Food and Diet of the Himalayan Guinea Pig

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It is recommended that the Himalayan guinea pig is fed on a similar diet to any other breed of guinea pigs. The general diet for a Himalayan pig is mostly made up of vegetables, grains, and fruits. The Himalayan guinea pig, however, tends to have a favorite dish in pellets. They love feeding on pellets. This pig should also be supplied with a constant source of proteins and also a right dosage of vitamin C. The guinea pigs also like vegetables so much and so does the Himalayan guinea pig. Vegetables are important to this breed of pigs as they are a great source of food nutrients. The kind of vegetables that the Himalayan guinea pig should be fed to include the following; kale, cabbage, carrots, tomato, spinach, parsley, clover, romaine lettuce and dandelion greens.


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These are the most nutritious vegetable for this pig breed and they do not cause any nutritious problems or stomach upsets or stress to the pig. It is advisable to feed the pigs only on fresh vegetables to avoid nutritional complications. The other kind of feeds highly recommended for the Himalayan guinea pig at any particular age is the Timothy or Orchard grass. This is a very important meal for the Himalayan guinea pig. Timothy hay is recommended because it has a greater nutritional value as compared to other types of hay. This grass helps to maintain the teeth of the pig in a good shape by preventing them from overgrowing. It also helps to keep the digestive system of the pig in an ideally excellent condition.The hay should be completely free from pesticides as they can harm the pig if in large quantities. The Himalayan guinea pig loves chewing, a lot. Therefore, this grass and hay should always be available to the pig all the time if possible. This pig should also be provided with fruits as a supplement to the diet. The recommended fruits to feed the pig on including the following; grapes, tomatoes, and strawberries. The fruits should be fresh when being fed to the pigs. Feeds with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits are discouraged as the pigs can choke on them. While purchasing ready-made feeds for the pigs it is highly recommended that you purchase the feeds specifically made from the Himalayan guinea pig as this is the feed with the right amount of nutrients and a balanced diet. The Himalayan guinea pig also needs to drink plenty of clean water. The water should not contain minerals such as calcium as it is not recommendable. The water provided to these pigs should be purged from the unwanted minerals. The meals and water should always be provided in clean dishes or troughs. The leftovers should be cleared from the troughs. If leftovers are left in the troughs till they rot, it could lead to a problem if the pigs feed on them. The most important thing to note about the diet of a Himalayan guinea pig is that Vitamin C is very essential. Deficiency of vitamin C in the Himalayan guinea pig leads to poor pigmentation and other health problems. The remedy for this is providing the pigs with sufficient vitamin C in the form of chewing tablets or liquid drops.

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Origin and History of the Texel Guinea Pig

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The Texel Guinea Pig breed is one of the most recent recognised breeds in the present day. Despite their newly appointed status, they have quickly become a very popular and sought after addition to the guinea pig scene. Their long, curly hair is a product of their initial origins. Texel Guinea Pigs were originally a cross between the well recognised Rex Guinea Pig and the Silkie Guinea Pig breeds.

Before the final breed was founded, it is quite likely that other breeds attributed to the formation of the modern Texel Guinea Pig through various generations of breeding prior to it being recognised as its own breed, and not just a cross of others. Rex Guinea Pigs feature a short, dense coat, with either straight or wavy haired variants. They are known to have a calm nature, being very placid and love to be handled. Like the Texel Guinea Pig, Silkie Guinea Pigs, also commonly known as Sheltie Guinea Pigs, have very long hair which gets longer further down their backs. Unlike the Peruvian Guinea Pig, their hair does not part along its back. This too is a newer breed of guinea pig, discovered in the 1970s. Again, this breed is gentle and friendly, like the Rex Guinea Pig, so this attributes to the Texel Guinea Pigs desired nature. Combined they have developed a unique curly-haired, long coat that is one of the main features that have attributed to their popularity among the guinea pig community. The Texel Guinea Pig joins the increasing number of popular crossbreeds, such as the Teddy Guinea Pig and the Skinny Pig. This mixed breed was originally thought to be first adopted in England, during the 1980s. Since then, many generations and several crossings later, it was first recognised by the ACBA (American Cavy Breeders Association) in 1998 and has been increasing in popularity from this time. From then, they have been entered into shows across the board and have been becoming more and more prominent as the years progress.

The US standard for these cute critters is that they should possess tightly woven curls that cover the entire body of the Texel Guinea Pig, this includes the hair covering the stomach. The hair on the face is much shorter than the rest of its body, this ensures that they have full use of their facial features. For show purposes, a part along the body lengthwise is acceptable. By English standards, the country from which the Texel Guinea Pig originated, it is stated that this breed, due to the evident crossbreeding it is a product of, is defined as a rexoid equivalent of the Silkie Guinea Pig. As such, for showing it should be combed in the same style as the Silkie Guinea Pig while maintaining a rexoid appearance, to accentuate its origin. Texel Guinea Pigs and their unique appearance, make them not only lovable pets and companions but also a perfect show quality breed, one like no other.

ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE TEDDY GUINEA PIG

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Teddy bears, that is what usually comes to mind when the word Teddy is mentioned. How did this rodent bearing such name (Teddy guinea pig) come about? How did it get its name? What is its history? These questions will form the bases of this article.

 

The Origin of the its name “Teddy Guinea Pig”

Although not being pigs and not originating from Guinea, ‘Guinea pig’ is the term ascribed to a set of rodents. The origin of this name ‘guinea pigs‘ remains a mystery till date as it is still not proven that guinea pigs originated from Guinea or because it resembles a pig coming from Guinea known as ‘the Guinea Hog’. Another theory speculates that the word Guiana (a South American region) was confused to be Guinea and the name got stuck to the animal, and a different theory concludes that ‘Guinea’ describes an unnamed faraway land. Although, none of these theories have been proved to be true, the name ‘guinea pigs’ remain.

