The guinea pig is one of the most beloved pets. The small animal inspires admiration not only among children, but also among adults. Currently, there are many breeds and varieties of pigs, among which there are animals with long, short, and coarse hair. A special place is given to hairless breeds, since they are very unusual. The skinny guinea pig belongs to the group of hairless breeds. Today we will tell you in detail about her, as well as about her care and living conditions.
Description
Currently, this is one of the most unique species of guinea pigs, which in appearance resembles a pygmy hippopotamus. A special feature of the skinny pig is the absence of hair on its skin. Short and sparse fur is present only in the area of the nose and mouth, paws and shoulders.
To the touch, the animal’s skin is very soft and smooth, like velor. The length of the body is 35-37 cm. The weight of the rodent in adulthood varies from 900 to 1500 g. The body is stocky, dense with a short neck and a small oval-shaped head.
The eyes are bulging and round. Depending on the color of the skin, the eyes are red, ruby, black or dark brown. The paws are straight, the toes are mobile.
With good care at home, this animal lives from 6 to 9 years.
Colors
Hairless skinnies come in different colors. In pet stores you can find a light pink, chocolate, black or spotted animal. There are even individuals of four-color color, they are considered rare. The most common is the black skinny breed.
What is the price
This animal is perfect for keeping at home because it has no specific odor and does not cause allergies. Many livestock breeders do not know how much such an animal costs. So, the skinny guinea pig is one of the most expensive breeds. Its cost varies from 1500 to 2000 rubles.
The price of an animal may be affected by its age. For breeding at home, it is best to take young animals.
Content Features
In order for your animal to always be healthy, feel comfortable and cozy, it needs to be provided with appropriate living conditions.
Housing
Keeping such an animal in an open cage with metal bars is unacceptable. In such conditions, bald skinnies can get colds.
The best place to keep skinnies is in a terrarium. The length of such a house should be at least 80 cm and the width - 40 cm. A plastic tray can be installed at the bottom of the house. For a comfortable stay for the rodent, it is better to make the walls of the terrarium transparent from plastic.
Hairless skinnies prefer bedding made of sawdust or wood pellets. The litter needs to be changed at least once every five days.
The skinny guinea pig is very shy, so it is recommended to place the cage (terrarium) on a bedside table or stand, and preferably not in a walk-through room.
Hairless rodents do not tolerate dust very well. Under such conditions, the animal may develop problems with the respiratory system. Therefore, regular cleaning is necessary not only in their house, but also in the room where they are located.
Temperature
Skinny guinea pigs are hairless, so it is necessary to create a warm and cozy house. Despite the fact that the animal’s body temperature is 38°, they do not tolerate sudden temperature changes and drafts. Hairless skinny pigs love warmth, the temperature in the room is from 20 to 25°.
Air humidity
The optimal level of air humidity for such an animal is 50-60%. In such conditions, the animal will not get sick and will feel comfortable.
If the humidity level is lower, the risk of developing fungal and cold diseases increases, which is very dangerous not only for the health, but also for the life of a domestic rodent.
Feeding
The health of the animal, its activity and life expectancy will depend on properly selected nutrition. Therefore, the first priority for their owners is to provide their pets with quality food.
This breed of guinea pig has a good appetite. The increased need for food is due to the need to maintain a constant body temperature.
Diet
Meals should be two meals a day - morning and evening, preferably at the same time.
The most optimal diet for a Tabernacle pig is:
- dried herb (60%);
- solid food (20%);
- succulent feed (20%).
This breed has an increased need for vitamin C, since its body is not able to synthesize it on its own. Therefore, the animal simply needs to be given products that contain ascorbic acid. Many livestock breeders add additional vitamin C to the water trough.
In addition to hay, the guinea pig is very happy to eat grain crops - wheat, oats, peas, corn. They contain carbohydrates, fiber, amino acids and proteins, which are so necessary for the animal. This rodent will not refuse sunflower seeds either.
You can pamper your pet with slices of apples, cookies, nuts and rose hips.
Hairless guinea pigs eat spinach, lettuce, cabbage, melon, carrots, tomatoes and sweet peppers with great pleasure, and willingly eat meadow and field grass - dandelion, nettle, medicinal and cereal herbs, twigs of fruit trees.
