GUINEA PIGS

Guinea pigs are rodents (related to chinchillas and porcupines) that originated from the Andes Mountains region of South America. They were probably first domesticated by the Andean Indians of Peru who used them for food and as sacrificial offerings to their gods. In the 16th century, Dutch explorers introduced guinea pigs to Europe, at which time selective breeding and captive rearing began in earnest. These activities have continued to the present.

Guinea pigs are extremely popular pets today because of their availability, docile temperaments, tendency not to bite or scratch when handled, and because of their relatively clean habits. They are not terribly long-lived which can be disconcerting to owners (especially children). Many parents, however, feel that having their children experience the relatively short period of companionship and subsequent death is a favorable and meaningful way to expose children to the "ups and downs" of life.

In their natural habitat, guinea pigs live in open, grassy areas. They prefer to seek shelter in naturally protected areas or within burrows created and later deserted by other animals. Guinea pigs are sociable animals and tend to live in groups. They are strictly herbivorous (plant eating) and do most of their foraging for grasses, roots, fruits and seeds in the late afternoons and early evenings as the daylight wanes.

Guinea pigs have been for many years and continue to be used in biomedical research laboratories. Consequently, their medical problems have been traditionally approached on a herd (or group) basis rather than on an individual basis. As a result, very little practical and useful information exists on the medical care and treatment of individual pet guinea pigs. Furthermore, even less information is available to the pet owner on the responsible home care of guinea pigs and the recognition of their potential medical problems. This handout will provide information concerning the aforementioned subjects and provide other useful physical data that can be referenced when necessary.

For more detailed information about Guinea Pigs, please see our Client Information Handouts:

Diet

Housing & Handling

Medical Considerations