Life expectancy of guinea pigs

Question
We have a guinea pig that is five years old.  What is their average life expectancy?  Our guinea pig has been doing very good up until the last week, and now he seems to be lethargic and not wanting his food.  He has no symptoms of any sickness other than no appetite.  He is not sneezing, coughing, or any other outward symptoms of an illness. Thank you for any information you could forward to us.

Karen

Answer
Hi Karen
5 years is quite good actually. The life span ranges from 3-8 years.
Having said that,my Reg died at 1 and he was very well cared for but his brother Ron died at 5 so theres no telling.
If he is off his food,try to get a look at his teeth. He may have grown spurs on the molars which will make eating really painful for him.
With there being no obvious outward sign of illness this is a safe bet for a piggy who suddenly goes off his grub.
Try to get hold of some RECOVERY/CRITICAL CARE powder.
Its made up with boiled water and can be made to any consistancy according to how well the piggy can eat.
Its full of all the good stuff he is missing out on when he is off his food.
If you still have problems please contact me again xxxx