What not to feed
Do not give your pets mushrooms, radishes, garlic, onions, avocados, potatoes, radishes and eggplants. These foods can cause problems with the animal's digestive system. The animal may die. Therefore, owners need to take the choice of food for their animal seriously.
Skin care
To successfully breed such animals, you need to understand the peculiarities of pregnancy and childbirth.
Puberty in females occurs at the age of 11 months, in males - at one year.
The female's estrus occurs throughout the year with an interval of 15-17 days and lasts two days.
The luckiest time for mating is the first twelve hours after estrus begins. The female's readiness for fertilization can be determined by her behavior. The female individual begins to bend her back, spread her legs, raise her butt and take a pose frozen in place.
If the time for mating has arrived, the male is placed in a cage with the female for several hours. Fertilization can be considered successful if after two weeks the female does not go into estrus. During pregnancy, the female should not be disturbed; she becomes aggressive and can bite.
The gestation period is from 65 to 75 days. Before giving birth, the owner should do a thorough cleaning of the cage for hygiene purposes. After a few hours, babies born can run around the cage. In one litter, a female can give birth to 2 to 8 cubs weighing from 60 to 130 g. For the first two weeks, they feed on the female’s milk, then switch to adult food.
Pets, or pets as they should be called, are indispensable in our home. After all, their presence always brought people comfort, warmth and positivity. There are a huge number of different animals that people have adopted, but one of the popular ones is the skinny guinea pig.
- As for the color of the code, it is not monotonous. And brownish-gray with a transition of a lighter shade on the abdomen.
- As it was said above, “skin and bones,” there is practically no fur. Only slightly visible on the paws, head and shoulders.
- The skinny pig is an ornamental pig and can grow up to 35 centimeters in height.
- Depending on the structure of the body, the pig is quite large or, in other words, well-fed and muscular.
- The head is medium in size and oval in shape with a wide front.
- Facial features (as in humans) differ between the sexes: the female has a more delicate outline of the muzzle, and the male has coarser features.
- The profile has a gently curved shape.
- But the nose is large with a rounded shape.
- This animal is also distinguished by its large, protruding and round eyes. The color is different and depends on the basic color of the skin.
- The pig's ears are medium in size and set wide apart, sloping forward, and have a curved, wavy (centered) shape.
- The neck of the animal is very short, but thick.
- As for the chest, it is wide and poorly developed. But the back is flat and wide with narrow shoulder blades.
- This breed of pigs does not have club feet, but on the contrary, it can boast of its smooth paws with very mobile toes.
And also the positive qualities of the skinny guinea pig include the fact that it is easy to digest at home, loves the warmth and affection of people. Due to its velvety skin, it is very pleasant and gentle to the touch.
This breed of guinea pigs has virtually no odor and does not cause allergic reactions.
Of course, no one can argue with this: “we are responsible for those we have tamed.” And therefore, like any other animal, skinny loves warmth and affection. This pig is very afraid of temperature changes. And, probably, all because there is no fur. But if you take the animal in your arms, you can feel all the warmth of the body.
Skinny's body temperature is on average 38 degrees.
- As for the premises (housing) for the skinny, it is still better to purchase a terrarium instead of a cage. She will be more comfortable and warmer there.
- Don't forget about piggy walks. She needs to be let out for a walk. Enough for the apartment. And if the weather is good outside, you can take it with you for a walk.
- Take extra care to ensure that the pig does not fall. Even a low altitude can have the undesirable outcome of intestinal rupture and death.
- skinny: trim your nails, wash your eyes (you can use a swab), clean your ears, etc.
- Taking baths - this animal is very clean and generally they are bathed very rarely.
This breed of pigs is very prone to obesity, so you need to watch your diet. Although they love to eat and eat a lot, be careful not to overfeed. Just work out a feeding schedule for your pig.
Do not let your skinny starve, this can lead to an irreversible process.
When choosing a terrarium, choose one in which the walls are transparent and the bottom has an opaque tray. Don't forget to change the sawdust in the terrarium. It is enough to do this at least once a week. Also pay attention to the size of the sawdust. It should not be too small, as this may injure the pig. Make sure that the terrarium always has balanced food and fresh water.
