How to Care for an Elderly Guinea Pig

As a pet guinea pig ages, he will need special accommodations in his home. Once a pet guinea pig reaches the 6 to 8 year age range, he could be considered a senior citizen of the pet world. Although it may be difficult to accept the fact that your once overly active pet is growing older, it is essential that you make him comfortable during his last few years.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Time

Instructions:

1. Evaluate your guinea pig’s home. As a guinea pig gets elderly, he is not able to climb as much as he used to. Remove all ramps in his home. You may need to change him to a new one level cage so he still has enough space for a hiding place, food bowl, hay trough and toys.

2. Remove running wheels from the home of an elderly guinea pig. Chances are, he hasn’t used it in a long time, so clear it out and create more space in his home. An elderly guinea pig won’t have the desire to run on the wheel.

3. Move all water bottles, food bowl and hay troughs to the main level of the cage. If your guinea pig used to climb a ramp to gain access to his food or water, you will need to make his home more elderly friendly.

4. Lower the height of his hay trough. Young guinea pigs like to stretch and pull at the pieces of hay. An elderly guinea pig shouldn’t have to stretch to reach his food. Keep the hay trough at ground level. If it is still too tall, put his hay in a bowl.

5. Check your guinea pig's cage regularly for urination and defecation. As guinea pigs age, they can have problems passing feces. Make sure he still produces small, dark, semi-solid fecal pellets. If they appear runny or discolored, see a veterinarian. Check your guinea pig’s urine. If it appears pink in color, there is blood in his urine. See your veterinarian right away. Blood in the urine is a sign of kidney problems.

6. Feed your elderly guinea pig when you have time to watch him eat. Make sure he is eating regularly, and a balanced diet. Don’t let him just pick out the treats. He needs to be eating a balanced diet of alfalfa pellets and hay, in addition to vitamin C enriched treats, such as raw baby carrots.

7. Limit your elderly guinea pigs time in a running ball. He still needs exercise, but if he begins to act lethargic, or seems to struggle with movements that used to be easy, return him to his cage. You don’t want your elderly guinea pig to over-exert himself with exercise.

Tips & Warnings

• Examine your pet guinea pig regularly. If his eyes seem dull or sunken, he may be dehydrated and sick. Check him for patchy fur loss, and a dull coat. If he is excessively dirty, he may have stopped cleaning himself. All are signs of sickness, and a veterinarian should be consulted.