Rescues, pet stores, and new pet owners will find great advice for getting a guinea pig off to a good start. Guinea pigs can live on paper bedding, wood shavings, and fleece. Skinny pigs are born almost completely hairless, however some develop more as the get older, especially around their nose. Dont use bowls for water because it gets soiled quickly leaving piggy without water. Skinny pig the ultimate breed and care guide little. Hey everyone, i just got guinea pig from a friend and he is far too skinny. There are actually two types of hairless guinea pig, this one and another called the baldwin guinea pig. Guinea pig life expectancy skinny pigs care for life.
I like to trim their nails once a week and remove the sharp tips. Skinny pig care is trickier than haired guinea pig care, but its not impossible or unmanageable for most people. Breeding these guinea pigs needs to be carried out with care. Give your guinea pig 15 minutes and then try again. Many people dont even know that the skinny pig is its own breed of guinea pig in the first place. A very well known breeder who specializes in hairless cavies. There are skinny guinea pigs that have lived to be 7 years old.
Skinny pig has smooth skin with wrinkles around the legs and neck. It is best to invest in a well illustrated handbook but unless. They came about as a result of laboratory testing at the institut armand frappier in montreal, canada in 1978. Skinny pigs typically have hair on their muzzles, feet, and legs, but are hairless over the remainder of their bodies. How to care for guinea pigs with pictures wikihow pet. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This book brings together information on general and veterinary care in an easy to use format.
Taking care of your skinny pig now that you have decided on a skinny pig as your pet you should have all the supplies necessary before bringing him her home. I am a breeder of two very rare types of hairless guinea pigs. The skinny pigs are quickly growing in popularity, and many are saying that they are more gregarious breeds. Longhaired varieties need daily grooming as their coats can quickly become matted and uncomfortable.
All reserved piggys must be picked up in person unless delivery or shipping has been arranged in advance. Line the bottom of their cage with newspaper or puppy pads and add your bedding. The hairless guinea pig since their initial domestication around five millennia bc, several guinea pig breeds have been developed. Here you will fi nd tips for selecting and raising your skinny pigs as well as valuable information on housing, feeding, breeding and health concerns. History of the breed comparison to other guinea pig breeds cost of care pros and cons habitat requirements daily care teaching.
From the different breeds of guinea pig to consider, like the american, silkie, peruvian or teddy guinea pig, to their proper care and maintenance, theres a lot to know before adding one to your family. If you have any concerns about your guinea pigs health, seek your vets advice. Feed fresh fruitveggrassfresh hayburgess excell guinea pig food and ready grass daily and of course, fresh water. In order to keep your piggy healthy and happy, you will need to pay special attention to the care of their skin, by identifying issues and maintaining healthy skin. If you have any concerns about your guinea pig s health, seek your vets advice. Skinny pigs by nature, have extra skin care requirements than their hairy relatives. We would like to provide you with the most friendly, wellsocialized and healthy babies possible. Is a skinny guinea pig the right pet guinea pig for you.
Ready now at 9 weeks old i have beautiful skinny pig boars available to reserve for their forever homes. Guinea pigs love a good cuddle but on the first day home, but make sure to give your guinea pig time to settle in. They get very lonely or even depressed when housed alone. Any type of veggie related to the cabbage family needs to be offered in very small amounts, or better yet, avoided completely. A guinea pig can be one of the most endearing and wonderful pets. History of the breed comparison to other guinea pig breeds cost of care pros and cons habitat requirements daily care teaching your guinea pig simple commands.
Skinny pigs also often develop dry skin, but you can apply unscented baby lotion to the affected areas. He has been with me now for about 3 months and seems to be doing well. The skinny pig is an almost hairless breed of guinea pig. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading guinea pig care secrets. Guinea pig advisor happy cavy abyssinian guinea pig tips guinea lynx keep in mind, some foods should only be given in moderation 23 times per week at the most while others can be offered daily. Small pets 4 caring for your guinea pigs blue cross. Apr 01, 2000 buy the proper care of guinea pigs new edition by gurney, peter isbn. Food is their fuel to give them the energy to keep warm and healthy.
Skinny pigs have a higher metabolism than guinea pigs with fur because they need to maintain their body heat. The temperature could easily drop and make your piggy sick. Skinny pig carrier sow ebbw vale, blaenau gwent pets4homes. No guinea pig, let alone a skinny pig should be forced to live outside. Females are called sows, males are called boars, babies are called pups, and the breed as a whole is sometimes referred to as cavies or a cavy. Your guinea pigs are family, so you want them to be happy and healthy. Skinny pigs eat lots more than normal haired guinea pigs. Skinnies have a practically hairless appearance, with the cutest rolls and wrinkles as babies. Some of them have a thin covering of fuzzy hair on their backs as well. Also, clean food and water containers dailyand change their bedding once a month.
