Food and Water

The guinea pig should be fed a basic guinea pig mix each morning and evening and should also be fed fruit and/or vegetables or plants and flowers to ensure that the guinea pig receives adequate vitamin C to remain healthy. It should also have a plentiful supply of hay or grass at all times.

Fresh water should always be available and Pet Shops also sell vitamin drops which can be added to water and these can be particularly beneficial to the growing and weak guinea pigs. The guinea pig should never be without access to water.

Grooming

Short coated guinea pigs do not generally need grooming but the long haired varieties will require regular grooming to prevent the coat from becoming matted.

Cage Cleaning

Any uneaten fruit and/or vegetables or plants and flowers should be removed daily so that it does not rot in the cage or hutch. The cage or hutch should be cleaned weekly by removing the guinea pig from the cage and throwing away all old woodshavings, hay and food and replacing with fresh woodshavings, hay and food.

Health Checks

When you clean the cage you should check the guinea pig over for any signs of illness. This is an ideal time to check that the droppings in the cage look normal: soft droppings could indicate diarrhoea, lack of droppings could indicate constipation.