Diet:
- 60% - hay.
- 20% - solid food.
- 20% - succulent feed.
Hay must be included in the menu, only fresh and high quality. It is also necessary to give grain, oats, wheat, corn, peas, barley and other grain mixtures. But it includes: nettle, plantain, beets, cabbage, spinach, wheatgrass, celery, melon, pumpkin, apples, nuts, rose hips, etc.
It is very useful to give your skinny guinea pig twigs from fruit trees. With their help they grind down their teeth.
More information can be found in the video.
Skinny or Skinny and Baldwin are very popular breeds of hairless guinea pigs in recent years among domestic and foreign breeders. Such pets have a very unusual appearance, and are also completely unpretentious in maintenance and care.
Description and appearance
Bald guinea pigs have become in demand in our country relatively recently.. They differ noticeably from ordinary species and breeds in their almost completely bare skin, on which Skinny’s residual hairs on the head and paws are clearly visible.
This is interesting! The length of a naked guinea pig is about 30-33 cm, and body weight directly depends on the balance of the feeding diet, but most often such a domestic animal is well-fed and muscular.
Small islands of fur are often located in the back, shoulders and on the head of such an unusual pet. Completely bald Baldwins are characterized by smaller size and increased appetite. In the frontal area of Baldwin there are very characteristic of the species, shallow wrinkles.
Origin story
The starting mutations were recorded almost forty years ago by specialists from one of the scientific institutes in Montreal. In the process of observing animals, several females kept in a cage with one male brought hairless offspring, which was due to gene mutations. A repetition of such changes was noted ten years later, which made it possible to begin work on breeding a new and very unusual breed of hairless guinea pigs.
Types of hairless guinea pigs
Both Skinny and Baldwin are the result of natural gene changes or so-called mutations. If the “skinny” mutation became known in 1976, then the Baldwins appeared much later - a little over ten years.
This is interesting! Both unusual mutations are classified as recessive or very weak, therefore, as a result of crossing a hairless guinea pig with ordinary individuals, all offspring are carriers of the unusual gene, but will definitely have fur.
The first animals were albinos, so further selection work was carried out by specialists from the laboratory of Charles Rivers, where they managed to obtain individuals with pink, brown-chocolate and other colors. Breeders highly appreciated the original appearance of Skinny and Baldwin, on the basis of which distinctive breeds of domestic rodents were obtained, distinguished not only by different colors, but also having fairly good health and strong immunity.
Lifespan
Depending on the species and breed characteristics, the average life expectancy of all domestic rodents can vary between 3-9 years.
For example, the bald guinea pigs Baldwin and Skinny, with proper care and proper feeding, can live about eight years, while long-haired individuals, more familiar to breeders, live a couple of years less at home.
Breed character and lifestyle
Hairless guinea pigs are characterized by increased emotional sensitivity, and cruel or rough treatment is often the main cause of illness in the pet rodent. Skinny and Baldwin are absolutely socialized animals that compare favorably with other rodents in their good nature. They are very affectionate and sometimes overly inquisitive.
As practice shows, such breeds get along well with other pets, including non-aggressive cats and dogs. A guinea pig will never harm birds or aquarium inhabitants. The affectionate animal will become a true friend for children.
Important! Protect your hairless guinea pig from the negative effects of direct sunlight and drafts, and the temperature in the keeping room must be above 18-20°C.
However, to make Skinny or Baldwin’s stay at home as comfortable as possible, it is necessary to choose the right cage or terrarium, as well as provide the pet with a nutritious diet and proper hygiene procedures.
Selection of cage and filling
Experts and experienced breeders do not recommend purchasing cages for keeping a hairless guinea pig. The best home for such a pet would be a traditional, fairly spacious terrarium that allows the rodent to move freely. The upper part of the terrarium must be covered with a metal grill.
The terrarium tray needs to be filled with fresh sawdust, which is replaced with a new layer a couple of times a week. Three to four times a month, a complete disinfection of the terrarium, drinkers and feeders is carried out. It is also important to remember that clean and fresh water must be constantly available to the rodent.
