TDK conference 2023

Guinea pigs (Cavia Porcellus) are popular pet animals in Norway. This study aimed to research the current husbandry, health, and welfare of pet guinea pigs in Norway.

An online questionnaire consisting of 100 questions was shared with two of the largest Norwegian guinea pig interest groups on Facebook, having 3300 and 1400 members respectively. In total, the questionnaire yielded 284 responses originating from guinea pig owners representing all the different Norwegian counties. Data were collected between the 7th of February and the 10th of August 2023.

According to the results, the most common source for guinea pig owners to acquire knowledge about keeping and husbandry is through the internet (n=217, 21.9%), with social media following closely behind (n=182, 18.3%). Most owners have acknowledged the social needs of the guinea pig, as just 3.5% (n=10) currently only have one guinea pig. Almost 60% of the participants (n=168, 59.3%) reported that their guinea pigs are fed fresh vegetables at least twice daily, hence 63.7% (n=181) never feed any form of vitamin-C supplement. When asked about health status, 96.5% (n=274) were considered healthy at the moment. Of the surveyed health conditions ectoparasites (n=102, 20.2%), coughing and/or sneezing (n=47, 9.3%), and overgrown nails (n=31, 6.2%) were the most commonly reported symptoms.

Despite maintaining high-quality living conditions, pet guinea pigs continue to experience avoidable health issues associated with their care. It is crucial for the veterinarian to play a significant role in educating guinea pig owners with a particular emphasis on proper feeding practices and helping owners recognize and address guinea pig behaviour and health concerns.