Guinea pig basics: companionship, hay and vitamin C
Plan for compatible companionship, constant grass hay, fresh water, vitamin-C-rich foods and daily checks for appetite and breathing.
Use this guide to notice and organize information. Contact a qualified veterinarian for medical concerns or urgent change.
Prepare for social and physical needs
Guinea pigs are social, so plan for a compatible pair or established group rather than assuming a person can replace all same-species contact. Provide enough floor space, multiple shelters with more than one exit and duplicate key resources to reduce competition.
Use dry, comfortable bedding and create hiding, foraging and movement opportunities. Avoid exercise balls and high climbing setups that do not fit guinea pig anatomy.
Make hay the foundation
Provide good-quality grass hay and fresh water at all times. Add guinea-pig-specific pellets and a varied selection of safe fresh produce, including reliable vitamin C sources, in amounts suited to the animals.
Vitamin C in stored food can decline over time. Do not substitute rabbit pellets, and do not add supplements to drinking water unless a veterinarian specifically directs it because taste and stability can make intake unreliable.
Watch for fast changes
Check appetite, droppings, urine, weight, breathing, eyes, nose, feet and movement. Weigh each guinea pig regularly on a small digital scale because gradual loss can be easier to detect in a record than by appearance.
Seek veterinary care promptly for reduced eating, drooling, diarrhea, weight loss, weakness, eye or nose discharge, or noisy breathing. Breathing difficulty is an emergency, and medications should never be shared from another species or pet.
Read the supporting material
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Supports companionship, long-term commitment, hay-based nutrition and the need for dietary vitamin C.
Original source ↗02veterinary guidance · Merck Veterinary ManualDiet for a Guinea PigSupports constant grass hay, guinea-pig-specific feeding and reliable dietary vitamin C rather than water supplementation.
Original source ↗