Limited funds? Don’t have time to take care of your pet? Many people who want to keep pets face such troubles. In fact, just choose guinea pigs as pets. Because it is not only easy to raise, but also much cheaper than cats and dogs.
However, there are many breeds of guinea pigs. If you want to choose a guinea pig as a pet, the editor recommends the common guinea pig breed - the British breed. Guinea pigs, because compared with other pet rats, the life span of British guinea pigs is longer, up to 10 years!
So, how to choose a qualified British guinea pig? You will know after reading this selection tips carefully compiled by the editor.
1. Look at the coat
English guinea pigs have a variety of coat colors, just choose the one you like. In addition, you should also observe whether its hair is clean, smooth, and shiny. If the hair is fried, don’t choose it. (PS: This judgment cannot be used for reverse hair.)
2. Listen to the sound
Before buying, you should listen to the sound of the British guinea pig. Generally, the British guinea pig will bark when we hold it up or touch it. If the cry is crisp and clean, it is normal. If the cry is hoarse, chaotic, or even has a snoring sound in the throat, then don't choose it.
3. Look at the mouth and nose
Carefully observe whether there is any dirt outside the mouth and nose of the British guinea pig, whether there is saliva, nasal mucus, etc., if so, It shows that this British guinea pig does not like to be clean. Moreover, if there is a lot of saliva, there may be oral diseases; if there is too much nasal discharge, it may be a cold or other respiratory diseases. In addition, check whether there is any swelling or trauma in the mouth and nose, and whether the teeth in the mouth are straight.
4. Look at the eyes
Normal British guinea pigs have bright eyes, no eye droppings, and are very sensitive to light. If it is not bright, there may be eye diseases such as cataracts; if there is eye droppings, it means that the British guinea pig has invisible eye diseases; if the reaction to light is slow, it means that the British guinea pig has some vision problems (British guinea pigs generally have poor vision) It’s great, but photosensitivity is still okay).
5. Look at the ears
As for the ears, observe whether there are any defects in the shape of the ears, whether the area around the ears is clean, whether there is a large amount of earwax in the ears, etc. Then, look at the area behind the ears of the English guinea pig with very little hair to see if there are any parasites.
6. Look at the limbs
The limbs and paws of healthy British guinea pigs are clean, without trauma, and have no swelling. English guinea pigs with paw trauma or swollen limbs (possibly caused by fractures) cannot be selected. If possible, it is best to touch the limbs of the British guinea pig with your hands to fully rule out the possibility of these conditions.
PS: If there is no problem, then after our careful inspection through the above steps, this British guinea pig should be very qualified.
Finally, a warm reminder: Please choose a partner for British guinea pigs. It is best to go to a professional and reputable pet store. In this way, not only the quality and health of the British guinea pigs are guaranteed, but also related after-sales issues are solved. can be resolved.