Is there anything safe to put on a naked or skinny guinea. For a list of supplierslinks for many of the products mentioned below please see the skinny pig equipmentsupplies page. Guinea pigs or cavies, to give them their proper name are fascinating, intelligent and, when handled correctly, friendly. All you need to know about guinea pigs the spruce pets. They most likely were the descendants of the pinkeyed white hartley lab guinea pigs who were being tested at the laboratory.
A healthy skinny has skin that is mostly smooth with some wrinkling around the legs and neck, the. Black skinny pig babies and dalmatian skinny pig babies are particularly common examples you can find when looking for skinny pig breeders. I can provide a cage for extra if required skinny pigs must live in pairs skinny pigs wont leave me to live alone. Skinny guinea pigs do not need to bathe often because they need the. Skinny guinea pigs dont have fur to protect their skin. A brief guide to skinny guinea pigs online guinea pig care. Guinea pigs require some specific care in order to thrive. I like to due a set of nail clippers for humans that you are comfortable with. Oct 24, 2015 joined aug 26, 2015 messages 210 reaction score 190 points 255 location england, ivybridge. We raise skinny pigs a unique breed of bareskinned guinea pigs. Each additional guinea pig needs and extra two to four square feet.
Whether youre taking a guinea pig home for your kids or for yourself, the act of bringing one into your life requires the same due diligence that taking any other pet home would. These care pages serve as a basic overview of guinea pig care. Mostly hairless, the skinny guinea pig has a little hair on the feet and legs and a patch of wiry hair on its nose. The skinny was discovered in 1978 by armand frappier, when he discovered a genetic mutation. Beautiful skinny pig carrier sow available now forever her forever home lovely girl has had beautiful babies such a chunky girl will leave with pedigree certificate, change over food and a care booklet delivery is available message me for a quote. One known as a skinny pig and the other known as the baldwin guinea pig. I have put together some hopefully helpful skinny pig care information, if theres anything ive missed or if you have any questions after reading please let me know. The person that originally rescued the guinea pig did not know anything about them or how to care for them and turned to me since i raise guinea pigs. Caring for your guinea pig involves providing the proper diet, housing, and toys, and having the right supplies to clean up after your small pet. Skinny guinea pig february, 2016 admin guinea pig breeds 0 there are a lot of different breeds and all of them differ from each other by the type of hair and its length, but the skinny guinea pig is just unique because it doesnt have hair at all. Skinny pig care the best source for taking care of your. Some skinny guinea pigs will also have a light smattering of fuzz on the rump and shoulders. To be honest, im not even sure how many people know this odd critter even exists.
We are visited regularly by veterinarians, including dr. You can improve guinea pig health with a little love and care. The skinny guinea pig is distinctive for its almost complete lack of a coat. He is eating everything i have given to him lettuce, peppers, cilantro, orchard grass, grass and pellet but i was wondering if there is anything i should be doing to insure he gets back to safe and healthy size and weight. A well caredfor guinea pig can live for ten years, though an average lifespan is around 57 years. Skinny pig breed information a guide to the hairless guinea pig. While not nearly as diverse as dogs or cats, there are at least eighteen recognized breeds of guinea pigs. We sell skinny pigs online, delivered to an airport near you. A single guinea pig may get more tame but it is also a matter of personality and how much you handle it it really doesnt matter as much as in some other species. I want to clear up a common misconception by saying. It is up to you how you look after your guinea pig, but you must take reasonable steps to ensure that you meet all their needs. According to this book, guinea pigs were once the ruling species on this continent. A safe and enjoyable home will help you have a happy and healthy skinny pig. Our pigs receive an abundance of attention and the best of care.
In this book you will find a wealth of information about the skinny pig as well as information about caring for guinea pigs in general. Speak with your new furry friend in soft, soothing tones. Guinea pig food, pet guinea pigs, guinea pig care, guinea pig hutch. My documentszoe fileseducation guinea pig info helpful hint guinea pigs need at least two square feet of cage space including space for their hiding places and food bowls.
For one, they are social and do need to be kept in pairs, or better still small groups. David brust, who is the president of the association of sugar glider veterinarians. Routine health care of guinea pigs merck veterinary manual. In this book you will find a wealth of information about caring for guinea pigs of all types, particularly skinny pigs hairlessbald guinea pigs. Guinea pigs guinea pigs welfare tips, advice, health. Because their skin is exposed, youll need to apply sunblock to your pig if hell be spending a long time in direct sunlight. Cavymadness is designed to be an introductory site for guinea pig enthusiasts. Grooming is a vital part of the routine care of guinea pigs. More indepth and advanced information is available through the excellent guinea pig care pages listed on my links page.
