The Himalayan guinea pig has its origin in South America, not in the Himalayas, exactly in the Andes mountain range. Over time it has entered our lives and, today, it is one of the best known guinea pigs in the world. The characteristic that differentiates it from other guinea pigs is that it is albino, so it is born totally white and with red eyes, although over the months certain regions become pigmented, such as the nose, ears and legs. The final appearance of this guinea pig is very similar to that of the Himalayan cat.
Keep reading this article on our site to find out all the characteristics of the Himalayan guinea pig, origin, character, care and he alth.
Origin of the Himalayan guinea pig
The Himalayan guinea pig, despite what its name may indicate, originated in South America, specifically in the Andes rangeIt is suspected that it arose from a wild guinea pig called the montane guinea pig (Cavia tschudii), which is considered its ancestor as they are closely related.
The Himalayan guinea pig is one of the most popular guinea pigs and, today, they are found all over the world, and more and more people are interested in these rodents as they have a noble character, docile and kind along with his characteristic appearance so peculiar.
The name "Himalayan guinea pig" has been acquired from the Himalayan cat breed, since both have the characteristic color change of certain body areas depending on the temperature, as occurs with the Siamese cats.
Characteristics of the Himalayan guinea pig
This is one of the largest guinea pigs in existence, with broad shoulders, a large head, a long, thick body, and short legs. The Himalayan guinea pig can weigh up to 1.6 kg.
The Himalayan guinea pig is characterized by being an albino breed, which only has pigments on its legs, nose and ears due to a spontaneous genetic mutation that occurred. Thus, when it is born it is completely white and these areas are colored over time. The coloration develops in the first months of life of the guinea pig and the intensity varies with the disease, temperature and environment. For example, if the guinea pig is in a cold place, the color intensifies, while if it lives in a warm area, the hue becomes lighter.
Himalayan guinea pig colors
In general, it has short, soft fur and totally white, except for the legs, nose and ears, which are chocolate or blackThe eyes are red, a characteristic that is given by albinism, and the pads can be pink or black.
Himalayan guinea pig character
The Himalayan guinea pig is an ideal rodent as a life companion, since it is very noble, calm, friendly and playful It loves to go out from their enclosure and explore and play with their caregivers, including children. Toys intended for guinea pigs can be used, which releases their playful instinct and makes them exercise, the best prevention of overweight.
He is Very sociable and will not hesitate to solicit the company of his fellow humans using his screeches as a wake-up call. These screeches can also be used during play, but it should not be a cause for concern because it is something natural in these animals and a sign that they are well and happy playing with you or that they miss your physical closeness.
Himalayan guinea pig care
The Himalayan guinea pig must have a sheltered cage in a quiet place in the home and that has a minimum space so that it can move and be comfortable. The minimum measurements that a guinea pig cage should have are 40 cm wide x 80 cm long and not very high. It is important that it is smooth and does not have grids, as they can cause injuries to the guinea pig. The cage must have enough bedding.
As it happens with all guinea pigs, if we want to offer the best care to the Himalayan guinea pig we must bear in mind that it needs time outside the cage, you should not spend more than a whole day locked in it without coming out because this will develop serious problems. This breed especially loves to go out and explore and play, so it is a basic care. Likewise, it is more than advisable to offer her a variety of toys and, of course, dedicate part of our day to playing with her, since we have already seen that she is a guinea pig that requires attention from her humans. Discover How to play toys for guinea pigs if you also want to make them at home.
The basic care of the Himalayan guinea pigs, and of the rest of the breeds, is cleaning and regular check-ups of the teeth and ears for the early detection and prevention of dental anomalies such as malocclusion or ear infections. ear. The nails should be cut when they are long, which usually happens after a month or a month and a half. The coat should be combed once or twice a week and bathed with a special shampoo for rodents when dirty. Being albinos, their fur looks dirty beforehand and it can be effective, especially in the colder months of the year, to wipe them with damp cloths instead of bathing them, although you have to consider that they will not look as good.
Routine check-ups at the vet are important to maintain the he alth of our guinea pig.
Himalayan guinea pig feeding
Digestive problems are one of the biggest concerns with these animals and the best way to prevent them is with a correct diet. Feeding a Himalayan guinea pig should be based on the following:
- Hay: should be 65-70% of the total diet. It is the main and indispensable food.
- Fruits and vegetables: 20-25% of the total diet. They are a good source of vitamins and micronutrients, some that can be safely consumed are celery, peppers, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, Swiss chard, cherries and strawberries. Discover the complete list of fruits and vegetables for guinea pigs in this other article.
- Guinea pig food: 5-10% of the total diet. To achieve a totally balanced diet and that no essential nutrient is lacking, there is the feed. It must be specific for guinea pigs, which is usually supplemented with vitamin C, key in these rodents as they cannot synthesize it and need to obtain it from fruits, vegetables and feed.
Water must always be available to the guinea pigs and it is much preferable to put it in a rodent waterer than in a container in the cage, because the latter is more likely to stagnate.
Himalayan guinea pig he alth
The life expectancy of Himalayan guinea pigs is between 5 and 7 years with an adequate quality of life and without disease. Some frequent diseases in Himalayan guinea pigs are the following:
- Scurvy: consists of vitamin C deficiency. These animals are at risk of developing this disease because they cannot synthesize it by themselves, so they should be taken daily with food. In the case of unbalanced or inadequate diets, this disease can develop and our guinea pig will begin with symptoms such as immunosuppression, internal bleeding, respiratory system diseases, hypersalivation, pododermatitis, anorexia, hair and skin problems, weakness or lameness.
- External parasites (fleas, lice, mites, ticks). In addition to the physical damage to the skin of our guinea pig, they can be transmitters of diseases, so a correct deworming of the guinea pig must be carried out.
- Digestive problems such as cecal dysbiosis: consists of the change of flora (commensal bacteria) of the colon by a different one or by pathogenic microorganisms. The factors that can predispose to suffering from this pathology by reducing the motility of the colon are an excessive intake of highly fermentable carbohydrates, a diet low in fiber or infections by Clostridium piriformis.
- Respiratory problems: frequent in cold weather, cooling after a bath, bad location of the cage or when exposed to drafts of air. Symptoms such as nasal discharge, cough, fever, shortness of breath, sneezing, and breath sounds appear.
- Dental malocclusion: occurs when teeth do not fit together properly because they do not grow in the right way and their alignment is lost. This affects the proper intake of food and can cause wounds and infections.
The vast majority of diseases of guinea pigs can be prevented with good management, so it is very important before adopting an exotic animal whose care we really do not know the necessary information to consult with professionals in this field so that have the quality of life they deserve.
