The Chocolate Dutch Guinea Pig, also known as ChocolateDutch, is an animal with a combination of chocolate color and white. Its body length ranges from 22 to 34 centimeters and weighs between 400 and 700 grams.
The Chocolate Dutch Guinea Pig has a short and round body, a large head, big and round bright eyes, round ears, a divided upper lip, and small ears. Its limbs are short, with 4 toes on the front feet and 3 toes on the hind feet, and no external tail.
The guinea pig, also known as the Dutch pig, Dutch pig, colorful pig, pig, and Guinea pig, is native to the Andes Mountains in South America. In the 16th century, it was brought to the West by European merchants and became popular as a pet. They are gentle and lovely, relatively easy to care for, and are still common household pets. Some organizations around the world have been dedicated to breeding guinea pigs, and people have bred various breeds with different colors and forms.
Guinea pig breeds are diverse and have been cultivated after being transported to Europe and North America. The main difference is in the hair and color. The most common pet breed is the English guinea pig, which has short and smooth hair, while the Abyssinian breed has hair that stands upright and is not smooth. The Peruvian and Silkie breeds are also common pet breeds, with straight and long hair, while the Texel breed has curly long hair.
If you live in a small space and do not have the conditions for cats and dogs to move around, or if you are afraid of being scratched or bitten, then choose a small and gentle guinea pig! It has a chubby and clumsy appearance, which is cute and popular. It has a gentle personality and rarely bites people (remember that rabbits will bite when they get upset). Guinea pigs are vegetarians and have no special requirements for food. They are strong and rarely get sick. They are smart, and if you treat them well, they will recognize you and play with you. They are of moderate size, not as small as mice or as large as rabbits, making them ideal for holding and playing with (about 15-20 centimeters). They have cute and clumsy movements and are not as difficult to catch as mice or squirrels. They are suitable for children or the elderly to raise. They are not expensive and do not require professional breeding equipment. As long as you prepare a suitable size cage, provide fresh water and food every day, play with them regularly, and regularly clean their nests, they can grow up healthy and happy. Once they get to know you well, they will come out to greet you when you come home from work and run to you asking for food.
If a guinea pig is cuddled comfortably from a young age, it will behave in a friendly and cooperative manner with humans when it grows up, without biting or scratching. They are shy and timid towards the outside world and rarely attempt to escape from the cage. Even if the cage door is open, they will not go out by themselves. When they are familiar with their owner, they will whistle when their owner approaches the cage. If they hear the rustling sound of a plastic bag or the sound of the refrigerator door opening, they know that their owner is going to feed them and will also whistle.
Guinea pigs can live up to 10 years, so you must be mentally prepared before raising them. Make sure you do not have any other animals such as cats or dogs that could harm them. They need to be provided with water and food every day, and their excrement may have an odor. Sometimes they make noises and they will chew on things.
It is recommended to keep the Chocolate Dutch Guinea Pig for pet lovers, because it is small and can easily hide when running outside, making it difficult for owners to find. It is also easy to accidentally step on. A special cage can be purchased at the market, and the cage should be equipped with a ladder, exercise wheel, water dispenser, and toilet. As for food, the Chocolate Dutch Guinea Pig is a herbivorous rodent and does not need to be fed meat. Its main diet includes seeds, cereals, and sunflower seeds. The editor recommends that owners purchase specialized food for the guinea pig.
Scurvy - caused by a low intake of vitamin C in the diet. This leads to defects in collagen formation, immature bone formation, and increased bone resorption. Fractures, most commonly in the proximal tibia, and swelling result in the formation of flat joints. Bleeding occurs throughout the body due to collagen deficiency in blood vessels. The animal becomes lethargic, anemic, and reluctant to move. Joints may swell and fracture, and vitamin C supplementation is needed in water and food.
Streptococcal lymphadenitis - the lymph nodes in the neck become swollen with pus and eventually rupture. It has a high infection rate and high mortality rate. It can cause septicemia and systemic infection that cannot be resisted. Streptococcus zooepidemicus is the main culprit, although other pyogenic bacteria may also be present. It is recommended to reintroduce clean animals into the population.
Antibiotic toxicity - like most rodents, almost all antibiotics cause diarrhea, leading to death. It used to be believed that death was due to moderate proliferation of gram-negative bacteria. Recent studies have shown that toxins produced by Clostridial bacteria, which belong to gram-positive bacteria, are also important factors in death. Therefore, antibiotic treatment can only be continued for a short period of time (no more than seven days).
Spontaneous diabetes mellitus - Abyssinian guinea pigs are commonly affected by this disease, which may be caused by a retrovirus. C-type retrovirus particles have been detected in the urine of infected animals.
Guinea pig leukemia - can be found in two strains of animals, infected animals are in poor condition and may have splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and lymphadenopathy. The white blood cell count may be as high as 250,000/mm3. It is a lymphocytic leukemia and progressive weakness occurs before viral death.
Podoskin disease - foot injuries caused by floor materials or walking on excrement. It is difficult to treat effectively. Prevention is the key.
Pneumonia - caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica, which is the most common pathogen. Rabbits, pigs, dogs, and other species can carry latent Bordetella and should not be housed together with guinea pigs.
Ringworm - very common. Trichophyton mentagrophytes is the main pathogen causing ringworm in guinea pigs.
The Chocolate Dutch Guinea Pig likes a dry and clean environment, so the cage where it is reared must pay attention to hygiene. It should also be well ventilated, especially in the summer, which can not only reduce the breeding of bacteria but also create a cool environment for the Chocolate Dutch Guinea Pig. However, they should not be placed near a vent as this can easily cause them to catch a cold. There is no strict requirement for food, feed, grass, vegetables, and water are enough. Professional food for the guinea pig is rich in nutrients and is recommended as the main food. The coarse fibers in grass and vegetables can help promote gastrointestinal motility and can be added as supplementary food. The water should not be raw, it should be boiled and cooled before feeding. The breeding of Chocolate Dutch Guinea Pigs is not difficult. They are generally in heat all year round and can reproduce every sixteen days. Both male and female Chocolate Dutch Guinea Pigs can reproduce for two to three years. The time for female Chocolate Dutch Guinea Pigs to reach sexual maturity is after forty days, while for males it is a bit later, after seventy-two days. The most suitable time for breeding is when they are around five months old. If they have produced more than five litters, they can be stopped from breeding. The silver-spiked guinea pig variety is mainly bred after being transported to Europe and North America. This is mainly reflected in the hair and color. The most common pet breed is the English silver-spiked guinea pig, with short and smooth hair, while the Abyssinian breed has upright and non-smooth hair.
After bathing, dry a small amount of water and lay a towel on your body. Hold the guinea pig in your arms and blow dry it. If you have prepared food in advance, you can feed it to them at this time. The reason for laying the towel on the body is that the guinea pig is still warm, which can prevent the guinea pig from getting wet and also help absorb the water under its belly. We often can't 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 still very useful. Giving the guinea pig food is because it can divert their attention to the food. Many guinea pigs are not used to blow dryers and are afraid of the sound of blow dryers, so they will crawl into clothes or run away. With food, the guinea pig will shift its attention and will not run away. When the guinea pig finishes eating, its brain naturally adapts a little to the blow dryer, and it will not run away so fiercely, and even stop running away.
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