1. Rodents Continued: Guinea Pig and Caviomorph Managment Dr. N. Matthew Ellinwood, D.V.M., Ph.D. February 22, 2012 I OWA S TATE U NIVERSITY C OLLEGE OF A GRICULTURE AND L IFE S CIENCES

2. GUINEA PIG MANAGEMENT Cavia porcellus

3. Origin Cavia porcellus – domesticated Cavia aperia – wild wild – Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay also known as Cavies domesticated 16 th century – England

4. Varieties of Guinea Pigs Traditional  American or English – short hair  Abyssinian – whorls of short rough hair  Peruvian – long hair

5. Varieties of Guinea Pigs New varieties  Silky – medium length soft hair  Teddy – short, coarse hair  American Crested – short hair with contrasting whorl on forehead  Rex – very short, soft hair  Hairless

6. Traditional varieties of guinea pigs

7. American – short hair

8. Abyssinian – whorls of short hair

9. Peruvian – long hair

10. New varieties of guinea pigs

11. Silky – soft, medium hair

12. Teddy – short, coarse hair

13. American crested – contrasting whorl on head

14. Rex – very short, soft hair

15. Hairless – (well, almost)

16. Basic Guinea Pig compact stocky body tailless diurnal – actually  short naps night and day sebaceous marking glands - rump open rooted teeth 

17. Additional characteristics vocalize – at least 11 sounds good swimmers seldom jump rarely intentionally bite or scratch need frequent handling lifespan – 5 yr average, ~8 yr max.

18. Uses of Guinea Pigs Pets Scientific research Food

19. Home Sweet Home Temperature: 70, 65 – 79 Space  < 350 gm 60 sq. in.  > 350 gm 101 sq. in.  max size 1.2 x 3.8 cm mesh or solid

20. Home Sweet Home Bedding  wood shavings – not cedar, pine  shredded paper  not dusty  timothy hay overlay optional  clean weekly

21. Home Sweet Home Humidity 50%; 40 – 70 Light cycle 12:12 Air changes 10 – 15 per hour

22. Digestive System Strict herbivores Hind gut fermenters – cecum  Lactobacilli sp.  primary fatty acid – propionic acid

23. NUTRITION require vitamin C have higher folic acid requirement sensitive to excess Ca, Vit. A, Vit. D  leads to metastatic calcification  mineralization of soft tissues

24. Feeding Additional Requirements  ~ 6 gm feed/100 gm body weight  18-20 % protein  10-16 % crude fiber Use guinea pig feed!!! NOT RABBIT FEED  no vit. C and high in vit. D

25. Feeding Management Messy feeders Use J-feeders not bowl

26. Water Management Glass/clear bottles preferred Like to play with waterers  will empty water bottle and/or  stop up the opening  check frequently Change & Clean water bottle daily Automatic waterers  check daily; acidify water at source  reduces pseudomonas

27. Water Management Glass/clear bottles preferred Like to play with waterers  will empty water bottle and/or  stop up the opening  check frequently Change & Clean water bottle daily Automatic waterers  check daily; acidify water at source  reduces pseudomonas

28. REPRODUCTION age to sexual maturity 68-70 estrous cycle 15-17 days gestation 59-72 days

29. SEXING male: straight slit female: Y-shaped

30. SEXING male: straight slit

31. SEXING female: Y-shaped

32. BREEDING females pair at 400gm; 2-3 months males pair at 600 gm; 3-4 months breed females before 6 months  otherwise pubic symphysis fuses  must relax at parturition  Response to the hormone relaxin  Guinea pig once used in bioassays for relaxin

33. Care of Young precocial – born  furred, eyes open, teeth erupted  walking within 2 hours two nipples – inguinal region  can care for four young  litters 3-4 (range 1-6)

34. Care of Young milk  3.9% fat  8.1% protein  3.0% lactose

35. DISEASES genetic infectious environmental nutritional others

36. DISEASES malocclusion – over growth of teeth causes  environmental \inadequate opportunity wear down teeth  genetic \teeth do not meet properly in guinea pigs  lower premolars may be tilted inward  eventually tongue is trapped