Care and hygiene
The entire surface of the Skinny pig's body is covered with a barely perceptible, delicate fluff, and in order to maintain the velvety and healthy appearance of the skin of the domestic rodent, after bathing it is necessary to use olive or any other special oil for lubrication. Elastic skin needs to be washed using a special shampoo, the composition of which includes moisturizing and nourishing components.
But Baldwin’s skin does not require additional hydration, which is due to the production of a sufficient amount of sebum. You should periodically check and, if necessary, clean your guinea pig's ears.
What to feed hairless guinea pigs
A balanced and proper diet for a hairless guinea pig must include:
- high-quality hay or granulated hay – 60%;
- solid food – 20%;
- succulent feed – 20%.
To provide a domestic rodent with a sufficient amount of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates, it is necessary to feed it traditional grain mixtures, which are supplemented with porridges, oats, sunflowers, and legumes. Crispy cookies, crackers, rose hips, dry apples and nuts are given as treats.
Diseases and breed defects
The head of a breed hairless guinea pig is medium in size, oval in shape, with a wide front. The male's muzzle has rougher features. The nose is rounded and large. The eyes are round, corresponding in color to the main color. The ears of such a pet are wide apart and slightly tilted forward, with a slight “wave” in the central part. Any deviations from these indicators should be considered as a defect or breed defect.
Important! It should be remembered that hairless guinea pigs are prone to overeating, which can cause not only excessive obesity, but also become the main cause of severe obesity, which is very dangerous for a domestic rodent.
The neck is thick and quite short, turning into a well-developed and wide chest, so the presence of narrow shoulder blades or a poorly defined chest is a clear breed fault. Also, breed defects include the absence of a flat and wide back, the presence of a hump or deflections, curvature and looseness of the paws.
In the article I will consider the conditions for keeping and breeding a hairless guinea pig. They are also known by the names Skinny and Baldwin. I will list the features of the appearance of the varieties. I will consider the conditions of maintenance and hygiene. I'll tell you what to feed and how to breed correctly.
Description and characteristics of the hairless guinea pig
The physiological characteristics of the animal are a small bald head and an oval shape. The male is easily distinguished by his rough facial features. The nose is round and large in size. The eyes are symmetrical from the nose and directly proportional to its size. The ears are slightly spaced in different directions and have a wave along the contour.
If an animal exhibits deviations from a given species, then they are considered a breed defect. This copy is cheaper and does not take part in exhibitions.
The pet has an unusual appearance. It is characterized by the following features:
- Color changes from white to black. Not only a uniform color is allowed, but also various inclusions.
- Size varies from 30 to 33 cm. Weight directly depends on the intensity of nutrition and diet. Pets are rarely muscular. They have a well-fed physique.
- Guinea pig personality distinguished by emotionality. Animals are sensitive and get sick if treated incorrectly. The animal is socialized and reacts good-naturedly to other pets. Guinea pigs are affectionate and display curiosity about the outside world. They do not show aggression towards cats and dogs. The pet is good with children.
- Lifespan directly depends on compliance with basic conditions of detention. It is within from 3 to 9 years.
Advantages and disadvantages
This animal has a lot of advantages.
Guinea pigs are characterized by the following disadvantages:
- Heavy character.
- May damage furniture and other items.
- Requires special skin care.
More positive features:
- Cleanliness.
- Does not cause allergies.
- Easy care process.
- Does not require significant material costs for maintenance.
- No need to walk.
- Guinea pigs are smart creatures.
- The animal is given a small space.
- Long life.
- Developed immune system prevents the animal from suffering from dangerous illnesses.
Hairless guinea pigs do not require attention. They easily adapt to the existing conditions and regime. It is recommended to place the cage in a place without direct sunlight. The room temperature should be between 18 and 20 degrees.
The owner of the sphinx purchases a suitable sized terrarium or cage. The animal's diet must contain a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. The owner will need to devote time to hygiene procedures.
There is a small layer of fluff on Skinny's body.
After bathing, the skin will need to be lubricated with olive oil or another moisturizer. The skin will retain its elasticity using a special shampoo. It should contain components for moisturizing and nutrition.
Baldwin's skin does not need artificial hydration. It produces fat. It promotes natural lubrication.
