Exotic Vets in San Antonio

Food - guinea pigs have unique dietary needs.  They have a one way digestive system that must always have high fiber foods going through it to keep it moving.  Guinea pigs can't puke so if they've got an upset stomach, something needs to happen quickly to get the digestive system moving again.  

Guinea pigs need constant access to hay - usually Timothy Hay or Orchard Grass.  They will eat it all. day. long.  80% of their diet is hay.  Oxbow and Small Pet Select https://amzn.to/4d2ziPH are usually good quality options.  Click here to purchase Oxbow Timothy Hay on Amazon using our affiliate link https://amzn.to/4eqIhez Sometimes the hardness or softness of the hay will change with the growing season.  We usually feed Oxbow Timothy Hay at the B & B.

Guinea pigs also need constant access to fresh water.  Most will readily drink from a water bottle.  Some may prefer a bowl and can be transitioned to a water bottle.  Just make sure your piggie always has access to fresh clean water!  Here's my link to my favorite Lixit water bottle that all my pigs easily drink from, is easy for me to fill and clean! https://amzn.to/4d2ziPH

Guinea pigs need fresh veggies each day as well.  Veggies such as spring lettuce mix, romaine, red leaf or green leaf lettuce are favorites at the B & B.  Cilantro, green bell peppers, red, yellow and orange bell peppers, cucumbers, kale. spinach, carrots, tomatoes, brussels sprout are other great veggies to mix in.  Aim for 1 cup of veggies per day for each pig.  Veggies should make up about 15% of their diet.

The last 5% of their diet is a good timothy hay based guinea pig pellet.  Again, Oxbow adult pellets https://amzn.to/3XHYmqT are what we feed at the B & B to all of our guests.  Mazuri makes a decent pellet, Small Pet Select makes an excellent pellet.  Please do not feed your piggies any of the foods that include anything else besides pellets.  Some foods available have nuts or seeds, oats or other things added to them that your pig does NOT need in their diet.  

Vitamin C https://amzn.to/3XtXUem

Snacks

Oxbow Baked Snacks https://amzn.to/4d2zTkp

Small Pet Select Healthy Snackers in Pumpkin https://amzn.to/4eo6XEz

Small Pet Select Helathy Snackers in Apple https://amzn.to/4ekem7U

Small Pet Select Healthy Snackers in Carrot Pineapple https://amzn.to/4giC1aC

Habitat - bigger is better with guinea pigs!  They are low to the ground herd animals that don't climb.  They will thrive in as much square footage as you can provide for them in your home.  At minimum, a pair of guinea pigs needs about 11 square feet of space.  How did I get to 11?  Most guinea pig habitats are made of grids that are 14" square, and are 2 grids wide (28") x 4 grids long (56").  Doing the math, we get to 10.889 square feet. I like round numbers, so 11 square feet.  If you've got more than 2 piggies in one herd, you'll need more space!  If you've got a single guinea pig and are limited in space, a Midwest style habitat will work.  

Bedding - fleece or shredded aspen bedding?  Use what works for you!  We use absorbent fleece liners in our enclosures at the B & B.  Many guinea pig parents make their own fleece liners, purchase from other makers like my friend Robyn at Wheek Dreams Designs.  I purchase and really like the Guinea Dad Liners - they are easy to clean and absorbent.  Daily spot cleaning is recommended and then once a week a full habitat clean out and bedding change.

Health - full disclosure - I am not a vet or a medically trained person.  I do however have years of experience caring for all sorts of animals - dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, birds, even red eared sliders.  So here's what I know:

Guinea Pigs are pretty hardy critters with the right care.  They are part of the rodent family.  On average, they live 5-8 years.  They are considered "exotic" pets.  They have a GI system that is very different from those of cats and dogs.  They must have a vet that is trained in exotic animal care and systems.  It is important to establish care with an exotic vet close by so that if there ever is a health issue,  it will be easier and faster to have your guinea pig seen by your vet.

A balanced varied diet is the best preventative for health issues.  Guinea Pigs cannot make their own Vitamin C (just like us!) and need lots of it to prevent scurvy.  A good diet of veggies full of Vitamin C usually is enough, if not there are liquid supplements and Vitamin C tabs that work well.  Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin so any excess will be peed out of their systems.  

Keeping a clean habitat will help cut down on respiratory illnesses.  Remember these guys are low-riders - close to the ground.  A clean habitat helps cut down on things floating in the air that may lead to a respiratory illness that will need a visit to the vet.

Trim your guinea pig's nails when they get long.  We will trim them when they board with us at no cost!  We can also show you how to do it as well so it'll be easy to keep up with at home.  Depending on the piggy, they many need to be trimmed each month.

Longer haired guinea pigs - brush those babies out!  Any kind of soft bristled brush will work.  I've even picked them up at the dollar store.  Be gentle, brush head to tail and trim out any matted fur.   In my experience, fur will mat the quickest around the back end of a piggy where it's harder for them to get to it to clean it, it drags around on the ground, you get the picture.  Feel free to trim up that hair so it's up off the ground!

Clear eyes and clear ears - always good signs.  If eyes or ears get crusty or an eye gets cloudy, something is amiss.  Check  the cleanliness of their habitat - can it be improved? How is their diet - can that be improved? Piggy have a crusty nose too?  Time to ring up the vet.

Pee color - surprisingly it can vary in color and still be ok!  Light yellow is preferred.  If it's red like blood - time to ring up the vet.  If you are seeing chalky white pee spots, it usually means piggy has too much calcium in their diet.  Try removing high calcium veggies and see if it improves in a few days.  If not - time to ring up the vet.