Each skinny pig will react differently so you want to make sure you are ok with keeping your skinny pig feeling safe. A descendant of the wild guinea pigs of south america, todays domesticated guinea pig is viewed by many as an easypet for children. The skinny pig is a very unusual, yet an increasingly popular breed of guinea pig. Access to dry food, fresh water and timothy hay should be given at all times. The guinea pig handbook the information you need to keep your guinea pig happy and healthy from the time of their domestication thousands of years ago in south america, cavies have made their way into the hearts and homes of people of all ages and from around the world. Guinea pigs live for around four to eight years, so their care is a longterm commitment. Keep pigs of the same gender together if you have them as pets. Everything you need to know about hairless skinny pigs.
Handled since birth lovely little boyswill leave with their pedigree certificates, change over food, care booklet and hay bag. Your guinea pig will love all the food you offer, but if sits in their bowl for more than four hours, its time to take it away. From abandon pet to instagram celebrity in less than a year. However, in the past decade, more and more owners have begun to raise this increasingly popular hairless guinea pig. Skinny pig for sale guinea pigs breed information omlet. The skinny pig, also called a hairless guinea pig, is known for being an unique type of guinea pig, because it is not very widely available and has its own distinctive features. I prefer the cubes to loose hay as its not as messy and i find that the guinea pigs play with the cubes as well. They may live as long as 9 years the average is 5 to 7, so the decision to bring one into your home must be made carefully. Skinny guinea pigs do not need to bathe often because they need the protection of the oils that their bodies produce. They are an outcome of a haired guinea pig crossed with a hairless lab strain. This breed is the newest one, because its existed only 40 years for now.
Skinny pig, guinea pig care and keeping hairless guinea pigs. Provide your guinea pig with a few inches of bedding. Skinny pig care is fairly simple but these pigs do have some particular health concerns. The skinny pig is truly a unique breed of guinea pig that you most likely wont see around. Also keep in mind, that during the winter season, the pig may not drink water if you give it a lot of fresh grass and vegetables. Sep 10, 20 the skinny came from a cross breed of haired guinea pig and a hairless lab strain. Skinny pig breed information a guide to the hairless. Skinny pigs still have a little bit of fuzz on their noses and feet while baldwins are completely hairless and the rarest of all guinea pigs. Apr 18, 2017 melody pond scratched her back with a rear leg while eating dinner just now and squeaked with what seemed like pain while doing it.
They originate from south america and there are eight species, but only one the domestic cavy is kept as a pet. Keeping track of weight changes is an important way to monitor your guinea pigs health. Your cavy the proper name guinea pigs are known by will depend on you for food, water, medical care and companionship. Skinny pigs and baldwin guinea pigs are both nearly hairless. Your guinea pig should always have access to fresh water in a bottle as shown on the picture. If you already own a skinny pig or two, you know that they are a bit high maintenance. Caring for your skinny pig santa barbara skinny pigs. However if you want to take your guinea pig outdoors to get some fresh air, or as a treat you need to take a few easy precautions to ensure that you will not be accidently harming the health of your skinny pig. Soon enough, parents and children discover that this new companion animal requires substantially more care than the childs favorite stuffed toy. Guinea pig care sheets for beginners to help you get organized. Taking care of your skinny pig carmandale guinea pigs. Find guinea pigs available for rehoming and adoption. Vitamin c is especially important in a guinea pigs diet.
This means both girls will get a quick nailblunting with the rotary again tonight, but im concerned because her skin seems to actually be more delicate than river. Guinea pig care 101 is a fulllength book, not a thin report skinny reports is. Make sure never use cedar chips as it can cause respiratory problems. How to look after a hairless guinea pig skinny pig. Now comes the fun part of building the home for your newest family. Skinny pigs are a result of a genetic mutation due to experiments in a laboratory during the 70s.
D we use lab 5025 guinea pig formula as our dry pellet and for our hay we prefer to buy timothy hay cubes. Hairless hilltop hunks is located an hour from the st. Guinea pig babies are cute but being pregnant is quite a health hazard and is best done by a knowledgeable breeder. Female guinea pigs reach sexual maturity at four to five. They also like it when you gently stroke their head. A healthy guinea pig living in a clean cage and having a proper diet should have a perfectly wellmaintained skin. We also have a website so you may reserve your guinea pig today. These nearly hairless critters have a funny way of winning the hearts of nearly all they come into contact with.
Guinea lynx pamphlet and translations this concise brochure is available to anyone to download and distribute without cost pending email notification see bottom of page. You may also keep skinny pigs with guinea pigs, however there are are few important things to know about caring for them. We are a usda breeder in houston, tx and have over 15 years breeding experience. Zippi guinea pig playpen starter pack single height.