Small pets like guinea pigs need a little extra care and attention when the weather gets hot. Unlike us humans, they aren’t able to sweat, which means they are more prone to heatstroke during the summer.
Signs that your guinea pig might be suffering include excessive panting, weakness, lack of movement, and slobbering. If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s important to get advice from your vet as soon as possible.
Keeping your guinea pig cool during the hot summer involves making a few simple changes and checking a little more often on your pet’s health.
Tips To Keep Your Guinea Pig Cool
Outside Guinea Pigs
If your pet is outside in a hutch, you may want to review a few things before the hot weather comes in. The first is where the hutch is located. If it’s in direct sunlight, then the chances of guinea pigs getting heatstroke are increased. Place your hutch in a shaded area, either north or east facing if possible.
Guinea pigs like to be kept at just the right temperature. If it’s too cold, they’ll catch a chill. When it’s too hot, heatstroke can be a big issue.
Ideally, you should look to maintain the environment at between 18 and 23 degrees. Higher temperatures with higher levels of humidity can indeed be problematic.
Keeping your guinea pig cool on a very hot day involves a little imagination. Putting ice in a covered pan and placing this near the hutch is an excellent way to cool things down. Alternatively, put a bottle of water in the freezer and then wrap this in a towel. If you have a cooler area indoors, moving them inside for a while is a sensible idea.
Inside Guinea Pigs
If you have a cage indoors for your pet, ensure that you keep it out of direct sunlight. Close curtains or put your guinea pig in a shaded area away from the window. Indoor locations can get very warm and stuffy, so ensuring there is plenty of ventilation is important. A small fan can be used but make sure that it is facing away from your pet rather than directly at it.
Avoid pet homes that prevent proper ventilation such as closed Pig-loos or sheds and opt for open cages instead.
Keeping Your Guinea Pig Hydrated
Of course, making sure your pet gets plenty of water is vital. You can cool water down with ice cubes but don’t overdo it. Change bowls or water bottles regularly to keep everything fresh and include water-heavy foods such as cucumber and berries to provide further hydration.
Maintaining Coats
Finally, another thing you can pay attention to is the coat of your guinea pig. Regular, gentle brushings can stop heat from getting trapped. If you have a pet with long hair, giving it a trim over the summer when it gets really hot is worth the effort.
Keeping a pet like a guinea pig safe during hot weather is not difficult and simply requires you to change a few things, like the position of the hutch and the amount of ventilation. Follow our advice above, and you shouldn’t have any problems.
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“Top Tips To Keep Your Guinea Pig Cool During a Hot Spell”
Guest Author: ExoticDirect
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Her own animal experience is vast, having raised and rescued Alpine Goats, Chickens, Turkeys, Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pigs, Turtles, Raccoons, Cats, Dogs, and even an Opossum and Bearded Dragon.
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