Many pet owners are concerned about how many of them pets must live, and what kind of care they require to increase their life expectancy. The answer is often not so obvious and requires detailed explanation, especially regarding guinea pigs.
At home, guinea pigs live on average from 5 up to 7 years. So their lifespan longer than other popular domestic rodents such as decorative rats, mice and hamsters that rarely live longer than 3 years old. However, there are a number of factors that affect how much the guinea pig will live. Depending on the breed, treatment and feeding she can live more than 10 years, and the existing the record is as much as 14 years and 10 and a half months. In the wild, guinea pigs have more short life expectancy, only 1 to 4 years, but, in fact, due to selection, they are significantly differ from domesticated.
Breed
Despite the fact that the breed is a less significant factor for life expectancy than the care that the pig receives, some breeds tend to live longer. For example, marine Skinny pigs live an average of 6 to 8 years, and longhair pigs, on the other hand, live a little less, an average of 5 to 6 years old.
Diet and feeding
The care that a guinea pig receives is the most important factor to increase its life expectancy, and the main part of the care is to ensure it is healthy and balanced diet. For example, alfalfa granules do not Recommended for adult guinea pigs. But at the same time, they well suited for feeding growing and pregnant guinea pigs, because they contain a large amount of calcium. More pellets based on timothy grass are considered balanced, various herbs, vegetables and fruits.
Another important element in the diet of guinea pigs is vitamin C. Since they cannot produce their own Vitamin C, then, in order to maintain a healthy shape, they need its large quantities in your diet. Vitamin C is found in some types of granular feed, as well as many vegetables, such as carrots or lettuce, but it’s important to remember that great the amount of vegetables in a pig’s diet can upset her the stomach. As an additional source of vitamin you also you can use special vitamin pills, but remember that they are not recommended to be dissolved in water.
Additional Health Factors
In addition to food, there are other factors that affect health and life expectancy of guinea pigs. If their cell is too small, then they will have little space to run. With a lack their muscle activity will not receive proper development, and in general their physical form will be far from healthy. Regular cell cleaning also contribute to good and good health.
In case of illness, the owner should immediately contact to the vet. Guinea pigs are also recommended weekly. weigh, as weight loss is the most frequent and a common symptom of a disease or disorder. Besides weight, other symptoms may include shortness of breath, trouble breathing, sneezing, lethargy, diarrhea and blood in the urine. Timely appeal attention to these kinds of health problems will certainly increase possible life span of the pig and allow it to achieve its full potential.