37. INFECTIOUS DISEASES Bordetella bronchiseptica - pneumonia  do not house with subclinical carriers  rabbits, cats, dogs other infectious diseases are much less common

38. OTHER DISEASES vitamin C deficiency – scurvy metastatic calcification  mineralization of soft tissues heat stroke  85º F+, high humidity, lack of ventilation barbering  small bald patches

39. Public Health Risks minimal diseases guinea pigs may carry  Bordetella, Salmonella, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Streptococcus

40. CHINCHILLA MANAGEMENT Chinchilla lanigera

41. Origin Two species in the wild –Chinchilla brevicaudata Shorter, stockier, and facing extinction A previously extant species is already extict –Chinchilla lanigera Chinchilla lanigera – domesticated wild – Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile Spanish discovered them in 16 th century

42. Crespuscular –Active – require wheels Names after the Chincha people of the Andes: “Little Chincha” Hunting in the 19 th century –Fur trade led to rarity in the wild Rock crevices in the wild Can jump up to 6 feet high

43. In the wild, groups called herds Nonseasonally polyestrous Gestation is 111 days –Usually two offsping –Precocial Prey species defense –Fur release –Urine spraying

44. Dust baths –Fine volcanic dust (pumice) Diet –Pelleted chinchilla with timothy hay Raisin supplement 1-2 per day Do not over supplement on fruits and vegetables

45. Research Importance Hearing –Range and anatomy Chagas disease –Parasitic diseae causing American trypanosomiasis Gastrointestinal disease Listeriosis

46. Colors of Chinchilla

47. Standard Grey

48. Ebony

49. Homozygous beige

50. Heterozygous beige

51. Brown Velvet

52. Black velvet

53. Golden mosaic

54. Sapphire

55. Silver

56. Silver white

57. Albino white

58. Pure white

59. Degus South American rodent Related to Guinea pigs Smaller, social rodents

60. Natural History and Domestication Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Hystricognathi Parvorder: Caviomorpha Family: Octodontidae Genus: Octodon Species: degus

61. Natural History and Domestication Related to Guinea Pigs and Chinchillas –South American –Chilean deserts Semi arid scrub of central Chile –“Brushed tailed rats” –“Chilean squirrels” –High vitamin C requirement –Long gestation with precocious young –Long lived in captivity (6-8 year)

62. Natural History and Domestication Social groups in the wild –1-2 males, 3-6 females typical Large borrowed communities –Heat and predators Large ears for dissipating heat Long hind legs (running/jumping), dexterous forepaws Diurnal and crepuscular Coprophagic at night Agouti brown with UV reflecting cream color undersides –Signaling mechanism? Vision into ultraviolet

63. Natural History and Domestication Forage dried vegetation; require high fiber content –Adapted to high fiber low sugar diets Seasonal breeders –Breed late winter: birth early Spring (90 day gestation) –Precocious young: haired, visual, hearing, and ambulatory Males have abdominal testes –Sex by anogenital distance –Social alarm behaviors

64. Natural History and Domestication Domesticated in 1970s as research model –Type II diabetes model –Neuroscience model of eye hand/paw Spontaneous us of tools to retrieve seeds Spontaneously stack objects in order of decreasing size – Circadian rhythm Diurnal and nocturnal rhythms Cues from temperature, melatonin, and pheromones –Aging and development studies Separating pups from dam for periods of half an hour –Developmental and behavioral changes in later life Aged degus have Alzheimer markers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2007-12-09_(20)_Degu.JPG

65. Husbandry Same sex housing, males paired pre-pubertally (12 weeks) Housing, flooring, wheels –Bumblefoot Dust baths Bedding of paper or dried pine shavings (cedar is toxic) Diet: Chewing and maloclusions Meadow/Timorthy hay base diet (forage throughout day) –And chinchilla or guinea pig pellets Water Never dried fruits/molasses containing feeds

66. Disease and Zoonosis Maloclussion Diabetes (type II) Footpad problems (bumblefoot) Blocked lacrimal ducts (secondary to infection/inflamation –Veterinary care/antibiotics

67. Tables in text Chinchilla 7.1 Guinea Pig 7.4 Degus 7.10