The Chocolate Abyssinian Guinea Pig has fur that is chocolate-colored with white stripes, and the fur is hard and prickly. The Abyssinian Guinea Pig is also known as the Dutch Pig, Dutch Guinea Pig, Colourful Pig, Guinea Pig, and Guinea Pig. Their ancestors originated from the Andes Mountains in South America and were brought to the West by European merchants in the 16th century. People at that time loved these small animals and started keeping them as pets. They are gentle, cute, relatively easy to care for, and are still commonly kept as pets today. Some organizations around the world have been dedicated to breeding guinea pigs, and they have developed various breeds with different fur colors and appearances.
The Chocolate Abyssinian Guinea Pig, also known as the Chocolate Agouti Guinea Pig, measures 22 to 34 centimeters in length and weighs between 400 to 700 grams. It has a short, stout, and round body with a large head, big round bright eyes, round ears, cleft upper lip, and small ears. Its forelimbs have four toes while its hind limbs have three toes, and it does not have a tail.
Chocolate Abyssinian Guinea Pig, along with Lemon Abyssinian Guinea Pig and Peruvian Silkie Guinea Pig, belongs to the same species. It is native to the Andes Mountains in South America. Its appearance is very cute and it is a beloved pet. Later, it was introduced to Western countries, where local people fell in love with it and immediately regarded it as a pet and kept it at home. Later, international animal organizations rushed to study this species of guinea pig, and many guinea pig breeds with different colors and appearances were bred! The body length of the Chocolate Abyssinian Guinea Pig is about 31cm, and it is light in weight. Its appearance gives a feeling of being very bulky. Indeed, its body is short and round, slightly fat. In addition, it has a pair of black eyes that are shiny and glossy, with a hint of silver white in the eye sockets. The mouth of the guinea pig is slightly closed, and the upper and lower lips are split. Moreover, it also has a strong and well-developed body and fully developed limbs. Overall, its entire body is chocolate-colored, with a darker body color, but there are also individuals with other fur colors. Long-haired guinea pigs are a relatively rare breed of guinea pigs. Their unique long hair is curly, and their care is different, but their habits are the same as those of ordinary guinea pigs. The body length of long-haired guinea pigs is 22-34 centimeters, and the weight is 400-700 grams. They have a short and chubby body with a large head and large, round, and bright eyes. Their ears are round and short. Their limbs are short, with 4 toes on the front feet and 3 toes on the hind feet, without external tails.
Loved by the small pet community. It is clumsy and cute in movement, unlike mice or squirrels that are hard to catch once they run away, making it suitable for children or the elderly to keep. Its price is not high and it does not require professional breeding equipment. As long as you prepare a suitable cage, provide fresh water and food every day, play with it often, regularly clean its nest, it can grow up healthy and happy. When it gets used to being raised, it will come out to greet you when you come home from work and run to you to ask for food.
Scurvy (Vitamin C deficiency) — caused by a low level of vitamin C in the diet. This leads to defects in collagen formation. There is immature bone formation and increased bone resorption. Fractures (most commonly in the proximal tibia) and swelling, deformity, and flattening of the joints occur. There is bleeding throughout the body (due to defects in vessel collagen). The animals become lethargic, anemic, and reluctant to move. Joints may swell and fractures may occur, and vitamin C supplementation is needed in water and diet.
Streptococcal lymphadenitis — the lymph nodes in the neck become swollen with pus and eventually rupture and discharge. It has a high infection rate and high mortality rate. It can cause bacteremia and systemic infections that are difficult to fight off. Streptococcus zooepidemicus is the main culprit (although other pyogenic bacteria can also be seen). It is advisable to reintroduce clean animals into the herd.
Antibiotic Toxicity — like most rodents, almost all antibiotics cause diarrhea and eventual death. Traditionally, this was thought to be due to moderate proliferation of Gram-negative bacteria. Recent studies have shown that toxins produced by Gram-positive bacteria, such as Clostridial bacteria, are also important factors in death. Therefore, antibiotic treatment should only be continued for a short period of time (no more than seven days).
Spontaneous diabetes mellitus — Abyssinian guinea pigs commonly suffer from this disease, which may be caused by a retrovirus. Retrovirus particles of the C type have been detected in the urine of infected animals.
Guinea pig leukemia — found in two strains of animals, infected animals are in poor condition and may have enlarged spleen, liver, and lymph nodes. The white blood cell count may be as high as 250,000/mm3. It is a lymphocytic leukemia and the animals gradually weaken before death.
Foot skin disease — foot injuries occur due to flooring materials or walking on excrement. It is difficult to treat effectively. Prevention is the key.
Pneumonia — Bordetella bronchiseptica is the most common pathogen. Do not house guinea pigs with rabbits, pigs, dogs, and other species that are carriers of latent B. bronchiseptica.
Ringworm: Very common. Trichophyton mentagrophytes is the main pathogen causing guinea pig ringworm.
Before raising, parents should prepare a suitable rabbit cage for the Chocolate Abyssinian guinea pig, so it is best to put some fresh fruits or vegetables in the cage for them to chew on. Don't underestimate it, this kind of guinea pig is very friendly and knows how to be grateful. If parents insist on taking care of it carefully and patiently, in the long run, it will take the initiative to get close to you, get in touch with you, for example, when you come home from work every day, it will take the initiative to greet you, or when it sees you walking towards the food bowl, it will rub against you for a while, and then eat obediently. Honestly, if you take good care of it, it will also become your intimate companion in life, which is also a kind of "reward". Speaking of the food for Chocolate Abyssinian guinea pigs, most parents should first choose special feed for rodents. Indeed, rodent-specific feed contains the necessary nutrients for various kinds of feathers in the body and is highly nutritious. At the same time, it is also conducive to the rapid growth of small rodents. However, it should not be fed too well or too full. It is best to mix it with other small snacks, so they will like it more. Some parents can also eat a little apple or other fruits, which will help its digestion. However, the body size of guinea pigs is small and full of fat. Therefore, you should not feed them too much at one time, otherwise they will be bloated. It is best to follow the scientific feeding method of eating less but more meals, which is responsible for the Chocolate Abyssinian guinea pigs!
After drying a small part of the water with a towel, lay it on yourself and hold the guinea pig in your arms. Those classmates who have prepared food in advance can give it to them at this time. The reason for laying the fur on yourself is that the guinea pig is still warm, which can prevent the guinea pig from getting wet, and it can also help absorb the water under its belly. We often cannot dry the water under the belly, but doing so is afraid that the guinea pig will catch a cold. If you blow the guinea pig upside down, it will also be very uncomfortable. So laying a towel is very useful. Giving guinea pigs something to eat is because it can divert their attention to food. Many guinea pigs are not used to hair dryers and are afraid of the sound of hair dryers, so they will either burrow into clothes or run away. With something to eat, guinea pigs will divert their attention, so they won't run away. After the guinea pig finishes eating, its brain will naturally adapt to the hair dryer a little bit, and it will not run away as fiercely, or even not run away at all.
If you are blowing a reverse-handed guinea pig, you should blow it as dry as possible because the hands of a reverse-handed guinea pig are longer than those of a regular-handed guinea pig, and the reverse-handed and regular-handed areas on its body intersect.
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