The head of the Chocolate Abyssinian Guinea Pig is chocolate-colored, with a white stripe in the middle of the face. The body is white with chocolate-colored spots, just like the Abyssinian dog, hence the name. Also known as the Dutch pig, Dutch guinea pig, colorful pig, piglet, and guinea pig, their ancestors come from the Andes Mountains in South America. In the 16th century, they were brought to the West by European merchants and were loved as pets. They have a gentle and lovely temperament, are relatively easy to care for, and are still common pets today. Some organizations around the world are dedicated to breeding guinea pigs, and they have bred various breeds with different fur colors and shapes.
Guinea pig breeds are diverse and were developed after being transported to Europe and North America. The main differences are reflected in the fur and color. The most common pet breed is the English Guinea Pig, which has short and smooth fur, while Abyssinian breeds have upright fur that is not smooth. Peruvian and Silkie breeds are also common pet breeds, with straight and long fur, while the Texel breed has curly long fur.
The face of the Chocolate Abyssinian Guinea Pig is oval-shaped and short. The distance between the eyes is wide, and the eyeballs are large with rust-yellow irises. The eye sockets are deep, and the whiskers are bow-shaped. The body is plump and the fur is thick and shiny. The color distribution of the spots on the head is very even, with white as the main color and chocolate as the secondary color. The hair on the tail is neat, strong, and erect. The ears, toes, tail, and fur are all intact. Healthy Chocolate Abyssinian Guinea Pigs are very intelligent and agile, with smooth movements and stable walking. They do not jump or yell randomly, or bite or hit the cage. The whole body has no damage or blood stains, the tail is upturned, the limbs are symmetrical, and they can open their mouths to eat. The fur is dense, compact, and even, and there are no dandruff or sparse and rough hair on the skin after blowing the fur. The eyes have no eye matter and no redness or swelling. The lips can cover the teeth of the same length, and there are no traces of drooling on the lips. The anus is clean and free of impurities. Abyssinian Guinea Pigs generally do not bite unless you intentionally tease them. They have the same habit of grinding their teeth as all rodents because their teeth grow continuously throughout their lives and must be constantly worn down to ensure their health. Guinea Pigs can live up to 10 years, and they are vegetarian.
It is recommended to keep guinea pigs for pet lovers. When the owner is at home, they can release the guinea pigs from their cages to play. Guinea pigs love to play in spacious areas, which can easily increase the intimacy between them and their owners.
As rodents, guinea pigs like to gnaw on things. They may make some noise while grinding their teeth, so owners should not get angry. Prepare some chew toys to reduce the noise. In order to ensure the health of guinea pigs, owners should take them to the pet hospital for regular check-ups. Guinea pigs have longer hair and are prone to some parasitic diseases, so owners should be careful.
Sarcoptes scabiei
The source of sarcoptes scabiei is the contamination of the guinea pig's living environment. It mainly resides around the eyes and ears of the guinea pig. Sarcoptes scabiei can cause scabies, as if the mites eat away the guinea pig's hair, resulting in bald patches. Once signs of sarcoptes scabiei are found, it is necessary to seek medical treatment, and the general treatment method is to inject an insecticide. It can also be treated by diluting agricultural miticide with a ratio of 1:100 and applying it to the affected areas (it is harmless for the guinea pig to ingest a small amount). In addition, it is important to thoroughly disinfect the guinea pig cage, otherwise the mites will return.
Bacterial infection
The main symptom is the appearance of bald patches on the head, which is extremely similar to the symptoms of sarcoptes scabiei, sometimes even doctors can't tell the difference. This condition is caused by high humidity and long-term consumption of concentrated feed. This disease is similar to athlete's foot in humans and can cause dandruff on the skin.
Diarrhea
It is caused by gastroenteritis due to the consumption of unclean food. The symptoms are obvious, with loose stool. If this symptom is found, immediate medical attention should be sought. Diarrhea is quite dangerous for guinea pigs because sometimes we don't know which food is causing the diarrhea. For common diarrhea, medication can cure it, but if it is diarrhea caused by chemical poisoning from food, even if treatment is sought immediately, it is difficult to save their lives. So be careful.
