Biography of a guinea pig

Birth weight gr. The content of guinea pigs of guinea pigs is very sociable animals and should be contained by same -sex groups, pairs or harems. Males coexist together under the condition of joint living from an early age, nevertheless, fights associated with dominant behavior may occur. Guinea pigs cannot be kept with rabbits, as rabbits intimidate them and, in addition, they have different needs for feeding.

Guinea pigs are nervous animals, they are easy to scare them. They are thermophilic and cannot take out sudden changes in temperature and humidity, the change of which can lead to respiratory diseases. A wide selection of various cells and materials can be used to create conditions for the maintenance of guinea pigs. The most common include cells, aquariums and cells for rabbits.

They can be made of wood, plastic, concrete, stainless steel or wire, but there are some nuances here: the tree absorbs the urine well, it can be gripped and difficult to clean it; dwellings of brick or concrete are poorly insulated, the litter in them should be deep; Glass aquariums are poorly ventilated and must be regularly cleaned so that ammonia vapors do not accumulate and diseases of the respiratory system do not arise.

The cell should be well isolated and not let drafts, the surface should easily be washed and disinfected, and smooth wire coatings can lead to extremities. The minimum recommended area per animal near CM2, and the height should be at least 40 cm. The corns and cells should be raised above the ground to protect against humidity and drafts. It is also not recommended to hold a cage with a guinea pig on the windowsill, near the balcony or under air conditioning - this can also lead to respiratory diseases.

Guinea pigs should not be under direct sunlight and, if they live in the open air, they must have constant access to the shadow. Thermal blow and infertility can occur at temperatures above 27 0C. If the animals are contained in the rooms, then the length of the daylight hours should be hours and constant physical activity is needed to avoid such problems as obesity and osteoporosis.

For regular daily exercises and walks, you can use wheels for running, arch, all kinds of pipes and boxes so that the animal can hide in case of fright. The height of the substrate, such as wooden chips, granules should be 5 cm. It is recommended to use hay, straw or crushed paper to arrange a berth. Ideally, all these materials should not absorb dust and should absorb moisture.

Hay and straw can cause the ulceration of the cornea of ​​the eye due to injury or a foreign body entering the eye. To create a cell interior, you can use cardboard boxes, pipes, wooden blocks or branches of fruit trees, willow, poplar; Vyudic trees should be avoided, such as cherries, plum, cedar, oleander. Feeding guinea pigs: guinea pigs - herbivores, their diet should contain a high percentage of fiber and consist mainly of plant components such as hay and grass.

The ideal diet of guinea pigs consists of a mixture of commercial granular feed plus a sufficient amount of satisfactory quality of hay and fresh green leaves, such as grass, dandelion, cross -country, broocolly, stupefying. Food fibers are necessary to ensure the best chewing food and contribute to the erasing of the teeth, and to maintain the normal function of the gastrointestinal tract.

Commercial dry mixtures are not recommended, since they contain little fiber and lead to selective eating. This indicator increases two to three times in growing animals and during pregnancy. It is very important to monitor the hygiene of feeding. The food should be kept away from potential bacterial, parasitic or chemical contamination. Bolder products, such as hay or peanuts, can be a source of Aflatoxins.

Freshly they should not feed the grass, as this can lead to a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract and the occurrence of flatulence. Feed with a high sugar content cannot be given to guinea pigs, since they can cause caries and diabetes.

The guinea pigs, like other rodents - copophages, eat their feces directly from the anus, so if you see how your guinea pig puts his head under his stomach - do not be afraid. Separately, it is worth saying about vitamin C, which in guinea pigs is not produced in the body and they must receive it from food. With a lack of vitamin C, hypovitaminosis with scurvy develops. Vegetables with a high vitamin C content include pepper, tomatoes, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, as well as greens - parsley, cabbage, chicory leaves.To avoid possible problems, it is advisable to add 1 g of ascorbic acid to the water to a liter of water daily and provide the animal with vegetables and herbs with a high vitamin C content of vitamin C harmlessly and is removed with urine.