The owner should check the guinea pig's ears. Sulfur accumulates in them. It can be easily eliminated with a sponge or stick. They should not be immersed too deeply. Otherwise, the risk of damage to the eardrum increases.
Feeding
A guinea pig does not get sick and lives a long time if the owner feeds it in a balanced manner. The following scheme should be used:
- 60% hay or corn.
- 20% food solid sample.
- 20% feed with high juice content.
Your pet's food should contain lipids, proteins and carbohydrates. The guinea pig is given standard grain mixtures. Additionally, the diet can be diversified with oats, sunflowers and beans. Cookies, crackers, rose hips and apples are delicacies. They can only be given in limited quantities.
Health and illness
Guinea pigs are voracious animals. They have no sense of proportion, so they often pass. Against this background, obesity and problems in the gastrointestinal tract develop.
The owner must carefully monitor the diet and make it balanced. Otherwise, the pet has a strong immune system and, with proper care, is not prone to disease.
Breeding and reproduction
The male and female get along well in the same cage.
When purchasing a pair, a person can count on reproduction in almost 100% of cases.
Puberty ends during:
- Female - up to 2 months.
- Male - up to 3 months.
Reproduction and breeding begin no earlier than 5-6 months. The age is optimal for the birth of healthy offspring. Breeding should involve healthy and active individuals. When mating, animals are advised to increase their diet. Additionally, vitamins should also be given.
The male and female are accustomed to organizing family relationships among themselves. Together they take responsibility for their offspring. The male must ensure that each female becomes pregnant after mating.
The process lasts from 64 to 65 days. During this period, it is recommended to place the female in another cage. This will minimize the risk of injury and stress. A terrarium is considered the best option.
There is an opinion that reproduction should not be done more than 3 times a year. Additionally, the recessivity of the bald gene should be taken into account. This means that when mated with a hairy animal, the offspring will be curly-haired. Each representative will be a carrier of this gene.
The next offspring consists of woolly and hairless specimens. The division is made in equal shares.
If you decide to adopt a hairless guinea pig into your family, you will need to find out more information about it. A person analyzes the positive and negative aspects. The animal is homemade and gets along well with children. He doesn't require much attention.
The owner will need to organize a balanced diet and clean the cage on time. This will help minimize the risk of developing serious illnesses.
People have mixed feelings about a hairless guinea pig. Some are sure that their hairless skin is caused by a mysterious disease and would never agree to touch a naked animal. Others believe that the Sphynx guinea pig is a charming rodent and are happy to have such an exotic and unusual pet.
Since hairless guinea pig breeds were developed relatively recently. At the moment, only two species of hairless rodents are officially registered - Skinny and Baldwin.
This is interesting: there is a variation of the Baldwin breed called a werewolf. Were cubs are born completely bald, but as they grow older they begin to acquire fur. Since it has not yet been possible to establish the breed of these unusual animals, most experts and guinea pig breeders do not recognize them as an independent species.
Hairless guinea pigs: history of the origin of breeds
Although both types of Sphynx guinea pigs are similar, each of these breeds has its own history of origin.
Skinny Guinea Pig
To trace the history of the appearance of these amazing animals, you should go back in time, namely to the late seventies of the last century. In a laboratory in Montreal, one of the largest cities in Canada, specialists carried out breeding work with guinea pigs. They tried to breed a new variety of rodents that would differ from existing breeds in appearance and unusual color.
And the scientists succeeded, although the result surprised even the breeders themselves. In 1978, three females gave birth to cubs almost at the same time, among which experts discovered unusual babies completely devoid of fur. Interestingly, all three females gave birth to offspring from one male, quite ordinary in appearance. Breeders described strange bald cubs, but did not dare to use them for further breeding, considering their appearance to be a random genetic mutation. And the babies were quite weak, developed slowly and died after a while.
Skin colors in Skinny pigs can range from light to black. Perhaps the world would never have known about hairless guinea pigs if history had not repeated itself in 1984. One of the females gave birth to a hairless baby, and this time scientists decided to use the hairless baby for further breeding work. The tiny hairless guinea pig is named Skinny, which translates from English as “bones covered with skin.” And it was Skinny who laid the foundation for a new breed of hairless pigs, which was named in her honor.
