Top tips about Guinea Pigs
GUINEA pigs are great pets that are fun to look after and form a close bond with their owners, especially if they are handled regularly. They can be kept as outdoor or indoor pets, but if they are kept outside they need their hutch to be well protected from rain and direct sun.
They enjoy plenty of exercise and do well if given time out of the hutch in the house or in a run each day. Coming from the South American grasslands, they are best fed on a diet of grass, hay, fruit and vegetables together with some high quality commercially prepared food.
Throughout the year, guinea pigs should be checked every day; problems to watch out for include chest infections (that can follow bad weather or stress), diarrhoea (which can relate to infections or change in diet), skin disease due to mange mites and dental problems (usually associated with overgrown teeth). Prompt treatment always gives the best chance of recovery, so any problems should be dealt with quickly.
You'd be lost without them...
HAVE YOU ever wondered how you would cope if your pet went missing? Sadly it is all too easy for pets to go missing and the key to finding them is for them to be reliably identified. One solution is the collar and tag and this can work well providing it doesn't come off - a common problem especially in cats who seem to lose their collars with great frequency.
The good news however is that modern technology has come to our aid in the form of a tiny microchip (about the size of a grain of rice) which can be quickly and easily implanted under the skin - permanently identifying your pet. Each microchip contains a unique code that identifies your pet and these details are stored on a central computer database. Microchips can be "read" using a special hand held scanner. Veterinary practices, the police and animal welfare organisations routinely scan all strays, hopefully ensuring that if your pet does go missing, you will have the reassurance that when found - even if the collar and tag have been lost - the microchip should save the day!
Don't take the risk - make sure your pets are microchipped!
Article written for Summer 2008 issue by
Dacre House Veterinary Clinic
91 Powder Mill Lane
Southborough
Tunbridge Wells
Kent TN4 9ED
Tel: 01892 546000
