Guinea Pigs

These are very mild-mannered creatures that come in all different coat colors and sport various types of mullets and have various types of vocalization patterns.

At Chatham Animal Clinic we offer general routine veterinary care such as wellness visits, nail trims, and dental evaluation.

  • Life span: 4-6 years
  • Adult Weight: 1.5-2.5 pounds
  • Sexual Maturity: 4-6 months of age

  • Usually very easy tempered and docile, but they can still scratch
  • Prey species so sometimes very easily frightened unless handled regularly and will run around very fast
  • Have a wide variety of vocalizations such as squeaks, squeals, purrs, growls, and cheeps.

  • Should mostly consist of grass hay such as timothy, and bermuda grass
  • Grass hay promotes healthy teeth and a healthy digestive system
  • Fruits and veggies high in vitamin C such as strawberries, raspberries, oranges, kiwi, mustard greens, kale, parsley, red and green pepper, broccoli
  • They promote good digestive health, good immune support, and healthy skin
  • Offer a smaller amount of commercial Guinea Pig pelleted diet daily
  • About 1/8 of a cup a day

  • Need a well-ventilated cage with a solid floor to prevent damage to the legs or feet
  • Wire bottom floors can be very harsh on foot pads and cause infections
  • Make sure there is a thick layer of bedding such as recycled newspaper litter or aspen shavings- avoid cedar or pine shavings
  • Place the cage in a quiet location, away from chilling drafts in a temperature of 65-75 degrees F
  • Clean cage daily- they can be messy!
  • Make sure there is a box or structure in there for them to hide and seek safety

  • Yearly physical exams are recommended to check for teeth problems and parasites such as lice, mites, or fungal infections
  • Regular toenail trimming is required to prevent overgrowth
  • Regular brushing is required of the long-haired breeds
  • Annual fecal exams for parasites

Guinea Pigs

These are very mild-mannered creatures that come in all different coat colors and sport various types of mullets and have various types of vocalization patterns.

At Chatham Animal Clinic we offer general routine veterinary care such as wellness visits, nail trims, and dental evaluation.

  • Life span: 4-6 years
  • Adult Weight: 1.5-2.5 pounds
  • Sexual Maturity: 4-6 months of age

  • Usually very easy tempered and docile, but they can still scratch
  • Prey species so sometimes very easily frightened unless handled regularly and will run around very fast
  • Have a wide variety of vocalizations such as squeaks, squeals, purrs, growls, and cheeps.

  • Should mostly consist of grass hay such as timothy, and bermuda grass
  • Grass hay promotes healthy teeth and a healthy digestive system
  • Fruits and veggies high in vitamin C such as strawberries, raspberries, oranges, kiwi, mustard greens, kale, parsley, red and green pepper, broccoli
  • They promote good digestive health, good immune support, and healthy skin
  • Offer a smaller amount of commercial Guinea Pig pelleted diet daily
  • About 1/8 of a cup a day

  • Need a well-ventilated cage with a solid floor to prevent damage to the legs or feet
  • Wire bottom floors can be very harsh on foot pads and cause infections
  • Make sure there is a thick layer of bedding such as recycled newspaper litter or aspen shavings- avoid cedar or pine shavings
  • Place the cage in a quiet location, away from chilling drafts in a temperature of 65-75 degrees F
  • Clean cage daily- they can be messy!
  • Make sure there is a box or structure in there for them to hide and seek safety

  • Yearly physical exams are recommended to check for teeth problems and parasites such as lice, mites, or fungal infections
  • Regular toenail trimming is required to prevent overgrowth
  • Regular brushing is required of the long-haired breeds
  • Annual fecal exams for parasites