Important: the first hairless Skinny guinea pigs were albinos with bright red eyes. But as a result of crossing hairless rodents with furry relatives of different colors, it was possible to develop hairless animals with black, cream, chocolate and silver-gray skin.
Baldwin Guinea Pig
The Baldwin breed originated ten years later than Skinny in the American city of San Diego, and also owes its appearance to a natural genetic mutation.
Carol Miller, the owner of the Crested guinea pig nursery, chose to cross two of her pets, who had the unusual Golden Solid color. In due time, the female gave birth to healthy, strong babies, who almost immediately opened their eyes and began to run around, learning about the new world around them.
But a few days after birth, two of the cubs suddenly began to shed their fur. First, the babies' faces became bald, then the fur began to peel off all over their bodies, and after a week the little rodents completely lost their fur.
Baldwin guinea pigs are born with fur but lose it very quickly. Puzzled by this fact, Carol was at first afraid that the cubs were sick with a previously unknown disease, but decided to leave the unusual pets to observe their development. To the surprise of the breeder, the naked babies were active and energetic, had an excellent appetite and were in no way inferior in growth and development to their furry brothers and sisters. And an examination by a veterinarian confirmed that the hairless cubs are absolutely healthy.
Then Mrs. Miller decided to repeat the experiment and again crossed the parents of the bald babies. And to the joy of the breeder, the experiment turned out to be successful, since several cubs from the new litter also began to go bald by the first week of life. Carol realized that she had accidentally bred a completely new breed of guinea pigs and the enterprising woman wasted no time in starting to breed them.
This is how another breed of hairless guinea pigs appeared, called Baldwin, from the English “bald”, which translates as “bald”.
Appearance of naked guinea pigs
Skinnies and Baldwins are similar in appearance, but there are several characteristic features that can help differentiate these breeds.
What does Skinny pig look like?
Guinea pig Skinny is very pleasant to the touch - the body is stocky and muscular, ranging from thirty to thirty-five centimeters in length. The animals weigh no more than one kilogram. Males are slightly larger than females;
- paws short with movable flexible toes;
- The animals have a large head, a short neck and large rounded ears. The eyes are expressive, round in shape. Eye color can be chocolate, black or ruby red and depends on the color of the rodent;
- Skin color can be any: white, cream, black, purple, brown. Both a single color and the presence of two or three colors on the animal’s skin are allowed;
- the skin is soft and velvety due to the soft, almost invisible fluff covering the entire body. Guinea pigs may have short hairs on their heads, shoulders and necks.
What does a Baldwin pig look like?
A distinctive feature of the Baldwins is their large, floppy ears. - Baldwin rodents are slightly smaller than Skinny and have a more graceful build. Their body length ranges from twenty to twenty-five centimeters. The weight of the animals does not exceed eight hundred grams;
- The animals have a large head with a hump on the bridge of the nose and large hanging ears. The eyes are round, depending on the color, the color can be red or black;
- Unlike Skinny, Baldwin's skin is not so soft and delicate to the touch, but more like rubber. Also, pigs of this breed differ from their hairless relatives by characteristic folds around the paws, in the shoulder area and on the top of the head;
- Any color is also allowed - from black to lilac or light beige.
Character and behavior of hairless animals
People who are lucky enough to become owners of these amazing rodents speak of their pets as affectionate, loyal and extremely intelligent animals.
These are friendly, inquisitive and sociable animals. They are not aggressive and non-conflicting, so they get along well in the same house not only with their relatives, but also with other animals, for example, hamsters, cats or small dogs. Owners often watch with affection how their hairless pet sleeps on the same sofa with a cat or dog, cuddled up to their warm body.
Skin colors in Baldwin pigs can range from light to black. Hairless guinea pigs develop a special relationship with their owner. These animals need constant communication, and the owners will have to give their exotic pet a lot of care and attention. The rodent will happily sit in the owner's arms, exposing its back for stroking, while making rumbling sounds reminiscent of a cat's purr.
Bald animals have a very fragile and sensitive psyche, and they cannot stand rudeness and violence. Cruelty to an animal leads to the fact that the pet begins to get sick and may even die. Also, naked guinea pigs are afraid of screams and loud noises, so you should not frighten the rodent by turning on loud music or the TV at full blast in the room.
