Piggies

Question
We are doing a favor for somebody and keeping their guinea pig for them over the summer. We felt sorry for it and got it a friend. I just wanted to know a few things such as how many times do I feed them a day, are baths ok to give them and if they are how often, and how often should I clean their cage? Sorry for all the questions but it will be a big help to know the answers.
Thanks a bunch,
Lola

Answer
You can feed them daily or every other day.

Baths are okay, but you should never use shampoo or soap. You need to make sure that you hold their head out of the slightly warm water. Baths only need to be given every couple of months or when they are visibly dirty. NEVER get water on/in their ears!

Cage cleaning depends on how big of a cage and how messy the pigs are. I would suggest weekly but more is even better.

Make sure that they have a CONSTANT supply of timothy hay. Not alfalfa as there is too much fat for pigs that are not young (babies) or pregnant.

The pellets should be PLAIN timothy hay based pellets. If they get the mixed ones then they will only eat their favorite parts. Sunflower seeds have WAY too much fat for them. They should be getting at least 3 cups of veggies weekly. Veggies that are good for them include romaine lettuce (cabbage and iceberg lettuce have too much water and will give them diarrhea), carrots, celery, and cucumbers. Occasional fruits like oranges, grapes, and strawberries are okay, but their intake of those should be monitored because of the high amount of sugar in them.

John Kliewer