The name ‘Teddy’ is used to describe this particular breed of guinea pigs. Due to its likeness to Teddy bears and stuffed toys, the Teddy guinea pigs derived its name. Its coat is similar to those of Teddy bears and its nose is identical to other toys. It can be described as a living toy.

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Teddy Guinea pig care

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Many of you might not be aware of the fact that a teddy guinea pig (also referred to as a cavy) is the outcome of a transfiguration of a  white American guinea pig and a tortoise casing.

A guinea pig desires to munch a  good value pellet chow on a daily basis. In addition to an infinite amount of rummage, Vitamin C, vegetables besides a continuous stock of fresh water.Truly similar to other guinea pigs, its teeth are continuously developing; and it requires  similar nourishment as do other guinea pigs.

In order to maintain the good health of your cavies, you need to focus on the following vital nutritional constituents:

  • Since cavies are unable to generate their individual vitamin C therefore they need to obtain it from their food and drink.  On a daily basis, spanking new fruit and vegetables perform a crucial task in putting off disease and demise ensuing from deficiency of vitamin C in the food and drink. Nevertheless, do keep in mind that  your cavies should receive fruit in moderation but you can offer up to one cup of vegetables every day to an grown-up guinea pig (if possible not altogether, to put off diarrhea).

 

o   You must take care, not to supply iceberg lettuce to your teddy guinea pig for the reason that  the former has no dietary worth and can straightforwardly be a source of loose motions for your cavy. These can be serious if they continue for more than several hours.)  You can feed it with other varieties of lettuce though; however, don’t overlook to  give it forage ( if possible Orchard grass or Timothy  grass) to gobble, concurrently with those fruit ( such as oranges, papayas, apples, strawberries, blue berries, grapes, kiwis etc) and leafy green vegetables that hold lots of  water (e.g. tomatoes, melons, lettuce, Kale, spinach, parsley, baby carrots, broccoli leaves and so forth.)  The quantity of  vegetables should be corresponding to around one cup full for every guinea pig  every day.

 

o    Babyish guinea pigs that are yet growing may be supplied Alfalfa forage, which holds additional calcium in it.. Cavies require plenty of rummage to assist maintain their ever growing teeth jaded.  Cavies that are not supplied forage on a daily basis, are likely to develop dental troubles (in which their teeth can develop over their tongue / all the way through their cheek.) Also, being low in calories, forage will  prevent your cavies from becoming overweight.

It is vital to provide your pigs pellets of extraordinary quality (comprising Vitamin C, 16 percent fiber and 20 percent protein,  since  inferior quality food can show the way to quite a few health troubles in the upcoming.

 Foods to keep away from:

  • Chocolates and anything containing sugar
  • Dairy products
  • Meat
  • Corn
  • Tomato leaves
  • Iceberg lettuce
  • Potatoes
  • Uncooked beans
  • Rhubarb
  • Multi-vitamins

 

All the aforementioned provisions are horrific for the digestive system of a guinea pig and can show the way to loose motions.

The bottom line:

Teddy guinea pigs are delightful beings who need to be taken care of , at all costs.

 

 

 

Silkie Guinea Pig

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The human race continues to amaze me with the passing of time. Just a while ago, some animals were not anywhere near domestic. They were viewed as wild beasts that belonged to the jungle and served no purpose as pets for humans. This trend is clearly changing as seen by how people have embraced all kinds of “wild” animals not only as domestic creatures but closer than that- pets. One such animal is the Silkie Guinea Pig.

Well, in all honesty, I don’t really blame anyone for falling in love with this adorable animal in the guinea pig category. I mean with that ability to catch your eye with their natural beauty and long hair, only a few can resist. It has such a nice cuddly body that makes everyone become obsessed with it in an instant. The Silkie guinea pig has gained a lot of popularity in the recent times with most people opening up their homes and adding them into their families.

History
These lovely animals exist as a result of cross breeding between the Peruvian guinea pig and the self black guinea pig. The breed was discovered back in 1970 in the UK where they are called “shelties” to this day. The name was given to them because of their silky smooth hair (some call it celebrity hair). This type of hair has earned silkies the crown as one of the most recognized pets all over the world.

Silkie’s hair
It is worth noting that the Silkie Guinea Pig’s hair is distinctively long, soft and shiny. Owners of these pets confess to falling into the temptation of caressing their hair for hours on end. This hair comes in different multiple colors including beige, cream, white, black, red, blue as well as a mixture of these colors.

Pet care
Am sure by now you cannot wait to have a silkie as your next pet; I cannot wait too! Before you do that, let me give you a few pieces of advice that might help you take care of your pet better:
• Construct a cage wide enough to allow easy movement while keeping the pet safe from getting lost and being injured.
• Daily hair care: You saw this coming! Yes, every single day, you must attend to the silkie’s hair by brushing it to avoid formation of mat caused by food particles or bedding material.
• After a whole day of being confined in the cage, these pets require plenty of exercise. Allow them to run around the house and play with available toys.
• Offer them high-fiber rich diet in plant food, green leafy vegetables, hay and guinea pig pellets. Beware that these animals eat all the time due to their high metabolism therefore ensure you have enough food and water always.

When you bring in a Silkie Guinea Pig to your home, it may be shy at the beginning which is really a trend with most pets. Worry not; it will spring back to life in no time. Most pet stores do not necessarily keep silkies but you can easily find them at guinea pig rescue organizations that purchase them from professional breeders. Best of luck as you care for, and enjoy the company of this beautiful pet!

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