🐹 Vet’s 2025 Guide to Guinea Pig Care: Nutrition, Social Needs & Health 🏡🥦🩺

By Dr. Duncan Houston, BVSc

Guinea pigs, also known as cavies, are affectionate, vocal, and delightfully social pets. With their gentle temperaments and expressive personalities, they’re a popular choice for families and small-animal enthusiasts alike. In this 2025 guide, I’ll walk you through how to provide top-quality care for your guinea pigs—from housing and diet to health and enrichment. 🐾

📖 Guinea Pig Basics

Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) are herbivorous rodents that live 5–8 years on average. They thrive in pairs or groups and rely heavily on routine and gentle handling. Daily attention to diet, housing, and grooming is essential to prevent common health issues. 🐹

🏡 Housing & Environment

• Space: Provide a minimum of 120x60 cm for two guinea pigs—more space is always better.
• Companionship: Always keep at least two; guinea pigs are highly social and can become depressed in isolation.
• Substrate: Use dust-free bedding like paper-based litter. Avoid cedar and pine shavings, which release harmful oils.
• Hideouts: Offer hiding spots, tunnels, and shelters to help your guinea pigs feel safe.
• Temperature: Keep the environment between 18–24°C—avoid heat and humidity extremes.

🥦 Nutrition & Diet

Guinea pigs require a strict herbivorous diet with constant access to high-fiber foods:

• Hay: Unlimited timothy or oaten hay is essential for digestive and dental health.
• Fresh Greens: Offer daily leafy greens like kale, cos lettuce, and parsley.
• Pellets: Use guinea pig-specific pellets fortified with vitamin C.
• Vitamin C: Guinea pigs cannot synthesize their own—provide 20–30 mg/day via food or supplement.
• Water: Fresh, clean water should be available in a bottle or bowl and changed daily.

⛔ Foods to Avoid

Some foods are toxic or harmful to guinea pigs:

• Iceberg lettuce: Low nutrient content, can cause diarrhea.
• Potato, onion, garlic: Toxic compounds.
• Seeds and nuts: Choking hazard and too high in fat.
• Bread, grains, dairy: Not suitable for herbivorous digestion.

🩺 Health & Veterinary Care

Regular checks and prompt vet visits are key to long-term guinea pig wellness:

• Annual Exams: Schedule wellness checks with an exotic-savvy vet.
• Teeth: Their teeth grow continuously—ensure hay intake and monitor for overgrowth.
• Parasites: Mites and lice are common—look for scratching, hair loss, or crusting.
• Scurvy: Watch for lethargy, swollen joints, or poor coat condition—a sign of vitamin C deficiency.
• Respiratory Infections: Guinea pigs are prone to pneumonia—prompt treatment is critical.

🧼 Grooming & Hygiene

• Nail Trimming: Every 4–6 weeks to prevent overgrowth and injury.
• Coat Care: Long-haired breeds (like Peruvians) need brushing several times a week; short-haired breeds require less.
• Cage Cleaning: Spot clean daily and do a full clean at least once a week.

🎯 Enrichment & Mental Stimulation

Guinea pigs love exploring and playing in a safe environment:

• Provide floor time daily in a guinea pig-proofed play area.
• Rotate toys weekly to keep things interesting.
• Offer hay-stuffed toilet paper rolls, cardboard mazes, and treat-dispensing puzzles.
• Talk to them! Guinea pigs respond to their humans’ voices with squeaks, purrs, and chirps. 🗣️

💡 Handling & Bonding

• Approach calmly—start with gentle petting before lifting.
• Support their bottom and torso when picking up.
• Allow time to adjust—guinea pigs build trust over weeks.

🚨 Emergency Signs

Contact your vet if your guinea pig shows any of the following:

• Lack of appetite or water intake for 12+ hours
• Diarrhea, bloat, or unusual stool consistency
• Labored breathing or nasal discharge
• Head tilt, seizures, or sudden lethargy

📱 Support & Resources

Need advice or help? These services have you covered:

• Ask questions or book consults via Ask A Vet or the Ask A Vet app 📱
• Find toys and chew-safe accessories at Woopf 🧸
• Get tailored supplements and nutrition boosters from Purrz 🥕

Guinea pigs are wonderful pets with the right care and attention. With a little effort and a lot of love, your piggies will squeak and popcorn their way through a long, healthy life. 🐹💚