Guinea Pigs. Training Manual. Ginny the Guinea Pig Guru GP05

Transcription

1 Guinea Pigs Training Manual TM Ginny the Guinea Pig Guru.indd 1

2 GUINEA PIGS 1 Before You Begin Before you begin setting up the guinea pig enclosure, check that you have all listed Inventory items. 1.1 Inventory 1 x Guinea pig enclosure 2 x Guinea pigs Water tube Feed bowl Oaten hay Pellets Sugarcane mulch Gloves Dust mask Guinea pig blanket Dust pan Stiff brush Bucket Nail trimmers Grooming brush Hidey cave Guinea pig cart 2 Housing Your Guinea Pig Guinea Pigs are social animals so should be housed in groups of at least 2 and in same sex groups. The life span of a Guinea pig is between 5-7 years. Guinea pigs are a prey species so it s important to house them where they are safe from predators. Guinea pigs are curious animals and like to see what s going on around them but they are also fond of dark hiding places. Guinea pigs are intelligent, social animals. When they get to know you they will squeak and whistle to greet you and to let you know they are happy and contented. 2.indd 2

3 Raising Guinea Pigs Training Manual 2.1 Setting Up the Cage Follow these step-by-step instructions to set up the guinea pig enclosure. 1 Before your guinea pigs arrive, line the cage with newspaper. 2 Over the newspaper place a layer of sugarcane mulch about 2 3cm deep. 3 Place the hidey cave inside. Fill the shallow, broad bottomed bowl with pellets and place inside the house. 4 Fill the water tube and attach to the cage so that it s accessible to the guinea pigs. 3.indd 3

4 3 Feeding Your Guinea Pigs The pellet bowl should be broad bottomed so the guinea pigs can t knock it over. It should also be shallow so they don t have to climb in the bowl to eat. Contamination of feed can make your guinea pigs very unwell. Guinea pigs love to eat grass however at least 80% if their diet should be either meadow or oaten hay. Lucerne hay is not recommended. Choose a good quality pellet that contains Vitamin C. 3.1 Give them lots of Fresh vegetables or fruit are ideal food for your guinea pig. Just like humans they like a variety of foods and will have their own individual likes and dislikes so feel free to experiment. 3.2 Try to Avoid AVOID lucerne hay and rabbit and guinea pig loose mixes that let guinea pigs eat selectively. Why? Because, just like you, your guinea pigs may eat all the unhealthy bits and leave the healthy bits in the feed bowl! 4 Caring for Your Guinea Pig 4.1 Handling When handling your guinea pig it s important they feel safe and secure because then they are less likely to struggle and become distressed. To pick up the guinea pig take the blanket provided and place it over the guinea pig. Using both hands pick up the guinea pig holding it firmly and securely and making sure you support the whole body. Try to handle your guinea pig every day if possible because the more it s handled the more comfortable it will feel being handled. 4.2 Grooming Ideally your guinea pig should be brushed every day. At the very least it should be brushed once a week. When stroking or brushing your guinea pig, always brush in the direction of the hair. Avoid brushing against the grain as this will make your guinea pig uncomfortable. 4.indd 4

5 Raising Guinea Pigs Training Manual Bathing IMPORTANT: When bathing it is important that the eyes, ears and nose of your guinea pig remain dry at all times. Guinea pigs only require bathing when necessary because they naturally groom themselves many times a day, often after eating vegetables or after burrowing through grass hay. An opaque liquid is secreted from their eyes and helps in cleaning your guinea pigs face and body. Before you begin make sure you have the following equipment assembled: Shallow plastic tub Non-slip mat Plastic jug 1 or 2 small towels Shampoo (baby or small animal) a) Place the non-slip mat on the bottom of the tub b) Fill tub with lukewarm water but make sure it s not too deep c) Gently place your guinea pig in the tub d) Pour water over your guinea pig e) Remove the guinea pig from the tub and place on towel f) Put a small amount of shampoo on your guinea pig and massage in g) Place the guinea pig back into the water and rinse off h) Remove the guinea pig from the tub and dry with a towel. It s very important that your guinea pig is completely dry before returning to the enclosure Nail Trimming IMPORTANT: It is important to ensure when clipping your guinea pigs nails that you always cut below the quick. If your guinea pig has dark nails it may be difficult to see the quick so you need to be extra careful. Shining torchlight on the nail will make it easier to see where the quick begins. If in any doubt only cut the tip of the nail. Guinea pigs have four toes on their front feet and three on their hind feet that need regular trimming. Each nail has a blood vessel known as the quick which is pink or red. Cutting your guinea pigs nails in the future will be easier because when the nail re-grows there will be an indent where the last trimming took place How to Trim Before you begin assemble the following equipment. Clippers Towel Stypic powder or Flour Guineas favourite food Carefully place your guinea pig on a towel with their favourite food to distract them while you trim. Hold the hind foot between your thumb and index finger and locate the quick. Do not cut above or at the quick as this will cause pain and bleeding. Hold the foot in one hand and gently clip the end of your guinea pigs nail, being careful to avoid the quick. 5.indd 5

6 How Often To Trim You should trim your Guinea pigs nails every three months or whenever necessary Why Nail Trimming is Necessary Without regular nail clipping a guinea pigs nail will continue to grow and curl itself into the footpad. This may cause severe pain and may result in your guinea pig being unable to use the foot. Regular trimming also lets you examine your guinea pigs footpad and ensure their feet are healthy. 5 Cleaning the Cage Your Guinea pig cage should be cleaned thoroughly at least twice a week. We recommend a Monday, (after the weekend break) and another day towards the end of the week, Thursday or Friday (before the weekend break). 5.1 Cleaning Procedure Put on your protective clothing that should consist of a dusk mask, gloves and apron. Depending on the individual environment, boots or galoshes may also be appropriate. Remove the guinea pigs from their housing and place in another container, lined with sugar cane mulch, (use a cardboard box or other secure container). Remove bedding layers, including the newspaper and place in waste collection bucket. This waste may be used to mulch garden beds. Spray the walls and floors of the cage with cleaning solution and allow the cage to air for 5 10 minutes. Follow the Setting up the Cage procedures 6.indd 6

7 Raising Guinea Pigs Training Manual Guinea Pigs Instructional DVD 7.indd 7

8 TM Guinea Pigs Training Manual Meet the Backyard In A Box Brilliance Bunch! These environmental champions help children engage in sustainable practices and encourage thrifty management of the earth s resources. Other titles in this series include: Resource Recycling Worm Farming Composting Chickens Organic Gardening Water Recycling Order your copy now at backyardinabox.com.au Box 4 W W Ringo Wally Charlie Ginny Chaz Orlando Waldo.indd 8