Guinea Pig LifeSpan [How to Improve your guinea pig life expectancy]

The average guinea pig lifespan is between 4-8 years. However the human time and guinea pigs times are different. 1 month is equivalent to 10 months old. Which can be converted to 6 months is 5 years old.

You’re probably wondering why there is a huge gap in their life cycle. There are many factors that affect the guinea pig life expectancy, some include but not limited to diet factor, breed genetic factor, care, and environment.

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We will look into the life cycle of a guinea pig and examine the common cause of death among guinea pigs.

You and I know that Guinea pigs are not just animals but they are part of our families.

To be honest Guinea pig life cycle is not something that many people know, and these have caused many guinea pig owner to lose their pets from diseases and other things that could have been prevented.

In my research, I found some interesting facts about guinea pigs’ lifespan that I thought would be helpful if I share with guinea pig lovers like you.

In this article, I will share with you the most common cause of death among guinea pigs, factors that affect their health including diet, environment, care, and breed factor.

I have included some helpful tips at the end to help you take care of your guinea pig better and help your guinea pig live longer.

Factors that affects guinea pig lifespan

As we think about the life expectancy of a guinea pig, we need to factor in several things if we want them to live their full capacity.

Having this measure in place will give your guinea pig the best chance to live longer and healthier. However, even with all these measures and precautions, some guinea pigs suffer natural deaths that cannot be explained.

1. Diet Factor
2. Genetic and Breed Factor
3. Environment Factor
4. Care Factor

Diet Factor

Like any other pets, guinea pigs have a favorite diet. Because they are herbivores, pellets, hay, water, and fresh vegetables are the standard diet for guinea pigs.

Diet has a huge role when it comes to guinea pig lifespan. Introducing a new diet to your guinea pig should be done carefully and in stages.

To help with their gastrointestinal system introducing food with fiber and vitamin C has been found to be helpful.

Factors to consider as you create a diet for your guinea pig is to find a good balance in your feeding routine.

Feeding them a lot might cause obesity and of-course not feeding them properly might starve them to death.

Best diet for guinea pigs

Hay is the main food for almost every guinea pig.

• Timothy hay is ranked as the best hay for guinea pigs in general. If your looking to start a simple easy diet them Timothy hay can be a good place to start. You can easily find them in pet stores or online shops like Amazon or eBay.
• Alfalfa
• Oxbow Oat Hay
• Normal Hay

Pellets

• Vitasmart Guinea Pig Food.

Fresh vegetables that guinea pigs can eat

• Carrots (to be serve in small quantity because of it sugar levels)
• Bell pepper
• Cucumber (to be served in small quantity)
• Fresh Oranges
• Kale

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Having diet that is unhealthy may cause major issues in your guinea pig general health. So consider sticking to the common diet if you have no idea what your doing.

We recommend having a daily feeding routine with hay being available 24/7.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health (NCBI), guinea pigs do not adapt to change in diet easily due to their nature of imprinting food taste and type in their early life.

Recognising new diet such as powdered diets, water additives or vegetables supplements might be a struggle.

Genetic Factors

Genetic factors will defiantly affect the guinea pig lifespan, based on the breeding and pre-existing condition. These are some factors that might affect your guinea pig from living longer.

Environment Factors

Like any other animal or even human being having a good shelter for your guinea big will prevent them from injuries and accidents that might cause infections.

Providing a big and safe place for your guinea pig will boost their overall happiness.

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It will also make it easier for you as the owner in your routine check-up, it will be easy for you to spot a sick guinea pig if the place is clean and well organized.

Due to different seasons and changes in weather, the shelter should be built well to put these factors into consideration. Draught, Heat, Cold.

Extreme weather conditions might affect the guinea pig life expectancy.

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The place should be;

• Well lit
• Well ventilated
• Enough space to move around
• Away from noise
• Good temperature 15-20 degrees
• No sharp objects

Breed factors

Guinea pig lifespan varies from different breeds, some breed lives to be 4 years while others can go up to 14 years.

List of all Guinea pig lifespan by breed,

• Abyssinian Guinea Pig lifespan is between 5-6 years
• Alpaca Guinea Pig life expectancy is 8 years
• American Guinea Pig lifespan is between 4-8 years
• Baldwin Guinea Pig life expectancy is between 5-7 years
• Coronet Guinea Pig lifespan is between 4-8 years
• Himalayan Guinea Pig life expectancy between 5 -7 years
• Lunkarya Guinea Pig lifespan is between 5- 7 years
• Merino Guinea Pig live up to 4 years
• Peruvian Guinea Pig lifespan is between 12-14 years
• Rex Guinea Pig live up to 6 years of age
• Sheba Guinea Pig lifespan is between 5-8 years
• Silkie Guinea Pig lifespan is between 12- 14 years
• Skinny Guinea Pig lifespan is between 7 – 8 years
• Teddy Guinea Pig lifespan is between 4- 8 years
• Texel Guinea Pig lifespan is between 5- 7 years
• White-Crested Guinea Pig lifespan is between 5- 7 years

List Of Common Cause of death in guinea pigs

Most animals dogs, cats, and guinea pigs have common issues among the breeds that cause the majority of their death.

This is the list of common diseases that might affect your guinea pig. The most common cause of most death among guinea pigs is pneumonia.

1. Scurvy (vitamin C deficiency )
2. Viral Pneumonia
3. Anaphylaxis
4. Brucellosis
5. Stroke
6. Adenovirus
7. Vitamin deficiency
8. Dental Problems
9. Cancers and Tumors

Signs your guinea pig needs attention

The difference between your guinea pig making it and dying due to a disease is your ability to spot the signs way before the issues become serious.

1. Sleeping more than usual
2. Diarrhoea
3. Urine contain blood
4. Loss of appetite
5. Swollen joints
6. Lethargy
7. Anorexia
8. Constant scratching
9. Hair Loss
10. Staying alone away from the rest for a long period of time
11. Drastic loss of weight
12.  Scruffy hair coat

Which breed of guinea pig lives the longest

Most guinea pigs have a life expectancy of averagely 8 years, However, the Peruvian Guinea Pig and Silkie Guinea Pig have the longest lifespan that ranges from 12- 14 years. With the Merino Guinea Pig being the breed with the shortest lifespan of averagely 4 years.

Summary: Helpful tips to improve your guinea pig lifespan

The average guinea pig will live for an average of 8 years. We believe that the owner has a huge role in helping them live longer by providing the best care for the pet. These simple tips will help you kick start a good practice and provide you with a good starting point.

• Make sure the environment is clean and has enough playing ground for your guinea pigs
• Provide enough vitamin C
• Have a feeding routine
• Avoid feeding different diet changing diet
• Observe their activity daily

Thank you friend for joining us today. If you own dogs check some of the vegetables and human food that dogs can eat.

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