be a different breed!
Your pig may eat its poop; this is normal and provides nutrients for the pig.
An exotic animal vet will be a necessity for your piggy, even though they don't need regular check-ups, so  find one before you get your pig for emergency reference. If you get a shorthair, it will shed, and needs no grooming. A longhair will need grooming, so if you do get a longhair, find a groomer too.

If your pig
• Loses weight
• Has distressed breathing
• Experiences abnormal hair loss
• Gets skin lesions
• Grows lethargic
• Has overgrown teeth
• Has diarrhea or a dirty bottom
• Eye or nasal discharge
Contact your veterinarian! If your pig does need to be fed by means of a syringe,
Mix some of their favorite food in a blender with some water and make it into a juice. Some foods may just be a pulp, and that’s OK too! If it is too thick, strain it and feed the juice to your pig. For example, my pig loves timothy hay, so I mixed some up in a blender, but it was too thick, so I strained it. Once you have your juice, put it into a syringe and hold your pig. If you are not comfortable holding and feeding your pig at the same time, have someone else hold him or her while you feed him or her. If he or she struggles, you can hold their head, but make sure not to shove in too much food at once, pigs CANNOT spit out or throw up food, so they will choke. Put in no more than ¼ to ½ cc or mL at a time. If your piggy will drink or eat from a spoon, don’t bother with syringes, just hold a spoonful of juice in front of their mouth and they will eat or drink.

Make sure to give your piggy toys to bite and grind their teeth on, and lots of love, too!