Until recently skinny guinea pigs were relatively rare in our country. Word about them is quickly spreading, however, and they have become a sudden hit among breeders. What’s it like having these guinea pigs and what do they like to eat?
My friend loves animals, but she developed an allergy to those with fur. But she also doesn’t want to have only fish at home, so we started looking together for animals good for allergies and came across the skinny guinea pig. I was so intrigued that I decided to share some information about them with you. I will tell you how it is with skinny guinea pigs and allergies.
So where did the hairless guinea pig actually come from? It was bred in Canadian laboratories, initially as an experimental animal for the study of dermatology. Over time, however, they began to spread among breeders. Skinny guinea pigs, as the name suggests, are hairless and somewhat smaller than their furry friends. Their skin is warm and soft to the touch, can be monochromatic, two-color and three-color. A rough curled coat covers only their noses, ears or limbs. Although they give the impression of a fragile animal at first sight, caring for them doesn’t differ all that much from classical guinea pigs, although they are not recommended for beginners. Caring for them requires more knowledge and cost. Of course, you have to be more aware of room temperature, as they mustn’t get chilled and a simple draft could hurt them. The steady temperature gives them a faster metabolism and so they consume more food. This naturally means they expel more, so it’s necessary to change their litter more often. :-)
The basic diet of guinea pigs is hay. It doesn’t matter whether it’s dried nettles, grass, dandelions or herbs. If you live in the city, better than pulling green from between roads is to buy it already dried in snacks such as Brit Animals IMMUNE STICK for RODENTS or Brit Animals ALFALFA SNACK for RODENTS. Besides herbs, they sometimes contain oats, which most guinea pigs are particularly fond of. Moreover, they contain no added sugar. You can even improve them with fruit or vegetables. But of course you can’t forget about high quality food that contain vitamins and minerals that contribute to their health, especially vitamin C, which they are unable to produce themselves. The ideal option is granulated food, because guinea pigs don’t tend to pick out the grains they like best, rather their bodies get everything they need. For grinding their teeth, branches of fruit trees are better than hard bread.
Thanks to their bare skin, you don’t have to worry about their fur, but you have to pay extra attention to caring for their skin. They are prone to fungal diseases and abrasions. To avoid disrupting the pH balance of their skin, they should not be bathed often. From time to time, however, it’s good to wash them with a special shampoo that removes the remnants of old skin. It’s then advisable to lubricate the guinea pig with cream or oils. What is not good for them is using hay or straw as bedding, as it could slightly scuff them. The best is to use dust-free litter.
As regards their nature, some believe skinny guinea pigs are intelligent, more communicative, adorable and easier to tame. And it’s better to have two so they don’t suffer from loneliness. They can even be two males if they’ve known each other since they were small.
Most people think that the absence of hair makes them suitable for allergy sufferers. But this is not entirely true. This only applies for people allergic to fur (more precisely, to the proteins that adhere to the fur, especially from saliva or urine). For most, however, it’s a combination of allergies (hay, flaky skin, dust, etc.). Therefore, it’s better to visit a breeder or a friend with a skinny guinea pig to test your allergy before getting one.
So what do you think of these guinea pigs? Do you like them?
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