Guinea pig: owner reviews, features of the skinny breed, maintenance and care

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Do you like guinea pigs? Adorable fluffies chew hay and gnaw on carrots. This is a completely peaceful creature that you can pick up, play with, without fear of harm, as is the case with hamsters. Very often, it is after small rodents or rats have finished their lives that a person decides to get someone else. If that someone is a guinea pig, the owner's feedback will help you.

However, today we want to invite our reader to talk about one of the most interesting representatives of this species. If you want to have a completely unusual creature at home, unlike anyone else, then the ideal option is a naked guinea pig. Feedback from the owners suggests that we still have relatively few such animals, but interest is growing every day.

General Description

It is still difficult to find them in free sale, but there would be a desire. If you really want to, then be sureyou will find an opportunity for a naked, guinea pig to settle at home. Owner reviews suggest that the real name of these creatures is skinny. Funny, folded, looking like tiny pigs, your children will definitely like them. Due to the fact that there is no hair, the animals seem much smaller than their shaggy counterparts.

History of Breeding

How did such a creature even come about? After all, we are used to seeing fluffy lumps in pet stores, and here is a completely naked guinea pig. Reviews of owners who have already had experience with them say that this is not at all such a fragile and delicate creature as it might seem at first glance. They appeared as a result of a natural mutation, but people fell in love with just such a funny form. These are strong and very hardy, that is, quite viable individuals.

They appeared a long time ago, back in 1987. The first bald offspring interested specialists, but so far the phenomenon has only been considered. But when bald albinos were born in 1984, breeders decided to bring this breed to perfection.

This path was long and rather difficult. The animals had a weak immune system, and their life expectancy was very short. As a result of long work, almost naked animals were obtained, with the remnants of wool on the muzzle. The first female was named Skinny, and then the naked guinea pig began to be called. Owner reviews say that this animal is just perfect for allergy sufferers. By the way, about the title,only one version. But, most likely, the answer lies elsewhere. The literal translation of skinny is “skin and bones”, which means that it emphasizes the absence of wool.

Appearance

Only when you see a small miracle, you will understand how different it is from all the pets that have lived with you before. Owner reviews of the skinny guinea pig claim that this is the most charming creature in the world. Touching his body is very pleasant, it is like velvet. At the same time, the pigs are quite sociable and with great pleasure I make contact.

What kind of characteristics do their loving owners give them. Someone claims that they look like miniature hippos. Others argue that they have a muzzle like a tapir. Still others do not agree, seeing in the slowly chewing creation of a donkey. In other words, everyone has their own opinion. But everyone agrees that this is the most charming decorative rodent.

Natural color

What can your guinea pigs be like? There are not many variations here. Usually the color is brownish-gray, the belly is slightly lighter. And the coat is completely absent on the entire body, except for the head, shoulders and legs of the animal. There may even curl curls. The body length is quite large - 35 cm. Weight will depend on feeding. Usually the animals do not complain about the lack of appetite. Well-fed and muscular - that's what skinny guinea pigs are. Owner reviews fully confirm that it is necessary to buy special feeds and fresh vegetables.

Breed standards

The first thing we see- This is a massive relief body. The head is medium in size and oval in shape. And there is a clear gender bias. Males have a massive, large head, while females are more accurate. The nose of the animal is very interesting. It is large, with rounded outlines and soft curves.

In general, a very pleasant sight is a skinny guinea pig. Real reviews of the owners emphasize that they are very decorated with large and expressive eyes, as well as neat ears. The neck of the animal is difficult to distinguish from the general contour. The back is very even, straight, does not bend anywhere. Pigs have short limbs. Clubfoot and curvature are not characteristic of them. Due to the fact that they have fingers, animals can easily hold on to food. Some people are reluctant to acquire these animals because they seem to be unpleasant to the touch. But this is just a prejudice. They are very velvety, they want to be touched more often.

Food

Each animal requires special treatment. Let's look at how to care for hairless pigs. First of all, they will require good feeding. These adorables can crunch something all day long. Practice shows that the skinny's diet was three times the norm of the average, shaggy pig. This is directly related to the maintenance of body temperature. In this regard, the skinny guinea pig is truly unique. Customer reviews fully confirm that they have to go to the store quite often for a new portion of food.

Be sure to check with your veterinarian or pet store employee about what your skinny guinea pig should eat. Write down the list of necessary food products in a special notebook, it will come in handy more than once.

• The diet should include 60% dry grass, 20% juicy greens and 20% grains.
• Hay is an essential component of the diet, and grain feeds are a source of carbohydrates and fats, protein and amino acids. Particularly useful for guinea pigs are corn and sunflower, oats and barley, as well as wheat.
• As a treat, you can give your pet dry biscuits, crackers and nuts, dried fruits.
• Dandelion and nettle, plantain and clover are produced from juicy feed mixtures.
• Vitamin supplements - fresh melon and pumpkin, tomatoes and peppers, carrots and apples, beets.

Body temperature

The animal has absolutely no coat. Therefore, it is very important that optimal conditions are created in which the amazing skinny guinea pigs will feel comfortable. The content is simple, for this you need a special house. In addition, regular food intake allows you to maintain body temperature within 38-40 degrees.

However, animals are very sensitive, so you need to make sure that they do not overheat or get cold. Those who have already bought skinnies for themselves know that it is much better to keep them in a terrarium, rather than in open cages.

Optimal weight and walks

Their diet is many times higher than that suitable for ordinary pigs. However, they should not be allowed to overeat. These charming creatures are very prone to obesity. If the filling of the cup is not controlled, then you risk greatly reducing the life expectancy of your pet. It is best to put him food only during the day and remove the cup after the meal. To control the weight of the animal, it is worth letting it out in the evening to walk around the room.

Animal care

They are very much loved because they practically do not smell and always look well-groomed. Due to the fact that there is no coat, they feel like soft rubber to the touch. These animals have a friendly and calm disposition, they make great friends for children. They are easy to care for, even a junior high school student can easily handle it.

Invisible dangers

The strong body of your pet is actually very fragile. There are many nuances that a loving owner must take into account. Even climbing to a small height, these well-fed pigs can fall and seriously hurt themselves. Moreover, even a slight blow can cause the intestines to collapse and burst.

Starving animals is also strictly prohibited. In practice, it has been proven that just two days without food can lead to the most serious he alth consequences. Therefore, if you are planning a long trip, be sure to arrange with friends to feed your pets.

Breeding

This is usually notthere are no problems. To get small pigs, you only need to start a heterosexual couple, provide her with normal living and eating conditions. At about 6-8 months, the female is completely ready to reproduce offspring. At the same time, males are sexually mature as early as three months. However, they are not allowed to mate so early. The lower limits are 6 months for females and 7 for males. Pregnancy lasts up to 70 days, so you have to wait a long time for the birth of babies. The female must be sure to eat well so that the offspring are he althy.