References
Guinea pig nutrition
Abstract
The majority of disease processes that are see in guinea pigs are not infectious, but are in some way related to poor husbandry or nutrition. A clear understanding of the correct principles of nutrition helps veterinary practitioners understand how problems may have developed, and veterinary nurses can play an invaluable role in informing owners how to correct the diet, and how to use diet to solve problems and aid recovery. The single most important principle of nutrition is that the guinea pig has a daily requirement for vitamin C, as it cannot synthesize this vitamin itself, and sub-clinical vitamin C deficiency is a common predisposing factor for most other diseases. Guinea pigs spend most of their waking moments eating, and even short periods of anorexia (12–24 hours) can trigger them to break down their body fat to produce ketones as an alternative energy source, leading to the development of ketoacidosis which will be fatal. Any anorexic guinea pig should be given an emergency appointment. Knowledge of syringe feeding and nursing of anorexic guinea pigs is an invaluable tool for veterinary nurses.
The guinea pig is a herbivore, and needs to eat continually to ensure sufficient throughput of nutrition within its gut (Figure 1). It is therefore important to understand the principles of guinea pig nutrition, and to be able to recognize conditions that may be diet related, and those that can be corrected in full or in part by dietary modification. Very few conditions that are seen in practice in guinea pigs are actually infectious; the majority are related in some way to husbandry and diet. As a veterinary nurse, being able to offer sound nutritional advice to guinea pigs’ owners will go a long way in preventing many problems occurring. When taking a clinical history from an owner obtaining full details of the diet is invaluable.
Guinea pigs are hystricomorph rodents, meaning that they have a long gestation period and the young are born at an advanced stage of development, fully-furred and with their eyes open (Figure 2). They start eating solid food from 2 days of age, and babies orphaned at 3 days old have been known to survive without any supplementation (personal experience). It is important to introduce a correct and varied diet at this early age, and start good eating habits early.
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