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Pneumonia is one of the top ten reasons guinea pigs need to see a vet. Guinea pigs often get potentially lethal upper respiratory infections from living in dirty cages or damp rooms. Because guinea pigs are so small, pneumonia can kill them in days, so they need to see a vet as soon as symptoms appear. more »
Guinea pigs (cavies) make great models for photography. When they are startled or faced with a new situation, they stay completely still until they are satisfied there is no danger. This gives you a lot of time to take a lot of snapshots. You can even (sometimes) pose the guinea pig inside a cup, miniature sleigh or toy car. In this... more »
In the 1800s, guinea pigs became the lab animal of choice among scientists, due to their digestive structure and their gentle nature. They are no longer the favored lab animal, (fruit flies are) but popular culture still thinks of guinea pigs as creatures doomed for the laboratory. The slang phrase "guinea pig" is used by anyone who... more »
Guinea pigs are wonderful pets. They are small, clean, easy to take care of and wonderful with children. However, they have special dietary needs that their owners should be aware of. more »
Guinea pigs, sometimes called cavies, make great pets. They are affectionate, cute, and fairly easy to care for in captivity. They do have some distinct nutritional requirements, however, and failing to feed your guinea pig the right food will cause him to get sick. Guinea pigs who are not fed correctly can even die. Unfortunately,... more »
When it comes to taking care of guinea pigs, everything you will need to know from...
The responsibilities of pet ownership are many and varied. First and foremost with many small...
Guinea pigs are social animals that live in herds. Each herd is led by a single sexually-mature male that keeps a harem of females. Females also... more »
Guinea pigs are social animals, and they thrive when they have another guinea pig living with them. However, guinea pigs have distinct... more »
Bumblefoot, or ulcerative pododermatitis, is a common but serious problem in guinea pigs and other small animals. This condition involves a foot... more »
Cute, clean and sociable, guinea pigs make wonderful pets. Learn what foods these perky little vegetarians need to keep them happy and healthy.... more »
Guinea pigs make great pets for animal lovers of all ages. They're relatively inexpensive, take up little space, make a minimal amount of noise... more »
The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also commonly called the Cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not pigs, nor do they come from Guinea. They originated in the Andes, and studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as Cavia aperea, C. fulgida, or C. tschudii, and therefore do not exist naturally in the wild.weir/>Walker> The guinea pig plays an important role in the folk culture of many Indigenous South American groups, especially as a food source, but also in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies.morales> Since the 1960s, efforts have been made to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.cbs>
In Western societies, the guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a household pet since its introduction by European traders in the 16th century. Their docile nature, their responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them, continue to make the guinea pig a popular pet. Organizations devoted to competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide, and many specialized breeds of guinea pig, with varying coat colors and compositions, are cultivated by breeders.
Biological experimentation on guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century. The animals were frequently used as a model organism in the 19th and 20th centuries, resulting in the epithet "guinea pig" for a test subject, but have since been largely replaced by other rodents such as mice and rats. They are still used in research, primarily as models for human medical conditions such as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy, and pregnancy complications.
History
The common guinea pig was first domesticated as early as 5000 BC for food by tribes in the Andean region of South America (present-day Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia),"Morales, p. read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea+pig
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