Bloating
It is caused by consuming unsuitable food, such as pears. Bloating can cause suffocation and heart failure. Therefore, when the situation is serious, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Constipation
It is caused by excessive dryness of food and inadequate water intake. It can be cured by increasing water intake and providing foods with high water content such as vegetables and fruits.
Excessive hair loss
It is normal for guinea pigs to shed hair just like humans shedding hair. However, excessive hair loss is abnormal and is caused by a lack of vitamin C. The treatment method is to mix powdered vitamin C into food or water for supplementation. Vitamin powder has a sour taste, so some guinea pigs may refuse to eat it, in that case, it needs to be syringe-fed.
External injury
Immediately wipe the bleeding area with veterinary iodine to prevent bacterial invasion.
The Chocolate Abyssinian Guinea Pig loves a dry and clean environment, so the cage it is kept in must be kept clean. It has excellent ventilation and heat dissipation, especially in summer, which not only reduces the breeding of bacteria, but also creates a cool environment for the Chocolate Abyssinian Guinea Pig. However, they should not be placed directly in the air vents as this can easily lead to a cold. As for food, there are no strict requirements. As long as there is feed, grass, vegetables and fruits, and water, it is sufficient. Professional guinea pig feed is nutritious and can be used as the main food. The rough fiber in grass and vegetables can help with gastrointestinal motility and can be added as a supplement. The drinking water should not be raw water but boiled and cooled before feeding. In order to create a warm and comfortable living space for the Chocolate Abyssinian Guinea Pig, it is recommended to start by laying a suitable bedding. There are many choices for bedding. For wood-based bedding, there are wood shavings and wood pellets. Wood shavings are cheaper but have poor odor absorption and water absorption, and they tend to scatter everywhere. Wood pellets, on the other hand, can burst when they come into contact with water, gradually turning into powder. If the Chocolate Abyssinian Guinea Pig urinates directly in the nest, the consequences would be unimaginable. Therefore, more people choose wood shavings. Another option is paper bedding or paper pellets, both of which have good odor and moisture absorption and are convenient to use. However, paper bedding may be slightly more expensive, while the price of paper pellets is more reasonable.
1. Bathtub for bathing. It is recommended to use a higher bathtub because many guinea pigs are not accustomed to bathing and will try to jump out. Use natural shampoo or shampoo specifically designed for small animals. If not available, use a mild one. Prepare a soft towel and a hair dryer. Connect the hair dryer to a power source in advance. Prepare some favorite food for the guinea pig. It is optional.
2. Fill the water with warm water first, wet the guinea pig but avoid wetting the head. Apply shampoo. If using human shampoo or body wash, rinse the guinea pig thoroughly with water several times, as it can be dangerous if not completely cleaned. After bathing and drying the guinea pig, they usually clean themselves again. It is not good if these shampoos are licked into their stomachs.
3. After the cleaning process, quickly wrap the guinea pig in a towel and place it in a clean box. Use the hair dryer, previously connected to power, to blow-dry a small area, being careful with the temperature. You can place your hand next to the guinea pig to ensure the temperature is not too cold or too hot.
4. After drying a small area, lay a towel on yourself and hold the guinea pig in your arms to blow-dry. If you have prepared food, you can offer it to them at this time. The reason for placing the towel under the guinea pig is to keep them warm and prevent them from getting wet again. It also helps absorb the moisture underneath their bellies. It is often difficult to completely dry the belly, but flipping the guinea pig over to blow-dry is uncomfortable for them. Therefore, laying a towel is useful. Offering food to the guinea pig helps shift their attention to the food. Many guinea pigs are not accustomed to blow-drying and are afraid of the sound of the hair dryer, so they may hide in clothes or run away. By providing food, the guinea pig's attention will be redirected and they will not run away. After eating, the guinea pig's brain will gradually adapt to the hair dryer, making them less aggressive and eventually stop running away.
5. If blow-drying an Abyssinian guinea pig (with a ridge on its back), make sure to dry them thoroughly because their fur is longer on the back and water might be hidden in the transition between the ridge and the normal fur. Be careful not to cool them down.
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