Both Skinny and Baldwin are highly intelligent and have excellent memory. Animals quickly remember and respond to their own name. When they see their beloved owner, bald pets often stand on their hind legs and quietly whistle, expressing their joy at meeting him.
By rewarding the animal with treats, you can teach it to perform simple tricks, for example, pushing a ball towards its owner or making turns around its axis on command.
Important: despite their friendliness and sociability towards strangers, hairless pigs are wary and distrustful and do not particularly like being stroked or picked up by strangers.
Care and maintenance at home
Basically, the rules for keeping hairless guinea pigs are the same as for their furry relatives. But, given the fact that these animals are hairless, which means their skin is more delicate and sensitive, there are several features for caring for hairless pets.
The body temperature of hairless guinea pigs is 38-40C Home equipment
A mandatory accessory for a pet’s home is a cozy, warm house.
As for the filler, it is not advisable to fill the bottom of the cage with sawdust, wood pellets or shavings, as they can scratch and irritate the bare skin of animals. It is better to use soft hay as flooring. Some owners cover the pallet of their home with a cloth or towel, but this is not a very good solution, since the material will have to be changed every day.
For hairless breeds of pigs, it is necessary to purchase a warm house Feeding
The diet of Sphynx pigs is no different from the menu of their furry counterparts. Hairless rodents also eat hay, fresh vegetation, vegetables and fruits. But due to their accelerated metabolism and the need to constantly maintain body temperature within normal limits, animals need more food and water than regular pigs. Therefore, the cage should always have fresh, high-quality hay and clean water.
Rodent body care
The main question that owners of hairless guinea pigs ask is how often they need to bathe their pet and whether it is possible to subject the animal to water procedures at all.
Hairless guinea pigs should only be bathed if absolutely necessary. Hairless rodents have special glands that produce a special skin secretion that envelops their body with a protective film. This substance moisturizes their skin, so it does not dry out and cracks do not form on it. And frequent bathing washes away the protective film, and the skin becomes dry and prone to irritation.
Therefore, you should not frequently give your naked pet water treatments, especially with shampoos. Experienced breeders and specialists do not recommend bathing animals at all and advise limiting themselves to wiping their body with a damp cloth or cloth soaked in water.
Distinctive features of hairless breeds
Hairless guinea pigs have unusual skin colors, like this representative - Dalmatian color These animals not only have an unusual, unique appearance. There are several features that distinguish them from ordinary guinea pigs:
- Rodents have very sensitive skin that is prone to burns. Therefore, their home should be installed in a place where there is no access to direct sunlight, otherwise the animal risks getting burned;
- Pets without fur cannot stand the cold. The temperature in the room where they are kept should not fall below 22 degrees;
- the body temperature of hairless guinea pigs reaches 38-39 degrees, which is normal for them;
- rodents need to be fed twice as often as their normal counterparts, since they have an accelerated metabolism;
- in order to maintain a comfortable body temperature, animals are forced to move all the time and replenish energy reserves by constantly absorbing food;
- As pets, these animals are perfect for people who are allergic to wool;
- Although hairless guinea pigs are a man-made breed, they have a longer lifespan than regular guinea pigs. With proper care, hairless rodents can live between five and nine years;
- pigs of the Skinny breed are born completely bald, but as they grow older they acquire very thin and soft fluff;
- Baldwins, on the contrary, are born covered with hair, but by the first month of life they become completely bald.
Important: the gene responsible for the lack of fur in these animals is recessive. If you cross a hairless guinea pig with a regular one, the babies will be covered with fur, but in the future they may give birth to hairless babies.
Cost of hairless guinea pigs
Since hairless guinea pig breeds are considered rare and exotic, their price is much higher than regular rodents.
A naked pig costs on average from four to nine thousand rubles.
The cost of the animal is affected by gender and color. Females are slightly more expensive than males. And for an individual with a combination of two or three colors on the skin you will have to pay a larger amount than for an animal with a single color.
Baldwin and Skinny are hairless breeds of guinea pigs.
5 (100%) 3 votes